Wednesday, June 4, 2008

From the Beginning

In fewer than 12 hours, I will be a college graduate.
In fewer than 4 days, I will be 10,000 miles away, literally.

For the past four years, I've lived safely behind these ivy gates. Life was certain: class. extracurricular. meal. fun. sleep. But all this academic structure vanishes when I receive that slip of paper proclaiming me a knowledgeable Scholar of the Arts. What will next year entail for me? What will it be like when I'm finally in the "real world"?

Yet before I officially embark on the New York type of life, I will spend some time reflecting in the land down under. While driving alone through national parks and the "almost" outback roads of Australia, I seek to find a sense of self and to create my own definitions of success, happiness and good. And if I later learn that my current conception of life is relatively clear, this trip will only improve and strengthen it further.

How changed will I be when I come back? No idea. ni idea. But I definitely look forward to reading your feedback and your insights. Please comment (private or public) to let me know that you care. And thus begins my first blog post.

4 comments:

T said...

Hi, chica! I haven't talked to you in a looong time. How are you? Where are you going in life? I hope you're happy and take care down under!

- Trista

MS said...

Hello Lan, I'm so happy for you for your Australian "outback" adventure! Hope that you'll fun and be safe for the next few months!

-ms-

something after the summer rain said...

不知道你能不能显示中文,我想中文更能表达我我看到frome the beginning之后的感触。通过旅行,真的可以明白很多事情,很多在城市里面永远都没有机会去思考的问题,这也是我喜欢旅行的缘故。你现在处于校园和真实世界之间的中间地带,会怀念过去,更会憧憬以后的生活,这种时候我们似乎总有用不完的勇气和希望,加油。

a simple traveler said...

Sun Xian--I can read the Chinese! :) definitely feel free to post in Mandarin. I know, I'm in the transition period between school and real life...finally having a career.

Trista! How's it going? Great to hear from you? Are you going back to SD or staying in Irvine?