just yesterday (20th September 2023), I had the intent of popping by to say hi to my friend before retreating into solitude to work on my assignment. little did I know that I wound up being part of a podcast episode with her, talking about our experiences about being international students and being told that we’re ‘really funny’ (hi nadine, it’s you, you’re the friend, obviously ❤).
when asked ‘what’s one piece of advice you’d give to someone who’s looking to be an international student here in Australia?’, i knew but sort of didn’t know what I needed to hear before I came here.
I suppose that the best lessons aren’t imparted through spoken words from someone else, but rather as an experience of your mind and body. there’s really no true blue right way to be learning except to have to or want to learn.
I realise(d) the importance of intention in so many aspects of life. while my journey here and being here has been smooth sailing in many ways that can be, i’d also be foolish to paint a picture of it all covered in a rose gold hue, much like the sunsets I adore. if anything, i hit the ground bouncing around, like the chaotic thoughts in my mind and the turbulent heart waves I felt all the time. i’d like to think that grounding was what carried me through the odd and tough times, but i think intention played a much larger role.
being (almost painfully?) self-aware is but one facet to work on when you’re pursuing self-development and growth. being wholly aware of what could go wrong, hope for what could go right, they can all accumulate in our minds. however, being intentional goes a long long way.
being intentional in how you choose, being present or blissfully absent, you take your pick at the end of the day. as much as i realise that by ‘running away’ to Australia is an immense privilege I’ll never take for granted, it has provided different wake-up calls to all the ways I did not care for my own wellbeing in the name of exploration.
the intention that underlies every single action, while possibly exhausting to constantly track, pays off. whether it’s the time you chose to sign up for a school club committee or the time you chose to go for a walk in a park near the city and lie on the grass for a good 5 minutes, they all matter.
it doesn’t always have the big moves or actions that give the most incredible revelations. they can come after or before anything huge and life altering.
while i like to think that i chose the harder path by ditching everything familiar, and to build (barely) from scratch, i chose the easier path. it’s easier in the way that i get to have a slate that is incredibly and ridiculously scary to behold. nonetheless, it is a lot to consider, even amidst the privileges!!
i wasn’t the most intentional when i started writing this but i think i’d just like to sum up the point of this little thought dump in a few sentences:
be open to being intentional. as much as we can go with the flow, keeping our intentions in mind keeps us on track (or lets us go off track in the most wonderful ways!)
life can be surprising, if we want it to be and let it be for us.
