Saturday, January 01, 2005

What We Learn


When I first arrived in the States a year ago to be with David,

stepping off the plane at Corpus Christi after spending almost 24 hours in the air and in airports, travelling halfway across the globe, I was full of excited anticipation but also there was a deep sense of uncertainty.


  • I had just quit my job as a doctor,
  • I had left behind my family and friends,
  • I found myself suddenly not having an income,
  • I was going to be dependent on someone else in ways I could never have imagined, after being fiercely independent,
  • I had to adapt to a foreign country and culture
  • I was going to be away from everything that I had taken for granted for 32 years in Malaysia and felt so comfortable with,
  • I had numerous people telling me I was making a collossal mistake,

and all I could think was, "I'm leaving this up to You, I'm not going to make myself sick worrying over it another minute!"


But you know what? A year later, among others,


  • I have a fiance who loves me to bits and whom I adore,
  • I learnt to take my family less for granted,
  • I am studying to take the necessary exams to be licensed to practise medicine here,
  • I have an darling extended family ( in David's family ) that are such an eclectic group,
  • I have had the opportunity to catch up on things that I have neglected,
  • I finally learnt to cook and have become not-half-bad,
  • I have travelled thru 24 of the 50 American states,
  • I have had to look more into myself and to God for strength,
  • I got a chance to spend so much more time with my brother, who has been in the states for 7 years and
  • I found out that although I thought I was resilient, I was tougher than I gave myself credit for.
I was not going to make any resolutions this year - they either get neglected or forgotten thru the months - but I've decided that what I would like for this year and every year is that I continue to grow as an individual, not depriving myself of any more experiences just because I'm cranky or "PMS"ing, but to absorb and learn and continue to better myself, to challenge myself in ways I have always shied away from because it was too embarrassing or seemed unsurmountable and in that journey, find that not everything is about me me me and that there IS a larger picture in the whole scheme of things.

Here's wishing everyone a wonderful year ahead.


8 comments:

Chris said...

Happy New Year to you too, Letti ! BTW, it's "Chris", not "Dave". :) I think I may have misled you with the "Powered by Dave C" button that I have on my blog. Dave is my good friend who helped me set up the site.

Best wishes for 2005 !

cheers,

Chris
http://www.christopher-chan.com/blog/index.php

PS. I'll edit your comment to update it. :)

a*c said...

that was such a brave step! congrats!

Desmond Goh said...

Wow Letticia, that was big step you took and it really is rewarding. I am really happy for you. I feel that is how life should be lived and you are doing it great.
Wish you Happy New Year, *hugs*

Renee said...

Just about three years ago, I quit my job, married my guy, and moved to Europe from the US and also "gave up" a lot of my independence. It was a big adjustment, but I have never regretted it for an instant!

Anonymous said...

no regret...its will be more regretful if you dont do it earlier... get control of your life...beside malaysia is a sick place to live in anyway.....

Dennis Mai said...

Hi,

Are you from Ipoh, Malaysia?

Ashley said...

Congratulations on making such a big step! More power to you in the new year.

Anonymous said...

Hi,

I love your blog. Very interesting. You are an interesting and wonderful person.

Please stop by and visit my blog sometime...

Bernie
http://www.ebernie.com/blog/