Life is short.
Life is long.
This might sound contradicting, but it is true.
Time flies when you’re having fun. Time drags when you’re bored.
This ideology made me realize that I either go for things in life or let the opportunity pass.
Last J-Term, I had the chance to study abroad in Puerto Rico.
I was one of 15.
It was not an ordinary trip for me. It was the realization of my love for travel.
I walked out of the airport, trading my coat for my sunglasses.
The sun was beaming down, and a smile escaped my sealed lips.
As we drove from the airport to the university, I stared out of the window.
I sat there thinking of the physical element: the trees, the roads, the skies were nothing new.
Nonetheless, the ambience made it clear that I was not in New York.
The sound of the tambourine with each shake sent a joyful melody that resonated in the ears of my classmates and me as we stepped down from the van.
The fresh smell of “bascalatos,” deep-fried cod fish, infiltrated the air from a small shop nearby.
Throughout the trips, I pondered how not many students take the advantages given to them.
Especially at a young age when I can enjoy hikes in El Yunque National Forest.
Where I can experience a different language and culture.
While I can interact with new people with different perspectives.
The ability to travel bursts a bubble of cluelessness and opens a new world of possibilities.
What you gain in life won’t come from your background.
For me, it’s time to find that new background.
Like my mother always says, “We are given one life, so make it worth it.”