Making (and losing friends)

As a child I used to say "I prefer friends... you get to pick them!" (versus family). That was a pretty mean thing for me to say... but now I know it goes both ways. You can have a falling out with your friends and stop being friends... but your family will always be there to support you in the end(even if they are mad at you). A lot of people "say" they want you to be happy and are really fun to be with when things are going well, but it's the people that stick with you during the bad times that are your true friends.

Be Bold (But Still Be Safe!)

I realize now that I have always been by-the-rules type of person and I think I might have been happier if I was willing to strike my own path a bit earlier in my life... to do things that scary and new. Now I don't mean smoking and drinking alcohols and BASE jumping off cliffs. I mean trying something new even though I might fail, talking to people even though I might stumble and feel silly, chasing more hopes and dreams... even if they might not become a reality.

Identity

For most of my childhood I always felt like an outsider. Part of it was because I was the child of immigrants in area where there weren't many Chinese families. Too American to be Chinese, too Chinese to be American, I strove to avoid being lumped into large categories that didn't fit me. Instead of piano or violin, I picked saxophone. Instead of tennis or soccer, I played ice hockey and did aggressive inline rollerblading (I doubt you know what that is). Anyways. I just wanted you know, that is ok if you ever feel like you don't quite fit-in. That eventually you will find yourself and your place in the world.