Multicultural mementos

Five countries, ten years, and a thousand memories. Traveling all over the world is a fantasy for most students, but for Kylie Genetti, it’s a part of her life.

She has lived in Houston, Venezuela, Qatar, Australia, and Norway up until this past summer. Traveling throughout five countries has taught Genetti how to take the bitter with the sweet.

“It’s been really difficult for me to make friends, grow strong relationships and then suddenly have to leave them and start over,” Genetti said. “After moving so often, you’d think it would get easier but it actually got harder, because each time I moved I knew I would eventually have to say goodbye.”

Her dad works for ExxonMobil which is why her family moves so frequently.

“Exxon moves us so fast because of government issues,” Genetti said. “We visited the U.S. almost every summer, so to me the U.S. was more of a foreign place to come vacation.”

Although Genetti said that she has loved every country she’s lived in, Norway has been her favorite.

“I loved the beautiful mountains and fjords,” Genetti said. “I also really loved my international school I attended and have great friends there. Their holidays and traditions are also really unique.”

One of them is Russ, a month of celebration for graduating seniors. Students come up with dares and pranks, and they buy special Russ pants and overalls that they customize with things about themselves.

“My favorite souvenir is my Russ jacket,” Genetti said. “Knowing that I wouldn’t be able to celebrate Russ with my friends, I asked my senior friend to buy me a jacket so I could somewhat participate in the tradition I was excited for. It’s a fleece jacket with the flag of Norway on the back, which reminds me of my time there.”

Going back and forth between the U.S. and several other countries has opened a window of different opportunities for Genetti.

“One of the biggest differences is how competitive everything is here and how privileged everyone is,” Genetti said. “It’s also very spacious, which was a culture shock to me because I’m used to being able to walk to places,” Genetti said.

At the end of the day, Genetti is thankful for the experiences and memories she has with her.

“One thing about traveling that I’ve learned… is that actually experiencing life in other places is extremely meaningful,” Genetti said. “Traveling is more than just visiting famous monuments. Because I’ve lived in these places, I didn’t just observe the culture, I lived it. And this has really helped me to grow as a person.”