Path to the Podium

Ep.8 Nick Schneider - Euronascar driver 2023!

March 20, 2023 Path to the Podium Season 1 Episode 8
Path to the Podium
Ep.8 Nick Schneider - Euronascar driver 2023!
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Show Notes

My Life and my Mindset

 

My name is Nick Schneider and I am a half german half brazilian male currently based in Germany.

For the past 10 years of my life I have lived outside my country of origin, and have therefore been fortunate enough to experience a broad variety of culture and difference in my life. It all began when I was a mere 5 years old, my father had been given an opportunity to work for Volkswagen Group in Pune, India which he welcomed with open arms. I must admit though, as a rather young child the idea of leaving what had become home to me, for a country that was a pure unknown, was rather intimidating. In retrospect, I am truly grateful I moved, because it was the first time I stepped out of my comfort zone and discovered a new life. Soon I had made more memories and friends than in Germany, and I found myself feeling more at home than I would ever have expected.

After those 4 years, we returned to Germany. That one year back was truly the toughest year of my life so far. I got bullied in school, and in fact switched schools because of it, which ended up not really working. Not to mention the passing of my grandfather and great grandfather, two people that had a big positive impact on my life and my childhood. It was a painful year and one I remember vividly. Coming from a previous international school I was not accustomed to the idea of bullying. It was something that rarely occured in our school community and was punished heavily if it ever did. Something that starkly contrasted with the public schools of Europe, where this would often slip under the radar. This left me in shock when I eventually found myself almost completely friendless and lonely as a result of my different background, appearance, and way of thought. I also had lots of trouble in school as I had come from a different school system and wasn’t quite used to how things worked in Germany. As a result, I had lots of gaps in my knowledge and was often labelled as “stupid” “retarded” “disabled” and many other hurtful terms. It was living hell, yet this dark and gloomy time introduced me to the importance of resilience and mental strength in life.

After a year, a seemingly magical opportunity came up for my father to work in Guangdong, China. It was like a sigh of relief, like a long awaited light at the end of the tunnel. A way to leave everything behind and start a new life. So we packed our bags and went. As soon as I arrived I was again struck by how foreign things were: new languages, cuisinies, living conditions, schools etc. things being so foreign however didn’t scare me or make me miss home this time around, they made me feel free and detached from what I had previously gone through. I then ended up joining a well known school named the British School Of Guangzhou, where I ended up making a boatload of memories, as well as friends from similar backgrounds that I could actually count on.

After aproximately 4 whole years in Guangzhou we again moved, but this time not to a new country, yet to a city in the Sichuan Province named Chengdu. Here I attended The Leman International School which was very different from BSG, yet a refreshing change I welcomed. This year however, was the year I enjoyed the most, as it was the first time I had properly been accepted in a friend group. After this rather brief period in Chengdu however, we returned to Guangzhou where things were now different, many people I had previously known were gone and communities had changed. Again we had to adapt.

After 6 years in China, I must say it’s where I made the strongest friendships and have met the best people so far in my life, especially in the last 3 to 4 years. China is where I spent the biggest chunk of my life so far, and it’s a time of my life that has been

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