Figured that the dark rings below my eyes are a testament that I need more sleep. So here I am, laying in bed when it's not even 10 pm.
So I've been wanting to do this for a while now and finally, here it is. Being the unrelenting personal critic of my own life, I've been looking back at my adventure in The States, wondering why I didn't do this or that. That list grew long rather quickly, and made me feel a tad of regret for not getting more involved.
Yeah. It sounds crazy when I want to get more involved, considering the amount of work I immersed myself in those 3 years. So for the past month or so I've been listing all the things that I did do in The States. Here's that list:
- Diagnosing my hyperthyroidism ( I'm fortunate to detect this early in life to better manage it for my later years)
- Volunteering at the Ames Public Library (understanding how a community can grow through simple acts of spreading knowledge)
- Learned to ride a bike (getting over one of my fears)
- Learning to clean a fish (I've never cooked before)
- Loving Middle Eastern food (hummus, baklava, and Turkish coffee, to name a few. Still dying for proper ones in Malaysia)
- Rode the Hulk Roller Coaster (getting over my other fear of thrills rides... Ish)
- Enjoying Butterbeer at Wizarding World of Harry Potter (it was a transformative experience)
- Travelling in a van TWICE for ASM 14 and 15 (getting to know my Microbiology peers at an intimate level, while having a budget roadtrip)
- Segway-ing around Minneapolis (most fun impractical device to operate)
- Wrote a script for a play (10,000 words of originality)
- Talking to Boy Scouts about Malaysia (you know how I hold high regards to being a Boy Scout)
- Getting drunk for the first time (see AiSO, got to loosen up a little for once. Made me more familiar with the taboo of drinking)
- Danced... Quite a bit (because I should be more expressive)
- VEISHEA (was the largest student-run organisation in The States. A damn shame that it's banned now)
- Hiking the Rocky Mountains (beautiful in Spring, much more in the Winter, did both)
- Seeing President Obama (being a witness to his eloquent public speaking skills)
- Seeing Frank Abagnale Jr. (brilliant man, who has a movie based on his exploits)
- Seeing Norah Jones (an underrated musician from another generation)
- Seeing Adam Savage and Jamie Hynemann (childhood idols who inspired me to pursue a STEM career)
- Seeing Michio Kaku (renowned quantum physicist)
- Seeing Bill Nye (another childhood idol from an earlier time)
- Witnessing the sheer nature of Niagara Falls (and my first Wonder of The World)
- Having Hurricanes in Bourbon Street, New Orleans (and loving creole food)
- Enjoying cannoli in Boston (cemented the spot as my favourite dessert)
- Celebrating Holi (plus playing with colored powder)
- Organising a nationwide conference in AiSO (because I'm marginally insane)
- Been inside USS Blueback, a US submarine (an engineering marvel, in my opinion)
- Snowboarded (although never once stayed on the board for more than 20 seconds)
So yeah... Quite the list. And I'm sure I've missed out on some things. Regardless, I did quite a number of things, with memories to cherish for a long time.
So I've been wanting to do this for a while now and finally, here it is. Being the unrelenting personal critic of my own life, I've been looking back at my adventure in The States, wondering why I didn't do this or that. That list grew long rather quickly, and made me feel a tad of regret for not getting more involved.
Yeah. It sounds crazy when I want to get more involved, considering the amount of work I immersed myself in those 3 years. So for the past month or so I've been listing all the things that I did do in The States. Here's that list:
- Diagnosing my hyperthyroidism ( I'm fortunate to detect this early in life to better manage it for my later years)
- Volunteering at the Ames Public Library (understanding how a community can grow through simple acts of spreading knowledge)
- Learned to ride a bike (getting over one of my fears)
- Learning to clean a fish (I've never cooked before)
- Loving Middle Eastern food (hummus, baklava, and Turkish coffee, to name a few. Still dying for proper ones in Malaysia)
- Rode the Hulk Roller Coaster (getting over my other fear of thrills rides... Ish)
- Enjoying Butterbeer at Wizarding World of Harry Potter (it was a transformative experience)
- Travelling in a van TWICE for ASM 14 and 15 (getting to know my Microbiology peers at an intimate level, while having a budget roadtrip)
- Segway-ing around Minneapolis (most fun impractical device to operate)
- Wrote a script for a play (10,000 words of originality)
- Talking to Boy Scouts about Malaysia (you know how I hold high regards to being a Boy Scout)
- Getting drunk for the first time (see AiSO, got to loosen up a little for once. Made me more familiar with the taboo of drinking)
- Danced... Quite a bit (because I should be more expressive)
- VEISHEA (was the largest student-run organisation in The States. A damn shame that it's banned now)
- Hiking the Rocky Mountains (beautiful in Spring, much more in the Winter, did both)
- Seeing President Obama (being a witness to his eloquent public speaking skills)
- Seeing Frank Abagnale Jr. (brilliant man, who has a movie based on his exploits)
- Seeing Norah Jones (an underrated musician from another generation)
- Seeing Adam Savage and Jamie Hynemann (childhood idols who inspired me to pursue a STEM career)
- Seeing Michio Kaku (renowned quantum physicist)
- Seeing Bill Nye (another childhood idol from an earlier time)
- Witnessing the sheer nature of Niagara Falls (and my first Wonder of The World)
- Having Hurricanes in Bourbon Street, New Orleans (and loving creole food)
- Enjoying cannoli in Boston (cemented the spot as my favourite dessert)
- Celebrating Holi (plus playing with colored powder)
- Organising a nationwide conference in AiSO (because I'm marginally insane)
- Been inside USS Blueback, a US submarine (an engineering marvel, in my opinion)
- Snowboarded (although never once stayed on the board for more than 20 seconds)
So yeah... Quite the list. And I'm sure I've missed out on some things. Regardless, I did quite a number of things, with memories to cherish for a long time.
posted from Bloggeroid
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