I can’t believe my first semester at USC has just ended. In fact, it is almost the end of this year. Wow…it seems unbelievable that I have already been in LA for five months! Recalling back to the first day of arrival, my memory is still fresh.

Upon my arrival, the first thing that came to my mind was how could LA’s sky be so high?! It seemed unapproachable and the stars and moon were clearly seen. Coming out from the airport, a breeze messed up my hair. My cousin and aunt were waiting excitedly for me, yet I still felt a sense of strange. After all, I don’t see them quite often. But it was reassuring to have relatives living in the same city. At least it made me feel relieved.

But the first few weeks were still a little bit tough for a new comer like me. I thought my english was good enough to deal with all the tight situations, but obviously I was just being silly (>.<). What I learned from text book was totally different when it came to daily life. I didn’t even know how to order the food in the restaurant. It made me feel frustrated at first, but I soon recovered with full confidence. It also happened a lot to me when I didn’t know how to tell the Uber driver my exact location, yet thank god I survived till now!

I can’t tell when was the exact day that I finally felt I was part of this city, but I do feel much better now. Maybe it’s because of the year-round sunny weather that makes things easier, or the daily delicious meals I cook for myself that satisfy my stomach…anyway Los Angeles has already become my second home.

I often hear people say: no matter where you are from, as long as you live here, you are an American. I am skeptical and am cautious to use that label, but I try very hard to get myself involved in the local life. While most of my classmates are still confused about what to do, I am lucky enough to find my path already. I pushed myself to walk out of the comfort zone and attended as many career events and activities as possible in the first half of the semester. I taught myself how to use LinkedIn and connected with many talented people in the areas that I am interested in. I even found myself a mentor when I missed the opportunity to join in the school’s mentorship program (Thanks Mark Grisby if you happened to read this article!). And luckily, I met Don Hudson today! Words are indescribable for my gratitude to these nice people. I will definitely work harder and won’t let you down!

In the second half of my time here, I focused on gaining some practical skills. I learned Spanish on Youtube and kept reading books from different areas. Doing this blog is also one of the things that I am proud of! From a complete green hand who knew nothing about WordPress to a continuously growing blogger, I can see the improvement. I also want to thank my professor Freddy J. Nager here! He is amazing and teaches in a humorous, funny way (Oh btw, he has an amazing website called atomictango which I think anyone who is interested in marketing, media, business should definitely check it out!) I love every class and assignments we did this semester. Of course, that includes our final project that I created with my teammate. It is called One Day, a website that recommends unique and uncommon destinations in the Greater Los Angeles Area, and we make specific travel plans that can be achieved within 24 hours. (Go check it out please! We have excellent web design and content <3)

Time flies so quickly! I do miss my family and friends in China a lot. It was a pity that I couldn’t attend my best friend’s wedding. That might just become a big regret! But I understand this is life. You can’t expect to own everything. I have to say, I pay a lot for my life now and that’s why I want to cherish every minute of it. I want to learn more, grow more, explore more and travel more.

Here in Los Angeles, I have great freedom. That is something I value most. It is not only about being away from parents and being supervised by nobody, but I mean I can finally do what I want to do and pursue my dreams. What I like most about the American culture is that people don’t judge. I don’t need to care what others think, but just keep on doing the things that I am concerned about.

I like what Steve Job said, “follow your passion,” although it might sound a little bit cliche. AND often I am inspired by other encouraging words like “the only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be” by Ralph Waldo Emerson; “why fit in when you were born to stand out” by Anna Wintour. There are many other inspirational sentences that I mark down on my little notebook. Sometimes even a complete stranger, a Uber driver or a host in the airbnb will say something like this to me. I feel so grateful.

Of course, life in Los Angeles is not all about the pro side, con side exists too. I have to confess that when I first came here, I didn’t like Los Angeles at all. This city is so big that without a car, I can go nowhere. Some of the streets are dirty and dangerous with lots of gunfires going on. Most architectures are grey, flat, and ugly. Some areas are full of beggars, drunkers and marijuana drugger that scare me a lot. Everything was just so different from what I expected. Sometimes I feel like I am living in a movie, cause the police siren can be heard everywhere.

But as I spend more time exploring this city, my minds begin to change. I pay more attention to its positive sides now. I like to see the artistic doodling on the walls; I like to walk in different coffee shops and try their specialities; and I like to visit different museums and enjoy the exhibitions. It is a dynamic city that combines modern art and old-time architectures in an organic way. Unlike New York or Boston, which are two cities that I originally planed to go, LA slowly spreads its own charisma that appeals to me. Not to mention its weather is probably the proudest thing that Angeleno can brag about.

So with all that being said, if you asked me if I got a second chance to choose, would I still pick USC and Los Angeles? My answer would probably be yes. I don’t regret my choice here. And I believe god has his own arrangement. Since I end up here, it must be something that I need to experience.

Speaking of what this city teaches me, it should be patience. I used to be a very impetuous person. I rushed to everything and just wanted to get the job done ASAP. But that’s not how people do things in LA. A quick example of this would be the time I have to spend in the bank. What can be done in 10 minutes in China can take up to an hour in Los Angeles. I am not exaggerating!! But I then realized there’s no point being mad or rushed. Everything has its own procedure. As long as you obey the rules, you are good to go.

Another thing might be independence. It is not only about living on my own, managing the time, balancing my life and work, but it is something more. Life doesn’t get easier, it will get busier and crazier. How to hold my emotion while facing piles of work and suffering from great pressure, how to deal with different personnels, and how to get along with myself…all these are major challenges for me. As I am learning and growing every day, I can see myself changing everyday. Sometimes those changes can be scary, and I have fears and worries too. But on my way to identify myself, I become maturer and stronger.

I know there will be more difficulties and obstacles to come, but you know what? SweetConnie is fully prepared! I am ready for all the challenges and look forward to becoming a stronger and maturer woman next year!

Thanks everyone for reading such a long journal. I feel so great after writing down my thoughts. If you enjoy reading my articles, please leave your lovely comments below and subscribe to my newsletter! I am more than happy to hear from you! Love you guys, good night~ <3

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