In 5 weeks I will depart for Japan. Amidst the stress, the anxiety, the excitement, I’ve come to discover a lot of things about myself that I wasn’t aware of before. I’ve always been a resilient person, but I never knew to what extent that resilience is capable of reaching. I almost gave up, I almost lashed out when problems arose. But like the baby turtles fighting the waves trying to reach the sea of the unknown and begin life, I feel that this is where life truly begins for me. Not only because I’ll be alone in a new place, not only am I adapting to a new culture, learning a language for the first time, but…of the possibilities that await me. Back here at home, I’ve always wanted to go back in time, I’ve always hated the present because of the mistakes I’ve made that led me here. Now…rather than being able to go back, I am granted the chance to move forward and leave everything behind, especially the past that has continued to haunt me. No skeletons in the closet or anything of that sort, but immeasurable sense guilt coupled with regrets and disappointments because of the choices I’ve made. That, in itself, is a blessing for me. And before I continue, I would like to apologize for the nature of this post, and most importantly, to apologize to all those who have seen me fallen, failed, and given up. I will not disappoint you again, and I will make this journey. Further more, I would like to thank all those who have seen me through this whole ordeal and still stick with me despite my fallacies. The counselors at school, the doctors, the teachers, the friends, my family, and the one person who has left the biggest impression in my life. Thank you for those heart-shaped bills. Thank you for the push (and pull) that eventually inspired me to continue my education, you knew my potentials, and now I will show you that I can do with them. I may  not be able to tell you happy birthday directly, so I’ll tell the world that September 2nd is the birth of an angel. Thank you for the wings.

More to come,
Tri “Zeke” Cao