What I’m Gaining
I think it’s good to do some overall reflection, so today’s blog will be a little less philosophical, and a little simpler.
Taking a gap year can sometimes make me feel like I’m falling behind. But there is no behind if I am simply taking a later step sooner, and taking the normally early steps later, like mixing blue and then red instead of red and then blue to make purple.
What I’ve gained so far in the past two months:
The ability to be alone without feeling unwanted
The ability to productively manage unstructured time
The understanding that small, spontaneous conversation with family, friends, and strangers, will always be present, and I must plan for that
A much stronger and more confident ability to speak Mandarin
A much more diverse social circle
Confidence in navigating a foreign country
Self-security and confidence, in getting used to be stared at and maintaining my good habits while spending time surrounded by others who do not share it
A satisfaction with a simpler lifestyle, simply because I do not have the time or priority for things like shopping or fashion or decorating my room
A blog that I update regularly
My love for fencing
At least 5,000 steps a day, on average about 7,800 steps.
My habit of reading
My ability to cook and generally feed myself while still being relatively healthy
A true understanding of the public transportation
Three undeveloped rolls of film and the conceptual knowledge of how to develop them
A newfound love for yogurt
A stronger sense of self
A stronger sense of curiosity for the world around me
A maturity that I believe can only come from being and navigating an experience completely alone without a blueprint or structure
Not feeling the need to chase attention in any sort of way
A feeling of focus and productivity
A new sense of emotional reflection and processing
New self-driven opportunity
A gratitude for humanity and community
I hope this helps me write better and more whole reflections on this year in the future.