Photo courtesy of Claire Lee

Editor’s Note: Claire Lee is a PGM staff writer for the Fall 2020 semester.

From the United States to Canada, Bolivia, Mexico and South Korea, Claire Lee travels around the world.

A sophomore political science major, Lee uses her faith, friends and the places she travels to understand herself and how unified the human experience is. She writes about her travel experiences for the Graphic.

“There’s just so many shared experiences that we have, yet they’re so different in the way that the story is created,” Lee said.

New areas or cultural and societal differences can create a feeling of discomfort for some people. However, Lee said she can always find unifying characteristics in the places she visits.

“I didn’t really quite experience that culture shock,” Lee said. “I just saw so many similarities. No matter where I go, there are just so many similarities in human beings.”

When Lee faces uncertainty in her life, she said she grounds herself in her faith, which reminds her of how she is unique. Wherever she is, Lee knows her place in the world reflects her unique experience with God and how she chooses to praise Him.

“Location — like the communities I’m a part of — and the way that I communicate and live my life for God and obedience is just what makes me different as a daughter of God,” Lee said.

The world is a great place with many different perspectives, sights and people, but everyone needs more unity that comes from personal understanding, Lee said.

“The world needs people who can be themselves, but it takes a journey to find out who you really are,” Lee said

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Follow Anitiz Muonagolu on Twitter: @ajmuonagolu or contact via email aj.muonagolu@pepperdine.edu

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