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During my first year of college， I went on a trip with a group of other classmates to New York City to network with alumni①. At the end of the day， after spending hours going from one company to the next， several of the students talked about hanging out in the city for a while before getting dinner.
"It’ll be so much fun，" they said. "You should totally come with us！"
I said I would be happy to tag along②， and I followed the group onto a train headed towards another part of town. When we finally reached our s t o p a n d climbed out onto the street， I suddenly found myself surrounded by clothing stores and restaurants as far as the eye could see.
Feeling a pit in my stomach， I followed the group into a store they decided to enter at random③， and walked idly around the interior④ as I gazed at the golden lights， the shiny surfaces， the hard edges， and the beautiful clothes.
I saw a pretty jacket and checked the price tag. $530.
"That would look so cute on you！" One of the girls in the group， Melanie， was suddenly standing beside me， taking the jacket from the hanger and holding it up against my chest. "It totally goes with your hair color."
"I think I’m good， thanks."
"Are you sure？ It’s totally cute."
"Honestly， I’m okay." I paused， noticing the piles of clothes Melanie held clutched against her chest. "Did you find anything you like？"
"Oh my gosh， yes！ It totally sucks living in a college town because there are， like， no clothing stores. I honestly try to come to NYC as much as possible just to shop."
I almost laughed， thinking she was joking， but when Melanie turned away to inspect a $1，000 dress hanging from the wall， I realized she was serious.
The other students in the group ended up spending thousands of dollars at the store， their purchases being folded⑤ carefully and tucked away into colorful paper bags. It was only when they had finished that they decided to eat dinner at a place across the street.
In the nicest restaurant I had ever been to that year， I ordered the cheapest appetizer⑥ I could find， and sat in silence as the students around me reminisced⑦ about the private schools they had gone to， their most recent vacations to Europe.
When the dinner was over， a student suggested seeing a broadway play， and one of the guys pulled out his phone and told the group Cabaret was playing for only $250 a ticket.
"What a steal！" Melanie， wearing her brand-new jacket， cried. "We have to go！" She turned to look at me and gave me a big smile. "Do you want to come？" I knew I wasn’t going to be spending $250 for a show.
"I have a lot of homework，" I said. "But thanks anyway."
Melanie shrugged， and after paying for our dinner， the group walked out of the restaurant into the chilly New York City air to head towards the show. I walked back to the hotel alone， and spent the night studying for my upcoming⑧ Sociology exam.
When I had finished studying， I lay back in the starched sheets of the bed and wondered what it was like for those classmates of mine， who had grown up with the ability to spend thousands of dollars on clothing， to go on trips to big cities to see expensive shows and blow even more money on fancy restaurants and stores. Who went to summer camp， private schools， who lived in big houses with maids and housekeepers， who went on vacation to foreign countries， staying in beautiful hotels.
To be very honest， I find it fascinating to be surrounded by classmates who come from wealth like I have never experienced. I’m not embarrassed for being unable to afford the things some of my classmates buy dozens of through online shopping. I’m not embarrassed for growing up being told "no" again and again， because my family simply didn’t have enough money.
I’m proud of who I am， and where I’ve come from. And that’s enough for me.
