Pancakes to Paris

This is my college essay, which got me accepted into my university, The University of Texas at Austin.
I traveled to Paris out of spite. Not because I had been studying the language for six years, and not because of my desperate wish to eat a croissant by the Tour Eiffel. I went because it was unattainable until I made the decision that it was not.
I have never been one to retreat, and I am tenacious in my beliefs. So when I came across the prospect of traveling abroad, I knew this was how I had to spend my summer vacation. Even after my parents refused to grant permission, I was persistent in my arguments. There were disagreements, conversations, and eventually, a compromise: “Raise the funds, and you can go.” Classes, homestay, spending money: I would need to pay for every expense. I accepted the challenge immediately and devised a plan to make the money. My waitressing job at IHOP began that week.
Goal setting and scheduling are integral to every area of my life. After school, I had tennis practice, and then I would head straight to the restaurant and waitress until midnight. When I was not at school, I was at the restaurant, and when I was not at the restaurant, I was searching for other ways to earn funds.
As cash flow increased, I doubled my shifts. Mornings were spent catering to the early birds, and nights were spent bussing tables for the late crowd. I remember some long nights of tears burning my cheeks as I attempted to manage 15 tables and a grill full of pancakes. I thought about quitting often, but I do not easily succumb to pressure. If IHOP got the better of me, I knew Paris held the best of me—and that idea stoked my fire.
Four months later, I was on a plane bound for France. I spent one month in the City of Lights, attending language classes each day. My French dramatically improved. I lived with a wonderful host family, and I saw many of the great historical and cultural landmarks that make the city such an illustrious destination. When I saw the Tour Eiffel for the first time, the trials I faced to get there had become things of the past.
When I returned home, everyone asked about my travels abroad. “The crêpes were amazing, better than the pancakes I served at IHOP,” usually received a laugh. Although it was true, without those pancakes, I would have never eaten a crêpe in Montmartre in the first place. No matter to whom I spoke to about the trip, my conversations always ended with a narrative of my journey there.
Waitressing tables was one of the most stressful things I have ever done, but it was also the most meaningful. It was the first time I really understood and applied the skills everyone needs to be successful in life. Treating every patron with kindness, especially rude guests, taught me tolerance and courtesy. Creating the daily cleaning plan with my co-workers was a lesson in working with and depending on others. Flipping pancakes taught me patience: if you want the best results, you must wait for the right amount of time.
Maybe spite is the wrong word. I was spiteful towards nothing but the idea of failing. I traveled to Paris out of tenacity.
A common saying in French is “Vouloir, c’est pouvoir,” translated roughly into English as, “If there’s a will, there’s a way.” It is not enough to just embrace the philosophy; I must embody it. This idea has surrounded my actions for as long as I can remember, but now I am starting to curate experiences to live it: to find a way. If I want that career as a politician, and I do, I am going to need it. Vouloir, c’est pouvoir.