The view from afar

Ren Yitao, 18, Florida, US

Before I came to the United States at the age of 14, I imagined that I would live in a metropolis like New York City, because my impressions of this country revolved around skyscrapers, busy streets and cars. But I ended up living in a town where the highest building has just seven floors.

I wanted to go home in the first week I was here, not just because the place disappointed me, but it was also very difficult to blend in.