在我大一的時候，我通过网络联系了校友，和他们一起去了纽约旅行。旅行临近尾声，在花了几个小时参观了一个又一个公司后，几个同学提议在吃晚饭前逛一下这座城市。
“这一定会很有趣，”他们说，“一起来吧！”
我说我很乐意跟他们一起逛，然后我跟着他们上了火车，去往这座城市的另一个地方。当我们最后到达车站，上了大街时，我突然发现在目光所及之处，都是服装店和餐馆。
在我饥肠辘辘的时候，我跟着他们随意进了一家商场，我一边懒洋洋地走进室内，一边被金色的灯光、闪耀的灯面、坚固的棱角和漂亮的衣服所深深吸引，移不开目光。
我看中了一件漂亮的夹克，看了看价格标签。530美元。
“你穿那件夹克一定很好看！”同伴中一个叫梅兰妮的女孩突然出现在我身旁，从衣架上拿下夹克，把它举在我胸前。“它与你的发色很搭。”
“谢谢，我想它不适合我。”“你确定？它真的很好看。”
“说真的，我觉得还好。”我停顿了一下，注意到梅兰妮把衣服在她身前对照。“你有找到你喜欢的衣服吗？”
“哦，是的！住在大学城简直糟透了，因为根本没有服装店。我以后真想常来纽约的商店逛逛。”
我笑了笑，以为她是开玩笑的，但当梅兰妮转身去检查墙上挂着的一件1000美元的衣服时，我才意识到她是认真的。
同游的其他同学最终在商场里花费了数千美元，他们买的衣物被小心翼翼地折叠起来，塞进了彩色纸袋里。当他们全部购物完后，他们才决定在街对面的一个地方吃晚饭。
那是我那年去过的所有餐馆中最好的一家，我点了最便宜的小吃，然后静静地坐着，而我周围的同学都在讨论他们上过的私立学校，或是他们最近在欧洲度过的假期。
当晚餐结束时，一位同学提议去看百老汇的戏，接着就有一个小伙子掏出手机查了价格，发现卡巴莱歌舞表演只要250美元一张票。
“这票价简直像偷来的一样！”梅兰妮穿着崭新的夹克惊呼。“我们一定要去，不能错过了！”她转过身看着我，向我投来一个大大的微笑。“你要一起来吗？”
我知道我不会为了看一场演出花250美元。
“我还有很多作业没做，”我说，“但是不管怎样很谢谢你们邀请我。”
梅兰妮耸了耸肩，晚餐结账后，他们离开了餐厅，走在寒冷的纽约街上，朝着百老汇的方向前去。而我独自走回酒店，花了一个晚上复习即将迎来的社会学考试。
当我学习完，躺在浆洗过的床单上，想着那些同学的生活，那些有着优越的家境、有能力承担数千美元的衣服开销、去大城市旅行、看价格昂贵的演出和砸很多钱在高档餐厅和商场的同学。那些参加夏令营、上私立学校，又或是住在有着女佣和管家的大房子里、去国外度假、住在漂亮的酒店里的同学们。
说实话，我觉得身边围绕着很多有着我从未经历过的富裕生活的同学很有意思。尽管我的一些同学会通过网上购物买一堆这样的东西，我不为自己买不起东西而感到尴尬。我也不因为我的家庭并不富裕，而一次又一次地拒绝别人的邀请而感到尴尬。
我为自己自豪，也为我的出生自豪。这就足够了。
"It’ll be so much fun，" they said. "You should totally come with us！"
I said I would be happy to tag along②， and I followed the group onto a train headed towards another part of town. When we finally reached our s t o p a n d climbed out onto the street， I suddenly found myself surrounded by clothing stores and restaurants as far as the eye could see.
Feeling a pit in my stomach， I followed the group into a store they decided to enter at random③， and walked idly around the interior④ as I gazed at the golden lights， the shiny surfaces， the hard edges， and the beautiful clothes.
I saw a pretty jacket and checked the price tag. $530.
"That would look so cute on you！" One of the girls in the group， Melanie， was suddenly standing beside me， taking the jacket from the hanger and holding it up against my chest. "It totally goes with your hair color."
"I think I’m good， thanks."
"Are you sure？ It’s totally cute."
"Honestly， I’m okay." I paused， noticing the piles of clothes Melanie held clutched against her chest. "Did you find anything you like？"
"Oh my gosh， yes！ It totally sucks living in a college town because there are， like， no clothing stores. I honestly try to come to NYC as much as possible just to shop."
I almost laughed， thinking she was joking， but when Melanie turned away to inspect a $1，000 dress hanging from the wall， I realized she was serious.
The other students in the group ended up spending thousands of dollars at the store， their purchases being folded⑤ carefully and tucked away into colorful paper bags. It was only when they had finished that they decided to eat dinner at a place across the street.
In the nicest restaurant I had ever been to that year， I ordered the cheapest appetizer⑥ I could find， and sat in silence as the students around me reminisced⑦ about the private schools they had gone to， their most recent vacations to Europe.
When the dinner was over， a student suggested seeing a broadway play， and one of the guys pulled out his phone and told the group Cabaret was playing for only $250 a ticket.
"What a steal！" Melanie， wearing her brand-new jacket， cried. "We have to go！" She turned to look at me and gave me a big smile. "Do you want to come？" I knew I wasn’t going to be spending $250 for a show.
"I have a lot of homework，" I said. "But thanks anyway."
