Finding Gratitude
It’s certainly been a whirlwind few months for me. Ever since I came to LA, life has been at a 2x speed, rarely affording me the opportunity to think and self-reflect properly. Who knows, maybe it’s karma for watching zoom recordings at the same 2x speed. But finally, after a busy few months, as I return home for the summer, I have found some time to reflect on an eventful few months.
Whew, what a year it has been. It seems just like yesterday that I boarded my flight to Malaysia dressed in a full PPE suit, all cautious of getting COVID. Since then, time has flown by and after one hell of a year, here I am. It has not always been easy, but everything and everyone around me gave me the best year I could have ever hoped for. For that, I am immensely grateful to every single one of you.
A HOME AWAY FROM HOME
UCLA online is totally different from UCLA in person. UCLA online was just an academic institution providing its students an education. There wasn’t anything bad about it, nor was there anything stellar — it was alright. But UCLA in person, on the other hand, has been nothing short of a blast.
More than just the pretty campus, the people have been truly amazing here. It definitely aligns with something I read on Reddit before committing to UCLA: everyone here is insanely smart (valedictorians, salutatorians, 4.0 GPAs, etc) but they don’t have the arrogance, competitiveness, and toxicity that is prevalent in most of the top schools. In general, everyone has been collaborative and willing to lend a hand wherever and whenever need be. Without them, I would not have survived my classes.
The student organizations here have also formed an amazing community. Admittedly, we are not blessed with an abundance of resources, but what we lack in resources, we make up for in our sense of community. Just ask Vincent about the time he visited Bruin Racing during one of our pressure-packed all-nighters. Even though everyone was tired and sleep-deprived, they took the time to explain to him — a complete stranger to the club — anything he wanted to know and made him feel welcome at our shop. Of course, Bruin Entrepreneurs has been the same welcoming and supportive community too. It seems poetically fitting that my roommates next year are two guys I’ve gotten to know from Bruin Entrepreneurs and one from Bruin Racing.
If there’s anything I’ve learned, the college experience is defined by the clubs and communities, more than the classes you attend.
THE CONSTANTS IN MY LIFE
Despite going through the biggest changes in my life, I am grateful and appreciative of the constants that have been with me.
First and most important among those constants are my parents, without whom I would not be here living my best life. I will be the first to admit that I have never been incredibly sentimental or lovey-dovey with my parents when I was home, but nothing makes you miss them more than being 15000 miles away. Without fail, they will always pick up my calls, and I know they are here for me no matter what. With them, I can forget about being at UCLA and be a typical Burmese kid again.
Los Angeles has also felt very quickly like home thanks to the Burmese community around here. Barely any weeks go by without having dinner and catching up or even simply being on a call with my high school friends. It’s surprising to a lot of my American friends when I tell them I’m going out to meet with my friends from back home, but that’s simply the unity of the international school community here.
MAINTAINING MY ROOTS
The demanding college lifestyle has not been helpful in trying to maintain my friendships with those that are halfway across the country or even the world. I apologize for not being able to be there every time y’all have called or texted, but know that I still appreciate you guys deeply.
Looking back, I know I will always fondly remember this year of my life. Countless memories have been made, although some shall never be retold. I wish I could thank everyone by name for helping this student from Yangon, Myanmar adjust to life here so quickly, but the list would just simply be too long. You have expanded my worldview, shining a light on new perspectives, teaching me many many lessons, and giving me a whole new appreciation for my life here. So here’s a thank you to everyone for an amazing year and to many more together!
