猶記小學時，對小留學生的印象，就是一人生活在異鄉，無依無靠，但今天的我，竟成為我童年記憶中的一個角色。從前對小留學生的種種想像，雖然沒有完全在現實生活中出現，但是也避免不了初來美國留學所面對的問題：語言須努力，離家如此遙遠，無法像從前一樣和家人天天見面。
還記得我認識的一位伯母，她的兩位兒子在加拿大念書‧她曾說，「孩子出去念書後，回家時，感覺兒子就只是作客。」我不知道媽媽會不會如此感覺，我只知道當我那天下午很高興地拿著我的學生簽證，告訴媽媽我可以去美國時，媽媽雖然也笑了，但眼中卻流露出不捨的眼神；我只知道，我在機場時，媽媽不捨地和我說再見。
聖城的生活我還蠻習慣的，因為父母長期吃素，所以我也習慣吃素。記得我初來聖城是在1997年，未來時聽說聖城很大，來後，沒想到比我想像中不知大了多少倍。當然現在來這兒之後，不再像當年在夏令營時的懵懂無知，許多事情有待我積極去學習；住宿生活很新鮮，自習時有時會因為太吵而念不下書，早上偶爾也會因為有人早起，而被她們的鬧鐘吵醒。但是和許多人生活在一起，是一個很好的學習環境，面對各種不同的人，讓我學習應對能力，改掉我的任性，在未來的四年中，我能不斷地自我砥礪。
來到這兒一個多月了，但感覺還像是在臺灣，也許是因為每天接觸很多中國同學，也不致於太想家。當新鮮人的生活是酸甜苦辣五味雜陳的，但無論如何辛苦會過去，我想。十六歲的我，來到美國念書，是我一生中重要的轉捩點，我會懷念的。 |
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I remember being in elementary school and imagining young students studying in a foreign country without anyone to depend on. Today, I am in that very situation. Although many things that I had imagined about being a young foreign student haven't come true in real life, I inevitably need to face the problems of being a new arrival at a school in America. I must work on learning a new language and, being as far away from home as I am, I cannot see my family every day the way I used to.
I remember how my aunt, whose two sons were studying in Canada, once told me, "After my kids went abroad to study, I felt as if they were guests when they came home." I wonder if my mom will feel the same way. I know how happy I was that afternoon when I held my student visa and told my Mom that I could go to the United States. Although Mom smiled back, the look on her face revealed that she could hardly bear to let me go. I know it was hard for her to say goodbye to me at the airport.
I have adjusted to life at the Sagely City pretty well because my parents are life-long vegetarians, and I'm used to being a vegetarian too. I remember visiting the Sagely City in 1997.1 had heard about how large the Sagely City was, but it was much bigger than what I had expected. This time I'm not as lost and ignorant as I was during summer camp that year. There are many things waiting for me to take the initiative to learn. The dorm life is quite novel too. Sometimes it's difficult to study because it's too noisy. Sometimes the occasional early riser's alarm wakes me up. Nonetheless, living in a group creates a good learning environment. I have to learn how to interact with different people and change my habits of doing whatever I please. I hope to continue to improve myself in the next four years.
Although I've been here for more than a month, it still feels like I'm in Taiwan, perhaps because I come into contact with many Chinese classmates every day. I don't really miss home. The life of a freshman is filled with mixed feelings, but they will pass, no matter how difficult. I believe that coming to study in the United States at the age of sixteen will be an important turning point in my life, and I will always cherish this experience. |
