The call
It happened during the time when my Psoriatic Arthritis came to the worst state. That's the most miserable moments when I had to skip schools, and stayed home aimlessly for months. When I felt like my life just came to an end, I suddenly met my friend whom just about to transfer from Foothill College. I remembered that day he just came to give me a short visit. As usual, we chat about our daily routines and some random jokes. Then we came across the topic about study abroad. He challenged me,"why don't you try to apply for Foothill College? It is a fantastic place to learn, to grow, and to find your future." His compelling words just rang in my ear even now—I still can't believe that I had gone thus far to overcome all the pain and obstacles I would possibly encounter, and came to this foreign land alone to pursue my dream, my future.
The Allies
Without the support of my family and my friends, I would not have succeeded in accomplishing all the tasks I was obliged to. It was my parents who have given me both financial and mental support throughout my journey in America. Studying abroad is not as easy as people imagine. I cannot imagine how helpless it can be sometimes to be alone in a unfamiliar foreign place. Fortunately, I also have a close relative live close by. Despite their heavy financial burden, they had provided me shelter and unconditional help at all times. Last but not least, I met a lot of fascinating friends at Foothill College. They helped me to get through a lot of obstacles, and have comforted me in times of failure.
The Ogres
Of course, obstacles are inevitable. Life is not perfect...I think one of the biggest obstacles I have is my health. My unstable health condition gives me a lot of unexpected disruptions in life.
I still remember, I had another major pain stroke after the day I arrived the United States. And I had to spend the entire winter quarter just to wait for recovery. Hence, my health has made my journey into a gamble.
The Threshold Guardians
Of course they are the Foothill admissions!
The Road of Trials
During the course of my journey, I encountered a lot of unknown challenges. In order to meet the basic requirement to transfer, I had to take a lot of classes that I have never heard of. Besides, the dominant language has become English, which is my second language. Despite the obstacles, I saw a rapid improvement in my knowledge and personality. Besides, I met a lot of friends and mentors on the way. They inspired me, and directed me to the right direction. Without their support and advice, I would not have been able to climb to the peak of my journey.
The Return Guardians
By guessing the title...I guess it is about the people I met whom had succeeded in completing their journey?
Indeed, I did meet a lot of experienced seniors who were graduated, or have transferred to their most desirable University. I asked for their guidance and advice. And they are more than willing to share with me their journey as well. That's the moment when I feel the intertwine of the future and the past. They are like prophets who were able to acknowledge the wisdom, guide the way for the inexperienced.
The Homecoming, or Completion
After all the hard work and accomplishments...I am proud to say that I got accepted to Berkeley. Mission accomplished!
*I am now at the final phase of my journey in pursuing my academic future—"The Homecoming, or Completion". I returned home with pride and glory. My parents and friends all applauded for my victory. However, this is just the beginning of another story for I will advance to a higher level after I transfer. I know my upcoming journeys will be more difficult. But I am prepared for the next level.
3 comments:
Hi Elfina,
I think you did a great job defining all the influences that led to your success here in the US. Since I've had the same experience I understand how hard it is to move from a different country and accept new challenges, which is why I think the Call and your allies are your the best parts, because sometimes without someone to stir up our interest to do something new, we often stay in our routinary lives, and if we don't have enough support we might as well give up. Plus, I didn't know about the problem you have and I think it is really great how you have always fight to overcome it, since I think people shouldn't let their problems interfere with what they want to do. Of course there will always be obstacles but as far as now, you've been doing pretty well, so I think Berkeley will be the best next experience. I like your journey.
Claudia Bravo
First off I would like to say congratulations on getting into Berkeley! That is a tough thing to accomplish. I was honestly touched by the parts in which you mentioned how your Arthritis made it much more difficult at times. Although I have no idea about the pains involved, it makes your journey that much more of a triumph when it is complete! I really respect that. Also, your blog post contained one of the few Journey’s that actually had been completed, so it was nice to read about a “mission accomplished” for a change.
I liked the way in which you broke down your journey into different parts. This made it easier to read and to track your progress as compared to the large lump of text that I made.
25 points for the journal and 25 points for the comments posted by others. Let's hope that arthritis ogre gets weaker and ends up chained to a rock in the back of a dark cave forever. Someday.
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