even after so long

After hearing from Kaishi about how homesick she feels in HK, I can't help but think about my own experience in the US, not too long ago. Gosh, I can't believe it was only 7 months ago? It feels like I've been gone for a few years haha.

So yeah, I remember feeling lost and so alone, and how every phone call from my parents/friends brought me to the brink of tears. I remember desperately channel-surfing in my hotel room at 4am in the morning, just to find a show that will help lull me to sleep because I only felt more homesick and miserable every moment that I was awake. And of course, all those prayers and time spent poring over my Bible, looking for verses that will bring comfort. I remember something in my devotional about find treasures in the darkness, and it brought great reassurance and comfort to me, especially this verse:

"I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name." - Isaiah 45:3

In retrospect, I guess God put it there for me, to reassure me that He's with me, even in the deepest and darkest throes of my loneliness. And for that, I'll forever be thankful.

Thank goodness over the next few days I was caught up in the bustle of moving into my dorm and preparing for school, and didn't really have much time/energy to be homesick. Plus I got to hang out with the other Singaporeans, so at least there was company.

From then on, things only got better. I can't even begin to count how blessed I was during my trip. The Lord blessed me with company, at first in the form of Kirsten, this Singaporean-Texan who showed us around for the first week. Then there was Lauren, who graciously brought us everywhere with her, even making us feel like part of her family. I'll always remember hanging out at her house, watching 'Friends' and cooking up nonsense for lunch, and all those road trips down to Houston/Dallas/Burnet haha. And of course, that wonderful birthday surprise she planned for me.

There was my roommate also, who at first I thought was quite aloof, but in the end turned out to be one of the nicest people I know. I remember those crazy conversations we had till late at night, how we tried to get back at our noisy suitemates, her random bursts of dancing, that Gig 'Em banner/aircon shield we made (I brought it back with me :)), how we made fun of those people on TV and watched 'Law and Order:SVU' till 3am. And of course, her exasperated (and futile) attempts to get me to dress up better haha. They say that your roommate is either your best friend, or your worst enemy. Thank God she was the former, unlike the other Singaporeans' roommates haha. Oh and the French and Spanish also, although they tend to party abit too crazily for my liking haha. All these people remind me that despite our different backgrounds, we're still similar people underneath and can still click together. Oh man, I miss everyone so much! I guess in the end, it's the people you meet, rather than what you see, who have the deepest impact in your life.

I was also blessed in that I managed to score the best grades of my life in the US, in spite of the constant slacking and ponning of classes haha. Too bad they don't count sigh. And of course, I didn't get caught in any mishaps or terrible accidents, especially since we were flying/driving around so much. We missed getting a speeding ticket twice during Spring Break man! But then, there were the darn flight delays that seemed to plague me wherever I went.

I guess I wouldn't have been able to pull myself out of those negative/depressing thoughts if not for my friends in Singapore also. Especially Shuqi (who emailed me constantly, and who made the effort to find me 21 items for my birthday haah), Pauline (my fellow US exchange student, and the only other person sharing the same timezone), WWF (for that hilarious birthday video), and Boran (who helped me buy textbooks).

Oh man, this is making me even sadder. I can't believe I'm still thinking about the US, even after so long. But I guess I don't ever wanna forget my time there. So bear with this entry, especially if it seems like a repeat of other entries haha.

Well, they can take, take, take the kids from the summer
But they'll never, never, never take the summer from me