Practice 4 Hybrid Essay (Reflective + Descriptive + Personal Recount)

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It was the June holidays that I longed for, away from school, away from homework, away from all the frustrations and pressure academics gave me. It is the time every student dreams of. My family and I had decided to fly to London this time, in lieu of the well memorized roads of Johor Bahru, Malaysia. Delirious, I did not hesitate for my mother to help pack my luggage but instead did it all by myself and soon, we set off and embarked on our trip to UK. I remembered refilling my water bottle before the flight and quarreling with my younger brother over sharing it with him, later, during the flight. It was already a common occurrence in our family and I knew my mum had been trying profusely to remedy this issue.

Soon after, we arrived in London. It was about 10pm and I reposed in the window seat having won an argument with my younger brother and got to enjoy the majestic sunset. The technicolor sunset, with light patters of raindrops on the window grazed across my eyes as I slipped into trance. A royal blue sky with a tint of red resting above cotton clouds hovering just above the horizon, was a panoramic view so beautiful it is tantamount to all the Miss Universes combined. I felt a warmth in my heart, a feeling, deep within my soul, the vastness of the earth, the beauty of the universe, shared with everyone. 

Cabbing for what seemed like forever, we finally reached our destination. I stood right before the building as it towered over me and its facade resembled a commercial building. It was flanked by two other buildings which still had some of their lights on, which I found surprising, given that it was nearing mid night. I watched and waited for my parents to carry out all the luggage under the drizzle from under an awning. 

The place we were staying was called "The Collective" and upon entry, i noticed that this place of residence was no similar to any i have seen before. Instead of self-contained flats, residents live in tiny rooms with 12 square meters of floor space. Most contain just a bed and a bathroom. However, it was outside these rooms that the building makes its pitch. It comes with a gym, spa, libraries, a good restaurant and a cinema. Residents get access to all of these amenities, as well as their room, for a rental payment of about 800-1000 Euros a month. That includes all bills and high speed Wi-Fi; they pay extra for meals in the restaurant. Residents have come up with their own services, too. The Collective houses a "library of things", or a shared repository of useful objects -- hammers, tape measures and even tents. 

Millennials congregate in TV rooms around the 11-storey, 550-person block. Some gather at the cinema, lounging on bean bags decorated with old graphics from Life magazine. Nothing gets residents out of their rooms like the hit TV show, "Game of Thrones". This is not a student dorm however. It is home. At that instant of being cognizant of all these, my eyes widened and I definitely wasn't looking forward to staying here. 

As a child, I had always hated sharing my things with others, often even quarreling over trivial matters. Hence at that moment I knew the stay wasn't going to be pleasant one.

However, I still needed to get my daily dose of TV and had painstakingly forced myself to interact and share the TV with others. I couldn't get to choose what I wanted to watch and that had undoubtedly made me apoplectic. Counter-intuitively, my parents are enjoying themselves and making new friends whilst my younger brother, adored by everyone and playing together with him. Gales of laughter often filled the building and I was sitting all alone in the sofa reading my own book. I could not take it anymore. I plucked up courage and braced myself to open my heart, become less self-centered and care more about people around me. 

Not long after, surprisingly, I had become happier and more cheerful, enjoying my stay, alongside my family. Just with a slight change of my personality from being selfish and all about myself to caring a little more for others, I have earned myself not only friends but also respect from others. This opportunity I had was precious and galvanized a positive change in me. Imbued, on the journey back home, I even let my brother have the window seat, and also helped my entire family refill their bottles. It was this holiday which had transmogrified me into a better person and now, I am proud to say that "Thank you" and "Would you like some?"  is one of the most prominent words in my vocabulary.