I LIKE IT HERE

But I do miss home a little bit. When I think of all the things I'm going to do when I get home, a big smile spreads across my face and I get really excited for what's in store. Being away really does make you appreciate little things a lot more.

I've been learning so much about my new friends here in this program. A bunch of us just click, and we hang out all the time. It's so interesting learning about what their schools are like, what their hometowns are like, what they listen to, what they like to eat. We need to get out of our California bubbles, duuuude. ;) There is life beyond the In-n-Outs, Jamba Juices, sunny beaches, not-so-sunny beaches, and Hollywood. I really hope that I'll meet these guys and girls in the future again, maybe in med school. That would be the most awesome thing, besides getting into med school. =)

We just had an extended pancake breakfast in one of the guy's suites. I went to University Baptist this morning, and it was a musical worship service without a sermon. I really enjoyed it, though. I can't believe that this was my last week attending church here. Next week, our program is going to King's Dominion for an all day trip. It's an amusement park, much like Six Flags or Great America. The week after, I am going home to California.

Crazy, right? These 6 weeks are coming to a close, fast.

I remember applying to this program last December, scrambling during finals weeks to write two essays and obtain three letters of recommendations. Those were rough times, and I didn't tell anyone I was applying because I didn't think I'd get in. I remember stressing in Taiwan during winter vacation because I didn't have internet, and you have a 5-day period once notified to accept or reject your site offers. I remember taking the High Speed Rail back to my cousin's place in KaoHsiong on January 9 to check my email at 4am, and getting accepted by University of Virginia and University of Texas. I knew I wanted to come here. I remember waiting all through this spring semester, itching to leave all of the familiarity and comforts and expectations people had for me at Berkeley for another campus. I knew that once I was here, it would go by faster than I imagined.

And now that I'm here, I've enjoyed it so much. I only wish that I knew about this program last year, and maybe I'd be more prepared than I am right now. But God has already given me so much, I am so grateful for this opportunity.