It feels bizarre that the thing which has been a “thing” in my life for the past two and half years now is now over. But as Cikgu Vi said to me, “That we call life, lah.”
Things end. Things begin. We pause and reflect. We learn to move on.
I am currently sitting at the airport, finally facing the mammoth task of sitting down and reflecting on this past year and trying to put into words exactly what these past ten months have meant and what are the feelings that accompany it. To be perfectly honest, there are no good words or clarity that have come from it, just the reality that the world is far more nuanced, complicated, messy, and beautiful than I could have ever imagined. And that I’m grateful to have been to experience again the “opposite of loneliness” with all of the members of my cohort.
This year was full of contradictions and extremes – laughter and tears, understanding and confusion, growth and stagnation, love and hate.
Again, I’m still not sure what to make of all of this year. I’m still not sure how to describe it at all. But I’m grateful.
So thank you to Malaysia, Terengganu, Dungun, SMK KPJ, my mentor Noridah, the MOE, MACEE, the US Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, and everyone who was there along the way.
I don’t know if I would have made it without you.
Greatfull 