Melanie shrugged， and after paying for our dinner， the group walked out of the restaurant into the chilly New York City air to head towards the show. I walked back to the hotel alone， and spent the night studying for my upcoming⑧ Sociology exam.
When I had finished studying， I lay back in the starched sheets of the bed and wondered what it was like for those classmates of mine， who had grown up with the ability to spend thousands of dollars on clothing， to go on trips to big cities to see expensive shows and blow even more money on fancy restaurants and stores. Who went to summer camp， private schools， who lived in big houses with maids and housekeepers， who went on vacation to foreign countries， staying in beautiful hotels.
To be very honest， I find it fascinating to be surrounded by classmates who come from wealth like I have never experienced. I’m not embarrassed for being unable to afford the things some of my classmates buy dozens of through online shopping. I’m not embarrassed for growing up being told "no" again and again， because my family simply didn’t have enough money.
I’m proud of who I am， and where I’ve come from. And that’s enough for me.
在我大一的時候，我通过网络联系了校友，和他们一起去了纽约旅行。旅行临近尾声，在花了几个小时参观了一个又一个公司后，几个同学提议在吃晚饭前逛一下这座城市。
“这一定会很有趣，”他们说，“一起来吧！”
我说我很乐意跟他们一起逛，然后我跟着他们上了火车，去往这座城市的另一个地方。当我们最后到达车站，上了大街时，我突然发现在目光所及之处，都是服装店和餐馆。
在我饥肠辘辘的时候，我跟着他们随意进了一家商场，我一边懒洋洋地走进室内，一边被金色的灯光、闪耀的灯面、坚固的棱角和漂亮的衣服所深深吸引，移不开目光。
我看中了一件漂亮的夹克，看了看价格标签。530美元。
“你穿那件夹克一定很好看！”同伴中一个叫梅兰妮的女孩突然出现在我身旁，从衣架上拿下夹克，把它举在我胸前。“它与你的发色很搭。”
“谢谢，我想它不适合我。”“你确定？它真的很好看。”
“说真的，我觉得还好。”我停顿了一下，注意到梅兰妮把衣服在她身前对照。“你有找到你喜欢的衣服吗？”
“哦，是的！住在大学城简直糟透了，因为根本没有服装店。我以后真想常来纽约的商店逛逛。”
我笑了笑，以为她是开玩笑的，但当梅兰妮转身去检查墙上挂着的一件1000美元的衣服时，我才意识到她是认真的。
同游的其他同学最终在商场里花费了数千美元，他们买的衣物被小心翼翼地折叠起来，塞进了彩色纸袋里。当他们全部购物完后，他们才决定在街对面的一个地方吃晚饭。
那是我那年去过的所有餐馆中最好的一家，我点了最便宜的小吃，然后静静地坐着，而我周围的同学都在讨论他们上过的私立学校，或是他们最近在欧洲度过的假期。
当晚餐结束时，一位同学提议去看百老汇的戏，接着就有一个小伙子掏出手机查了价格，发现卡巴莱歌舞表演只要250美元一张票。
“这票价简直像偷来的一样！”梅兰妮穿着崭新的夹克惊呼。“我们一定要去，不能错过了！”她转过身看着我，向我投来一个大大的微笑。“你要一起来吗？”
我知道我不会为了看一场演出花250美元。
“我还有很多作业没做，”我说，“但是不管怎样很谢谢你们邀请我。”
梅兰妮耸了耸肩，晚餐结账后，他们离开了餐厅，走在寒冷的纽约街上，朝着百老汇的方向前去。而我独自走回酒店，花了一个晚上复习即将迎来的社会学考试。
当我学习完，躺在浆洗过的床单上，想着那些同学的生活，那些有着优越的家境、有能力承担数千美元的衣服开销、去大城市旅行、看价格昂贵的演出和砸很多钱在高档餐厅和商场的同学。那些参加夏令营、上私立学校，又或是住在有着女佣和管家的大房子里、去国外度假、住在漂亮的酒店里的同学们。
说实话，我觉得身边围绕着很多有着我从未经历过的富裕生活的同学很有意思。尽管我的一些同学会通过网上购物买一堆这样的东西，我不为自己买不起东西而感到尴尬。我也不因为我的家庭并不富裕，而一次又一次地拒绝别人的邀请而感到尴尬。
我为自己自豪，也为我的出生自豪。这就足够了。