Finding some comfort

I haven’t been able to sleep the past few weeks, and that is very unusual. I don’t know if it has to do with moving to a new place, feeling pressure to succeed in my internship, meeting new people or a combination of all three things, but I find myself lying in bed staring at the ceiling with a million thoughts zipping through my mind.

Getting on a plane this morning and dealing with cranky security-checkpoint guards, screeching babies and blistering cold weather didn’t give me a sense of relief. I didn’t quite prepare myself. Upon leaving the airport, I received a text message from Mariecar Mendoza. She and I met last Summer at the Asian American Journalists Association conference in Hawaii. I suddenly remembered she was going to be here. She said she was arriving at 1:30. I felt a surge of relief. We shared a snack and vented our uneasy feelings at the dive bar across the street from the hotel. I realized that everyone is feeling the same way I do.

It’s the people you meet along the way who help you through the obstacles. When (Program Director) Karen Catone was speaking tonight, she stressed that we should get to know every person in the room. I know now that the relationships I form will be for life. Even though we are journalists competing in a cutthroat industry, we also are trying to make a difference in the world or, as Mariecar said, “to change the world.” We couldn’t do that if we all didn’t work together. Knowing this, I really will sleep better at night.

-- Kellie Hwang, Spring Scholar, The Arizona Republic, Phoenix and University of Washington