Mermaids in the air
Hey loves!
Life is super busy in the moment and that's why it's helpful to sometimes sit back and reflect on where you currently are in life and where you want to be at some point. I'm feeling so much at the moment and I can't really describe my emotions. But let's give it a try. If I had to choose a comparison, I'd choose mermaids in the air. Being in the air is so amazing and seeing mermaids is a pretty fantastic thing as well, but still air and mermaids don't really belong together. As confused as this title is the state of my feelings.
On the one hand, I am so happy to leave Hong Kong next week and see my family again, but on the other hand, I do not want to leave. LPC became my home and I'm gonna miss Hong Kong's vibes, my roomies and live in boarding school. I know that it's only winter break and that I'll only be home for a couple of weeks, but it feels just weird to leave my home in Hong Kong for my home in Germany.
I tried to give the title a more literal meaning by putting on some mermaid earrings. I love them! Whenever I wear them, everyone notices them because they're so special. Someone gave them to me as a gift and that's why I have literally no idea where you can get them, sorry for that.
I have one week of school left and therefore, all our grades for our first term are made. We have all received our grades and were asked to reflect on our achievements. So far, I am happy with my grades and at least I can leave school for the winter break knowing that I did my best.
By now, I've been in LPC for more than three months. I guess it's a good time now to reflect on my experiences and what I have learned so far. When I came to LPC, I tried to keep my expectations low, because I didn't want to get disappointed. I think that's a good advise whenever you try out something new. Don't expect it to be perfect, don't even expect it to be extremely good and you will be happy because it turned out so much better than you thought. In my three months, I got to know so many interesting and inspiring people and I can't even express how grateful I am for this possibility. There are countless moments that make you realize how different and at the same time similar life on the other side of the planet can be. All the little things you experience with the people here add up to something big. There are for example moments in the canteen when someone teaches you a Chinese word or when you compare your country of origin to someone else's. You absorb so much knowledge about the world while being in this place.
It is sort of ironic. This place is so small, but you get educated about the whole world by living with people who come from all over the globe. People in LPC come from different different backgrounds, not just culturally but also socio-economically. It made me value what I have in my life so much more and showed me how much the place and the circumstances you are born in can shape your life and your opportunities. But life in LPC is not always just amazing, it can definitely be challenging. When I moved into my dorm, I had to get used to sharing my room with three other girls and living in a block with more than twenty persons. Our schedules are full and it is definitely a challenge to find a healthy balance between studying and enjoying life.
However, it is not impossible and I think I'm doing pretty well with it. I have never studied at night and I haven't started it in LPC. I have always been a person who gets her work done while the sun is up. My brain just works better in the daytime. But sleep is a quite common problem in LPC and I know from people from other UWCs that sleep is an issue at their schools as well. I believe that everybody needs to find his own sleeping time, but if I could give you one piece of advise, then it's this: Choose a healthy sleeping time (this means a time before 3am...).
In my time at LPC I also learned to take more responsibility and to be more independent. When you're all of a sudden in a foreign country without your parents, you will automatically learn to do things on your own. Although you don't live on your own, you still have to organize your life on your own and you need to do your laundry, and make sure you have all the things you need.
When someone would ask me now if I would do it again, I would say 'yes'. I believe that moving to Hong Kong was one of the best decisions in my life and I am very grateful for this opportunity. But I am of course also looking forward to going home in one week and visit the people I love.
Lots of Love,
Elena
