“One’s destination is
never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” -Henry Miller
The
end of the school year is always a bittersweet time; everyone itching for
finals to be over while eagerly waiting for summer days to officially start.
But for me, this end was especially bittersweet since I had made the decision
to spend the summer in New York City, living in NYU dorms and doing an
internship at a production studio in Soho. Being abroad as I was in the fall
made me appreciate the genuine and amazing friends I’ve been blessed to know at
LMU, while I was gone and especially when I came back. Therefore, coming back
to LMU in January, I was very happy to return to these incredible, long-lasting
friends. But too quickly, the semester was over.
In
May, two days after school ended, I was fortunate enough to travel to Bali with
my mom for two weeks. I had been to Bali once before when I was four, so
naturally I barely remembered anything besides getting a $5 dollar massage on
the beach by four Balinese women who giggled as they each took a limb of my
body to massage because I was so tiny.
What
I quickly learned is that those $5 massages still exist and the people are just
as friendly and warm as I remember. My two weeks were spent exploring the city
of Ubud,
biking
through the remote towns in the surrounding countryside, and scuba diving at the
neighboring island of Gili Trawangan. The people I met and the things I saw on
that trip will vividly remain with me forever. The Balinese people are the most
amazing and admirable people in the world (or what I’ve seen of it). Hindu by
religion, their culture is centered around being the best version of oneself
possible, believing in karma and helping and supporting one another no matter
the age, job, or social class. The Balinese people welcomed us with open arms,
going above and beyond what is customary to make us feel comfortable, giving us
more than just material gifts but the most important gift of unconditional
hospitality and welcome. For instance, when we left our hotel for only three
days to go to Gili T, we came back to find hand-picked flowers arranged into a
sign that read, ‘WELCOME HOME’ on our bedroom floor. To them, the people they
meet and the friends they make become family, and family is all that matters in
life.
Being
able to experience an environment of unconditional love and acceptance with
such inspiring people is the most refreshing part of my last few months. It was
a trip I will never forget and I hope that everyone is able to experience what
I saw and did at one point in their lives, because it’ll change his/her
perspective on life and what matters most, without a doubt.
Less
than a week after I returned home to San Francisco from Bali, I packed my bags
and flew out to New York City, where I started my summer internship and moved
into my NYU dorm in Union Square.
Since
I barely knew anyone in New York, it was a blessing to have two former LMU and
Alpha Phi sisters, Jordan and Clare, already living there. These women inspire
me, and were my saviors in those first days I arrived and felt like a lost kid
at Disneyland. Clare is my grand-big and has remained one of my best friends
despite her having graduated and moved to New York two years ago. Upon my
arrival, she immediately dropped everything to help me move in, take me to
dinner and make me feel at home. Jordan, on the other hand, has been a great
inspiration to me (and thousands of others, I’m sure). A passionate health
enthusiast and blogger, she was part of some extraordinary events these past
two months, and I was able to also support her in some of these awesome
experiences. I saw first-hand how
amazing the people I’ve been lucky to know from LMU are. These girls made my
summer transition to New York not only easy, but also so much fun. I know they
will remain friends of mine forever.
These
two months in New York have also been a total whirlwind, and I’ve met some
incredible individuals and had some of the best experiences of my life. This
city is wonderful and has so much to offer. You find yourself busy all the
time. Literally all the time. It was a big and scary decision to move out here
for the summer and saying goodbye to my best friends again seemed crazy, but
life is all about exploring and discovering everything this vast and complex
world of ours has to offer, and sharing those experiences with the people who
lift you up and enable you to become a better person. And it doesn’t matter if
they’re right there with you or a Skype session away. My friends back at home
and I, as I like to say, are always together, never apart, maybe in distance,
but never in heart!
I
absolutely cannot WAIT to get back to LA and be back with all the amazing
people I know!
