"Their Homeland," by Erica Selykova is a well written, world-opening short story on Erica's experience of leaving the United States for a period of time. When she was only eight, Erica was sent to live in Ukraine for nine months, with the goal that she would come back to the States speaking Russian fluently. There, the young girl was opened to the realization that not everyone lived in an environment where problems weren't as minuscule as the ones that her piers thought they had in her hometown. Erica saw that people her age had much more responsibility than she could ever imagine.
      Befriending a new girl to the school, Erica heard of the many challenges that her friend had to overcome. For example, she had to buy produce after school, feed all her siblings, and do her homework, whilst paying for her own dance lessons. After Erica's time in the country of her heritage, she saw the world in a different perspective. She described how she couldn't look her friends eye-to-eye, not understanding how they can complain over little things and disrespect their teachers.
      By the end of the piece, Erica reflected on how her trip helped her open her eyes to the world "where the most important thing is not what's on the lunch menu, but how food will be paid for."