Well, this is it. After so many weeks of going to travel doctors, submitting forms, applying for housing, buying new clothes suitable for hot weather, and booking flights, I’m finally ready to leave for Singapore, my new home for the next 4 months. It still seems completely surreal that I’ll be experiencing such a different culture and environment for so many weeks. I’m not sure whether I feel more excited or nervous — probably an equal mixture of both.
Between all the preparations I’ve been tackling this summer, I’ve also created a bucket list for my semester in Singapore. Although 4 months sounds like a long time, I know it will fly by without me even realizing it, and I want to make sure that I take advantage of every opportunity I have. Besides exploring all the food, architecture, shopping, and culture that Singapore has to offer, I also want to visit other nearby Southeast Asian countries. Even if it’s just for a couple of days, I’d love to visit Malaysia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, and any other places I can manage to fit in.
Leaving the comforts of my home and Northwestern makes me nervous, but also incredibly eager for something so unlike anything else I’ve ever experienced. I know living in Singapore won’t always be easy or secure. Yet it’s this unknowingness that will make the semester a life-changing one, as cliche as that sounds. I know I’ll return to Northwestern with a broader cultural viewpoint than I could have ever imagined.