The Dream I Let Go, and The Friend I’ll Never Forget

 

April 24, 2025 — This was the day I ended up sitting down and reflecting on a big chapter of my life. But before that, let me tell you a little story.

There’s this one Chinese friend named Shen that I got to know not too long ago. Before we actually spoke, we used to pass by each other at the school cafeteria all the time. We never said a word, but we always exchanged smiles. It became this little unspoken routine between us.

One day, I finally decided to break the ice and say hi. We introduced ourselves, and I learned her name was Shen. She laughed and said she had noticed me too—we had walked past each other so many times but never talked. That day, we finally exchanged numbers, and since then, she’s texted me a few times to chat.

What really surprised me, though, was when she suddenly brought up a Thai celebrity—Baifern Pimchanok. Apparently, Baifern is super famous in China and even has a Chinese name! When Shen mentioned her Chinese name, I was honestly a bit confused at first, like… who?? 😂

Anyway, back to the story. A few days after that, Shen texted me again—but this time she had a favor to ask. She needed to interview an international student for her project, and she said I was the only international friend she knew!

At that moment, I was honestly pretty busy. But thinking about how she trusted me (or maybe she just didn’t have any other option 😂), I agreed. I didn’t want to risk her not passing her class because of me. Plus, when I read the interview questions, I realized they were pretty open-ended—kind of like self-reflection questions. So I thought… why not?

So here’s the little story I ended up sharing with her............

"When I was a kid, I wanted to be a doctor. Growing up in an Asian household, that felt like the golden dream. I loved watching medical dramas, imagining myself saving lives in a white coat. Deep down, I also really wanted to make my parents proud.

But things started to change in high school. I got to visit medical schools, see how real medical students lived. They were always exhausted, physically and mentally drained, and had almost no time for themselves. As someone who gets sick easily and needs a lot of rest, I started to wonder if this path was really for me.

Even so, I gave it my best shot. I applied to medical school twice… but didn’t make it either time. At first, it felt like my world was falling apart. Like… if I wasn’t going to be a doctor, what was I even going to do with my life?

But looking back now… that “failure” was such a tiny thing compared to where I am today.

I’m so much happier with my life now. I’ve had the chance to study abroad, work abroad, and do things I never thought I could. More importantly, I’ve found a direction that feels right for me.

Honestly, if I had gotten into med school back then, I don’t think I’d ever truly know myself like I do today. I wouldn’t have had the freedom to explore, to grow, or to live the life I really wanted.

If I could go back in time, I wouldn’t change a single “mistake” I made. Every decision I took—whether it turned out right or wrong—was something I put thought into, researched, and chose with my heart. And every single one of them taught me something valuable."

So here’s what I’ve learned

1. Life is flexible. Sometimes doors close, but new ones open—and that’s okay.

2. Letting go of a dream isn’t failure. It’s part of growing up and understanding yourself better.

After we finished the interview that day, something unexpected happened. Out of the blue, Shen said she had something for me. Then she suddenly pulled out this huge paper bag—like... seriously big! I was so shocked. I mean... I only helped a little (but okay... I did prepare really hard for the interview though 😂 I wanted it to turn out great after all 😚).

One by one, she started taking things out from the bag, explaining the story behind each item. And the sweetest part? There was a handwritten letter inside. When she handed it to me, I couldn’t help but squeal a little inside. I was so happy and touched.

After that, we said goodbye and headed back to our dorms. But guess what... it started raining! Even though our dorms were on completely different sides of campus, Shen still insisted on walking me back. I felt so bad and told her, "Hey, I’ve got an umbrella, don’t worry!" Then I quickly ran back to my room, excited to read the letter she gave me (but nope… sorry, I’m keeping the contents a secret… it was too personal and special 🥹).

Right after reading it, I couldn’t stop myself from telling my friends about it. I was just too happy. Later that night, I texted her to say thank you. And guess what... she replied almost instantly!

That was late April, and with the semester ending soon, all of us international students were starting to prepare to go back to our home countries. Around that time, both Shen and I were traveling out of state, so we didn’t get to see each other for a while. But I texted her, saying, "Let me know when you’re back! I’ve got a small gift from Thailand for you!"

And finally... on April 8th, just before she left for China, we got to meet one last time. I also got to meet her roommate that day, and guess what… her roommate brought me a little gift too! Seriously… how sweet are they?

We chatted for a while. Shen told me she was leaving the city at 5 AM the next morning. She looked a bit sad, like she was about to cry. Since she’s from China and Instagram doesn’t really work there, we weren’t sure how to keep in touch. So… we exchanged emails.

And till now… we’re still emailing each other! 🥹

There was one email she sent me that made me smile so much. She thanked me for the small gifts I gave her from Thailand... especially the inhaler (yes, the classic Thai "Yadom" 😂). She said it really helped her relieve stress during exams.

Honestly… reading that made me so happy. Thank you, Shen, for always remembering me. I’ll also do my best to keep emailing you, so we don’t lose touch.

Thank you for being one of the best memories I’ve made this year. I’m really, really glad we met 😊

(Stay tuned… I’ll probably have more updates about me and Shen soon ☺️)