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OliveYou11 's notes
Wes, Allen, Malinda, Jihye, Eric -
10:49 pm
UTC on August 19, 2014
My IP family:
Wesley is returning the rental car so I have a minute alone. I should be packing, but I just don't want to yet. I have about a thousand thoughts in my brain and I'm having a hard time finding the words. I'm better at writing than I am at speaking, though, so I'm just going to go for it here.
Thank you all for making this experience a thing.
In 2007, I joined interpals looking for a penpal. I don't even know why, really - it was just kind of one of those things I did on a whim. I never would have guessed then, though, that IP would become a legitimate part of my life.
IP became an escape - a second home - for me. This has become increasingly evident the past few years. It seems like every few months a family member has a major health crisis or someone dies in my life or an extreme life change is made (you've seen me through multiple moves and the end of a relationship that I've had since I was 14, yeesh). This year I've also been battling anxiety and depression, which you may or may not have known about. Subsequently, in many ways this has been the hardest year of my life that has seen too many tears and moments of panic and fear. It's been a difficult journey, to say the least.
But IP was there. You guys were there. You were always there to listen. You were always understanding. You always had my back and gave me shoulders to cry on.
I never thought a journey like this would really be possible. I first mentioned an IP meetup last fall. I wanted adventure. I wanted an escape from the life I was growing to hate. I never really thought it would happen, but I wanted to daydream about it because my life was so difficult at the time and you guys were the people who made getting up every morning worth it.
It sounds silly to put so much emphasis on a website, but you guys were my light in the dark.
Now, I'm still battling depression and some negative things. It's a hard battle and it totally sucks - but experiences like this week make life worth living and knowing that I have my little family living all across the world is pretty special.
This week was nothing short of an adventure and we jam packed this vacation full of more stuff than I ever dreamed possible...
Hollywood, swimming in the pool, and pizza from the company that delivered to the Oscars! :)
California Adventure & riding the roller coaster a ridiculous number of times
Kings Canyon Natl. Park & Sequoia Natl. Forest. Seeing baby bears! And the most beautiful stars I've ever seen in my life
Playing in the waves on the beach in Malibu
TV pilot screenings and me drinking way, way too much...
Dim sum, Dave and Buster's, Korean BBQ, and mini golf
Trekking down to San Diego. SeaWorld! Sea lions, dolphins, and whales!
The beach at night with the sun setting over the pacific and lightning in the distance.
A ridiculous amount of In-N-Out
One last lunch at the grove :)
Thank you all for giving me so many firsts and hopefully no lasts. Thank you all for making the trip out here. Thank you all for seemingly being understanding of my shy/quietness (it's hard for an introvert to pretend to be an extrovert for a week). Thank you Wes for driving so much even though it was a pain in the ass. Thank you Jihye for flying from freaking Korea and making the experience even more special. Thank you Allen and Mal for making sure we had plenty of chances to be together even though we weren't staying too close to each other. Thank you Eric for joining us for a day.
Thank you all for reminding me that there's good in the world and adventures to be had.
Going home is bittersweet. I really am starting to feel like this is home and it's hard for me to believe that in less than 24 hours, I'll be in Massachusetts. It's not something I'm particularly happy about, but I'm thrilled to have all these new experiences and memories that I won't ever forget.
All of you, please be safe and be well. I hope your flights were/are easy and painless. I hope you all had a beautiful time here and that you all loved California as much as I do.
Goodbyes are too hard.
I'll see you all in a few years in Korea, yeah?
Wesley is returning the rental car so I have a minute alone. I should be packing, but I just don't want to yet. I have about a thousand thoughts in my brain and I'm having a hard time finding the words. I'm better at writing than I am at speaking, though, so I'm just going to go for it here.
Thank you all for making this experience a thing.
In 2007, I joined interpals looking for a penpal. I don't even know why, really - it was just kind of one of those things I did on a whim. I never would have guessed then, though, that IP would become a legitimate part of my life.
IP became an escape - a second home - for me. This has become increasingly evident the past few years. It seems like every few months a family member has a major health crisis or someone dies in my life or an extreme life change is made (you've seen me through multiple moves and the end of a relationship that I've had since I was 14, yeesh). This year I've also been battling anxiety and depression, which you may or may not have known about. Subsequently, in many ways this has been the hardest year of my life that has seen too many tears and moments of panic and fear. It's been a difficult journey, to say the least.
But IP was there. You guys were there. You were always there to listen. You were always understanding. You always had my back and gave me shoulders to cry on.
I never thought a journey like this would really be possible. I first mentioned an IP meetup last fall. I wanted adventure. I wanted an escape from the life I was growing to hate. I never really thought it would happen, but I wanted to daydream about it because my life was so difficult at the time and you guys were the people who made getting up every morning worth it.
It sounds silly to put so much emphasis on a website, but you guys were my light in the dark.
Now, I'm still battling depression and some negative things. It's a hard battle and it totally sucks - but experiences like this week make life worth living and knowing that I have my little family living all across the world is pretty special.
This week was nothing short of an adventure and we jam packed this vacation full of more stuff than I ever dreamed possible...
Hollywood, swimming in the pool, and pizza from the company that delivered to the Oscars! :)
California Adventure & riding the roller coaster a ridiculous number of times
Kings Canyon Natl. Park & Sequoia Natl. Forest. Seeing baby bears! And the most beautiful stars I've ever seen in my life
Playing in the waves on the beach in Malibu
TV pilot screenings and me drinking way, way too much...
Dim sum, Dave and Buster's, Korean BBQ, and mini golf
Trekking down to San Diego. SeaWorld! Sea lions, dolphins, and whales!
The beach at night with the sun setting over the pacific and lightning in the distance.
A ridiculous amount of In-N-Out
One last lunch at the grove :)
Thank you all for giving me so many firsts and hopefully no lasts. Thank you all for making the trip out here. Thank you all for seemingly being understanding of my shy/quietness (it's hard for an introvert to pretend to be an extrovert for a week). Thank you Wes for driving so much even though it was a pain in the ass. Thank you Jihye for flying from freaking Korea and making the experience even more special. Thank you Allen and Mal for making sure we had plenty of chances to be together even though we weren't staying too close to each other. Thank you Eric for joining us for a day.
Thank you all for reminding me that there's good in the world and adventures to be had.
Going home is bittersweet. I really am starting to feel like this is home and it's hard for me to believe that in less than 24 hours, I'll be in Massachusetts. It's not something I'm particularly happy about, but I'm thrilled to have all these new experiences and memories that I won't ever forget.
All of you, please be safe and be well. I hope your flights were/are easy and painless. I hope you all had a beautiful time here and that you all loved California as much as I do.
Goodbyes are too hard.
I'll see you all in a few years in Korea, yeah?