one year down, 3 more to go.

So... year one is over. How hectic has it been. It's really been quite the journey.

Sem 1 was a whirlwind. With too many fears, too many tears and too much anxiety. Perhaps it was the start of a new journey that scared me, or perhaps the feeling of massive uncertainty. All in all, it was a scary time. Thinking back on the way I spent sem 1, it really does scare me a little.

Sem 2. Wow. Thats really all I can say. It's passed by so quickly. The days were long but the weeks were short. I dont really know how I got through it in one piece, but i'm really grateful that I did. Really really grateful. I think I really learnt to look on the bright side of everything that's been going on, and learned to give thanks.

Grateful for the people who love me unconditionally. Who stood by me and supported me all the way- my friends, both old and new, my family, and everyone who was there in some way or another- to lend a listening ear, to just be there and provide some encouragement.

Grateful for the ones who studied with me, who taught me, took time off for me, who encouraged me in my studies, and just sat with me while I studied, helping along the way and mostly just making me feel that I wasn't alone. Though the help might not have been academic, it really provided me with a sense of emotional calmness. That I wasn't alone in this fight. That no matter what happens, so long as I tried my best, everything will work out.

Grateful for my friends so far away, who still talk to me and make me laugh, and remind me that the world's so much bigger than I see it. That there's so much out there to explore and experience, and that no matter how closed in I am here, there's just so so so much more- so many more opportunities, so many more chances that are available- if I just give them to myself.

Grateful to the people who encourage me to step out and join in stuff, making me feel like I belong. For helping me and drawing me closer to God and really being there for me when times got tough, whether in my school or personal life, when I was down. I was so touched when a whole group of them went down to my granddad's funeral in the middle of nowhere, late at night, in what was, for so many of them, the busiest week of the semester. Just to pray with me and be with me. I was so touched and amazed that they did.

I guess I really just want to thank God, who's been there this whole semester. Leading me along the way. So many times I felt so blessed and that everything just worked out. Leading me to people who led me closer to Him, and to who I want to be. For holding my hand, for helping me see the good even when there seems to be no good in sight. And I guess, really- just thank you for saving my sorry ass time and time again even though I don't deserve it.