The best thing about being young is the fact that we have so many opportunities to look forward to. When I graduate, there are so many things I can't wait to do from moving to London to hiking the Grand Canyon. My best years are still to come and I plan on embracing life in any way I can.
Sometimes I feel far older than my 23 years and other times I feel I have so much more to learn. I have found love and friendship in any situation. I'm grateful for everybody who has entered my life, no matter how short our relationship. There is something I have learnt from everyone. From a local in Hong Kong who taught me you can build a relationship with someone without needing to speak the same language to the security guard in Taiwan who taught me to trust in strangers.
There's this indescribable feeling that we are in it together. It doesn't matter how bad society is, I truly believe people are good at heart. We all have it within us to truly transform society for the better. We have the power to achieve our dreams. We can make the impossible possible.
One thing I have learnt from York is how reacting can make a difference. We aren't in positions of leadership or power but we have the power to critique and criticise. Empathy is more valuable than sympathy. It doesn't matter how small your contribution is because it still makes a difference.
This October, I was mentally unwell. I was piling too much pressure onto myself until it became unbearable. It was like I was screaming at the top of my voice but I wasn't being heard. It felt I had the weight of the world on my shoulders. I was broken in every sense of the world.
I am my worst critic and I have these impossibly high standards that I'll probably never live up to but I feel that's okay. As long as I am happy and have my health, I'm fine. We are all young and we do have time to achieve our greatest dreams. It is not too late to restart or reinvent ourselves. It doesn't matter whether others are ahead as what only matters is your journey.
When you are a child, we are taught that we should aspire to getting a job and house, getting married and having kids. The truth is that there is no normality. The world is so much crazier, beautiful and better than that. There is so much to see and we are doing a great disservice if we pigeonhole ourselves.
Next year, I graduate and it's funny that I'm in a rush to achieve. I dream about where I am going so much that I'm not appreciating the moment now. We are all going to die so why worry about the future as it's not guaranteed anyway?
I intend to live every moment and enjoy the journey that is life. Who knows where it can lead me?