Grown upIt just hit me the number of new friends/acquaintances/contacts I've made within the last three months. It's been a long time since I last had a big increase in my network of people.
Plus, I've been meeting and chatting with more of my guyfriends lately, even more so than my girlfriends, which is just kinda odd. Where have all my girlfriends disappeared to?!
Today I met V for lunch. Up to 5 minutes before I reached, I was still slapping myself for agreeing to this appointment because the fretting over what I would say was SO torturous. He was after all just an acquaintance from second J1 first 3 months and whom I haven't seen nor talked to since he left for SAJC after. The lunch was okay, but when I was preparing to leave, he said 'so next week same time same place?' and I honestly didn't hear so I 'HUH!!' embarrassingly loudly. I think he took it the wrong way, like I thought it was boring (which okay I admit, I did think a lil). We'll see if next week happens.
Anyway, I've come to realise that I'm not quite the same person post-China. And looking around at my friends, those who have gone abroad for summer programmes, travelling, etc. without a whole support group of friends during the summer vacation, I see they aren't the same too. They have seen the world outside this little red dot; They talk different. With them, we talk about culture, food, people, life, etc. It is more an exchange of ideas rather than just empty talk. I guess this is why people almost always enjoy chatting with a well-traveled person.
I, for one, have less tolerance for frivolity now. So like I had periods of time when I was super into online shopping and clubbing, those I will definitely not go back to. As a result of this, I can feel myself drifting away from some friends, getting closer to others, while the status of a few others remain the same 'cause, cheers to us, our relationship was never based on these superficial stuff. Does this make me a less fun/entertaining person to be with?
It's times like this that makes me feel AC was something I had to go through for it opened my eyes to the big bad world. I see Sissy S a couple of months ago and I'm reminded of myself in freshman year having the time of my life and being REALLY happy. I see her now and I'm reminded of myself in AC. Wide-eyed enthusiasm gone, joy lost. Then China came and brought some back so I think I'm at quite a good place right now. I think I know what I want to be. I can see myself doing what I want to do. But the getting there, all the studying required is making it damn hard. Booo texts. Booo stress.
I'm never one for academics.
