A year has flown by.
Last year this time, I was in Portland and celebrated thanksgiving with RJ & family. I remember wandering around the NW district, watching the food stands, and vowing that next year I would dedicate my thanksgiving to serving the needy.
I was away from Seattle, where i’d always spend thanksgiving with the Wong family. I think the tradition lasted 5 of 7 years. They took me in as part of their family and always made sure I went home with bags of tupperware for the next couple of meals. It was a warm feeling.
This year in LA, I will celebrate with uncle, aunt, and cousins. I was told it’s their family tradition to have hot pot. I surely look forward to that! Unfortunately I’ll be writing a chapter on Friday and working on Saturday, so no more 4-day vacation anymore- welcome to the workforce.
This past year was my quarter-life crisis. I felt like a newbie surfer thrown into large crashing waves. There were moments of intense happiness, of dreams come true. There were also moments of absolute despair. Call it wild. Yes. It topped the charts as the wildest year in my 25 years of living.
People usually reflect more when they are in turmoil. I certainly did. Many new changes have occurred in my life this past year- and for better or worse, I’ve made adjustments so I can live each day with motivation and happiness. Sometimes I think of it as a mechanism of survival, Darwin’s theory. In many ways, I am grateful for these experiences, pleasant or unpleasant. The challenges I face day to day, intellectual, physical, or emotional, have molded me into a stronger character. I grew up in a very comfortable environment where I always met my own expectations as well as those of others. I was always able to give my 120%. I felt very much in control. The past 6 months have taught me a lot about compromises, uncertainty, limitations, and priorities. Moments that stretch my boundaries of comfort- as a daughter, as a student, as a teacher, as a therapist, and as a friend.
I’m thankful to everyone who has shared this year and these experiences with me. Without you I would not be me.
