Dear Self,
Today you wake up seeing the world not as it is , but what it can be. Today you will learn. Today you will evolve. Today you will experience growth. Today you will have a conversation that will move you. Today you will experience an amount of emotions that you may not understand but know to trust that it is okay to feel them. Today you are brave, you are strong, and you are exactly where you are supposed to be.
Dear Everyone,
I want to let you all know first and foremost that I am okay. You are all allowing me to see the world from my own eyes even if you have yet to understand how I see it. You are allowing me to learn, not from a classroom, but letting me learn through my own experiences which at this point in my life is more valuable than anything else. You are letting me grow. I will experience remarkable growth from this experience in its entirety, but also will be growing each and every day as I decipher the myriad thoughts that run through my head daily, changing the way in which I see the world. I’ve had so many conversations already that have moved me here at Stanford. I want you all to know I’m meeting so many people from all walks of life, learning something from every new encounter. No longer do I have “tunnel vision,” seeing things only within the boundaries of what I know. Since landing in California, I’ve listened to so many different personal stories, which is the key part to any conversation and now I see the world from many different perspectives, which I never would have known if I hadn’t embarked on this journey.
Since I’ve been here I have experienced many emotions from melancholy to joy, and I’ve cried a lot. But it’s okay to cry – it’s okay to let it out because you can’t keep it all bottled in. All of you have given me the gift to let me know what I’m experiencing is okay. You have helped me to understand that this will be a challenging experience and that there will be moments where I don’t understand what I’m feeling. But you have taught me to be my own teacher and to express my feelings and share my experiences. I know that everything I feel, see, live, and experience this year will not be easy, but you have all empowered me with the self-awareness, bravery, and passion that I need to go forward in this experience and become a true citizen of the world.
Dear Everyone ,
I love you. I’m proud of you. And most of all I am amazed by all of your strength in letting me go & allowing me to become my own teacher. Thank you for supporting my dreams. I look forward to sharing my journey!
