Good morning my beautiful people
Today is the day! Today is the day I'm stepping on to a plane and flying over 17 hours back to my home country. Today is the day I say goodbye to Sunderland. Today is the day I say goodbye to the UK. It has been a 34-month roller coaster for me since September 2013 until today, June 2016.
I have decided to write one more post before signing off from the UK.
Today, I want to share
10 THINGS I'VE LEARNED WHILST BEING HERE FOR 34 MONTHS.
1) INDEPENDENT
I used to think I was independent at the age of 18 - always doing things myself and all. Only to realize that was nothing compared to when you're in a different country without your family around you. It is a fresh yet terrifying feeling. Not going to lie, I've only had my first debit card when I was 21 years old. Oh yes, absolutely ridiculous!
But when you're in another country, no matter how attached you are to your parents, be it financially or non-financially, you learn to be more independent. You handle bills yourself, you cook for yourself, you fight your own battles. In my case, I learned to speak confidently in front of people and I got myself a job which increased my chances of speaking more to people. Bills are always the toughest things, in my opinion. Even until this day, I absolutely HATE handling bills (some kind of accountant I am). It's not that I can't count or do them, it's just that I hate them. But at the end of the day, you know you can only rely on yourself to learn new things.
2) MOVING IS TIRING
I finally know now when people say "I'm so tired. I haven't slept for 4 days since I moved house". Oh yes, I should know. In the 34 months, I've moved house 3 times. THREE TIMES! I used to think it's just one place to another. You move your things from here to there and get sorted within hours. Oh how very wrong was I!
It is a tiring and tedious situation. It takes out all your energy and effort. And to make it feel nice and cozy like a home takes up A LOT of your time. But it's totally worth it in the end.
3) LEARN TO HAVE FUN
I guess this comes as no surprise to most of you. It's the time when you're finally away from your parents and you can do whatever you want. Of course, you have to be wise enough to differentiate the good and the bad.
But the point I'm trying to make here is that you only get one life. If you don't make it fun and enjoyable, then that's completely your loss. I felt like I wasted my first 9 months here because all I did was work and study. Looking back now, I feel like I could have done so much more in those 9 months! So even though you're here to study, learn to relax and have some fun too.
4) MORE OPEN-MINDED
I'm already quite an open-minded person. But there's so much more for me to learn out there. I'm constantly learning new things. EVERY SINGLE DAY. From recipes to directions, from work to other countries. Just be as open-minded as you can and enjoy as you learn. Because you will never ever stop learning.
5) EXERCISING MAKES ME A HAPPY PERSON
The first few months living here was a nightmare. I could not sweat, I could not function properly because all I could think about was exercise. So, I decided to walk 30-45 minutes everyday. Then, I joined the Dance Squad of course. It was such an amazing journey. All the people I've danced with are just amazing. In fact, one of the proudest things I've ever done not just here, but in my entire life, was dancing in front of a crowd and competing in dance competitions.
But yes, exercising will always make me feel happy and relaxed - whether that's carrying heavy things or just walking from home to uni.
6) APPRECIATE YOUR PARENTS MORE
Why do I say this? Because now, whenever I spend my own money that I worked so hard for, my heart aches a little. Sometimes, a lot when I go on a massive shopping spree but let's not get into that. When I first arrived here, I had no intention of getting a job because of the spoiled little brat I am. I spent my parents' money like nobody's business. And one day, when I was about to go broke, I told myself "enough is enough. no more doing stupid shit".
And when you actually get a job and work, you learn the hardships yourself. Therefore, I have been financially stable since 2014. Not sure about the next couple of weeks though since I am now jobless yet again. Haha!
7) APPRECIATE THE LITTLEST THINGS IN LIFE
I would never in a million years thought I would be one to say this because I'm just so caught up with everything. But appreciating the littlest things in life CAN actually make you happy. I learned that here one day when I was taking a nice walk in the park on a cold winter's morning. There's beauty everywhere. The birds chirping, the wind blowing, the squirrels that pop out of no where. These things are small yet beautiful. Learn to appreciate just the tiniest thing that makes you happy :D
8) GOOD FRIENDS ARE HARD TO FIND
It is not often that people want to waste their time to understand your situation or ever try to understand you. Hence, the saying "friends come and go". I've known this since I was growing up. But I really can't compare my teenage situation to my adulthood situation. You learn about lies, betrayal and all those things that make you unhappy and changes you.
But there are good people around that are in the same boat or want to be friends with you. Once you've found the people you can connect with, never ever let them go. Invest your time in good people and good friends and good surroundings.
9) STRUGGLING IS NORMAL
Oh it is so normal to struggle. Just remember, nobody has a perfect life. It's how you cope with your problems and what you decide to do about the situation are what matters. Sometimes, I look around me and see myself struggling more than the people around me. What do I do? Cry?
NO!
Get back up, keep working hard and don't give up.
10) APPRECIATE THE "FAMILY" YOU HAVE HERE
I mean, I've just written a whole post about them last night. It's always important to socialize but once you feel comfortable with the people around you, you know you've found the right people.
I have "brothers" and "sisters" who support the heck out of me. It's nice to know if things ever go wrong, you can always count on them.
These are all the things I've learned in the past 34 months. It has been a long journey, hasn't it? I've really enjoyed my time here but it's time for a little break :)
I will check in with you guys once I have access to Wi-Fi :D
I hope everyone is having a nice week so far and I love you all very much.
Thank you so much for reading.
X
