我的留学之路开始于两年半前一个月黑风高的夜晚。在我初二上学期的某一天，常年工作忙、很少回家的爸爸终于回来了一次，我坐在沙发上看电视，听他说他新产生的想法。是的，就是出国！去美国读高中。他产生这个想法的原因很简单，他听给他讲经济学的老师说自己的女儿为了去美国最好的高中——菲利普斯，按照学校的要求一个人坐飞机去香港面试。我爸觉得这种事情很能锻炼一个女孩子，觉得美国学校这种教育方式特好，所以就萌生了把我也送去美国读书的念头。但是，那个时候在我的心里，去美国上学（而且还是高中！）是件很遥远又难以想象的事情。
那时，我在山西最好的中学——山西大学附属中学的初中部，成绩还算不错，目标一直都是升入附中的高中部，也是当地最好的高中。高中部教学楼有个很得瑟的名字叫展翅楼。我从小学开始一直激励自己的目标就是走进展翅楼。虽然我很讨厌那种出产“书呆子”的地方，但是走进它的优越感一直都吸引着我。人的天性就是不断变得更好嘛！我也是个俗人，所以一直都追求这种被大家公认为好的东西。那个时候，我一直认为自己会顺利地走进高中部的教学楼，然后去北京读个还算不错的大学。更何况，我当时也从未想过要一个人去离家那么远的地方读书，不知道多久才能回家一次。想到在一个完全陌生的地方，和完全陌生的人相处，不同的生活习惯，我毫不犹豫地选择了拒绝，拒绝这个在我眼里没有任何可取之处，并且会完全让我失去对未来掌控的提议。我倔强的性格正是遗传自我爹。他坚持想让我去，而我坚持不想去。于是他就采取了步步为营、逐步击破的方案。
首先，在我极力抵抗出国的情况下，他还是给我引见了一个在留学机构工作的英语老师。那是2009年“五一”长假的前夜，我记得很清楚，那天晚上我回家像平常一样看电视、写作业，然后接到我爸的电话让我跟我妈一起去饭店吃饭。我走进饭店包间草草扫了一眼桌边的人。忽略我爸，目光直接跳到这顿饭的中心上，看到那个传说中的英语老师Tiffany，好淑女啊！还蛮漂亮的。想想小学的那个经常暴走的英语老师，这对比……有种无法言喻的奇妙的感觉。旁边就是她那五大三粗的男朋友，我进门的时候，他正站起来往衣架上挂衣服。看了他的身高，我表示这包间的屋顶压力很大。在旁边，我愣了一下。还有武洋父子！武！洋！这是什么概念。我爸完全把他当成我未来的楷模和典范啊！武洋的爸爸和我爸爸是好朋友。常有联络。武洋他爸也是早就有了让武洋出国读书的念头，所以武洋已经在准备托福了。那个淑女英语老师现在就在辅导他。看到他的一瞬间，我就觉得这顿饭没法好好吃了。在我爹妈眼里，武洋又乖又有上进心，他的英语成绩受他爸的熏陶从小就很好。让我这个从小最讨厌英语的孩子情何以堪啊！在这里着重介绍一下武洋同学，因为他在后来成了我留学路上最常听到的一个名字。小时候大家最讨厌的事情，莫过于爸妈在你做不好一些事情的时候说：“你看人家谁谁谁，学习又好又有上进心，从来不让家长操心。人家的孩子都是学累了自己都不愿意休息，生怕浪费时间的。”这个“别人家的孩子”，对于小时候的我来说，一直都是噩梦。而自从我开始接触留学这条路的时候，武洋于我就变成了那个“别人家的孩子”，时刻以这种特别又变态的方法激励我前进，变成像他一样的学霸。我一整顿饭都在思考我爸又有什么阴谋，想威逼利诱我去留学。
1.The beginning of everything
Two years ago,the most important idea of my high school life first appeared on a horrible night with rattling wind.One day during the frst semester of eighth grade,my father,always busy with work,came home and told me that he had a new idea.While my eyes were still glued to the TV show,the words“American high school”suddenly came up.What?High school in the US?It was an easy process for him to come up with this idea—my father had heard that his business professor’s daughter went to Phillips Academy,one of the best high schools in America.The“Phillips Girl”had been asked to interview alone in Hong Kong.My father was impressed by this education methodology and felt it could help me hone useful skills for individual life,so he proposed this risky idea to me.However,to me,studying in America was an unbelievable idea.(www.xing528.com)
At that time,I was studying in a middle school attached to the best high school in our city.My goal for many years had been to study in that high school—I had been able to see it on my way to school everyday since I was a sixth-grade student.The academic building of my dream high school had a lofty name:“Soaring Building.”It had a wave-shaped roof on the top that looked like a pair of wings to symbolize spreading your wings to fy higher.That was an interesting place because it included many uncouth people but also a lot of people with incredible creative ability.I kept pursuing this goal and I believed I could walk into the“soaring building”some day.At that time,my idea of a university was a famous one in Beijing;I had followed the road that I had planned for a long time.My father’s proposal destroyed all my plans and took me into an unknown space.Also,I had never thought about living that far from home as a student.I did not even know how often I could return home.I thought about living in a totally strange place,getting along with people who have a totally different cultural background than me and trying to adopt another life style.I said NO without hesitation.I could not accept an idea that would make me lose all control of my life.
Nevertheless,I inherited my obstinate mind from my father.As a result,he held onto his opinion about me studying in the US,while I maintained I would not make a huge change like that.Then,my father decided to use a strategy to persuade me step by step.
First of all,even though I really disliked his high school plan for me,he still introduced me to an English teacher who helped Chinese students apply to American schools.That was the night before the International Worker’s Day vacation,and I still remember every detail.My father asked me to have dinner with his friends.When I frst stepped into the restaurant,the frst person I saw was Tiffany.She was the English teacher my Father had told me about.What a beautiful and mild lady!In contrast,the fat,rude English teacher in my elementary school was very different from her.Beside her was her strong boyfriend.When I came in,he was standing to hang his jacket on the hook.His height made people feel that the ceiling of the room was too low.
And then,I saw Yang Wu and his father.Yang!Wu!What did this name mean to me?My father repeatedly mentioned him to me and wanted me to learn from him because he thought Yang Wu was perfect.His father and my father were good friends and kept in touch with each other.Yang Wu’s father wanted to send Yang to a US university for a long time and Yang had started to prepare for the TOEFL with Tiffany’s help.The moment I saw him,I knew that I would not be relaxed throughout this dinner.In my parents’mind,Yang was always well behaved,always made progress and was good at English because of hisfather’s infuence.How could I be comfortable with such a person when I hated English so much?His name appeared frequently during my preparation for American high school later.When I was a little child,the most horrible thing for me was my parents telling me to follow and learn from“better”children when I did not do things well.This is the same nightmare for every Chinese child.Yang was one of the“better”children for me and prompted me to keep going and to do better.During the whole dinner,I kept wondering if my father had concocted a plot to force me to study in an American high school.
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