New Experiences

Here I am in a place where I couldn't imagine I'll be in.
A place that sounds too far from me, geographically or in terms of qualification needed.
But the fact is, I'm here.
Right here, right now.

Am I nervous and anxious?
Yes, very nervous because I feel inadequate and not as good as others.

Am I excited?
Yes, very excited too.
Finally I get to learn what I'm very interested in.
Finally I see connection or link between the disciplines that trapped me in between (pretty much like finding a way out at the same time).
Finally things make sense.

From psychology, I learnt that every new thing or experience, even if it's a good one, is a stressor at the same time.
In that sense, I'm totally stressed out now.
First time I don't see my family for so long.
First time I come to the States.
First time I travel with my boyfriend.
First time of me being the only Asian in the class.
First time I have a political science class of this size.
First time I have classes with people who are so much more ahead of me on the academic ladder.
First time that I live in a dorm/ have a roommate/ share a toilet etc etc.
The list goes on and on and on.

The point is: Don't let the fear stop you from trying something new.
Sometimes we only see the bad side of things, which only makes us fearful on what's coming up next.

It maybe be something good. 

If it's not immediately good, it will either turn out to be good eventually, or that you can make another change later on.

And maybe it's not as scary as what you think or imagine.

What I'm trying to say is: be brave.

We all have fears and insecurities, but don't be paralyzed by them.

What if I was paralyzed by my application phobia? Would I be here? Most certainly not.

How did I overcome that application phobia? 

I didn't do it alone. I was encouraged to make this application.

Dear readers, you are not alone either.
Be brave. Go create new experiences.
Ask yourself, 'when was the last time you did something for the first time?'

Waking up is nice, because it's a brand new day you wake up.
Today is a brand new day. Live it well.

Love,
N