Change

I happened to flip through my passport today and realized that this year's entry stamps don't even fill a whole page. Having traveled to so many places, the biggest takeaway is "self-discovery." It seems I've rediscovered the path I used to love, my own rhythm. That old mindset of "optimistic thinking and proactive pursuit," that invincible youthful exuberance and boundless drive...

Optimism makes everything seem "insignificant." As long as you know what you want, what you are doing, and how far you are from your goal, you can enjoy even a brief storm as a rare rain scene.

I took the initiative to take that long-awaited step and have been steadily moving forward. The question "Why?" has become a constant in my mind. As a 100-meter athlete, I have never wanted to be second, not in the past, not now, and not in the future.

Seattle

Seattle is a small city, much smaller and more crowded than the East Coast. Even the surrounding residential areas and satellite towns have a sense of "lack of planning," with long queues everywhere and very poor accommodation conditions. A 1-million-dollar house might not even have a garage or a large backyard lawn. It lacks the convenience of big cities but has all their problems.

However, this place isn't all bad. The weather is very similar to my hometown of Hangzhou, with frequent rain that makes it quite humid. Apparently, the winters aren't particularly cold, and there are matches to play all year round, which is very reassuring.

I had heard that the culture in the west was not as good as that in the east, and after arriving, I found that this was indeed the case. Perhaps because there are more bad people, the level of trust between people is not high.

Also, I don't know if it's because there are more young people here, but I feel that the mindset here is stuck on "eating, drinking, sleeping and making big money". There is a lot of comparison and vanity. It feels a bit restless. Hmmmm... Don't you all earn enough? Shouldn't you have some pursuits of your own?

Overall, I'm quite happy to be here. Nobody knows you or your past. You've shed your burdens and are like a blank sheet of paper, ready to rewrite a new story.

Work and the Future

I will probably try to move forward with the present, but the passion will gradually wear off. I'm constantly thinking about what position is more suitable for me and slowly finding my place.

Whether you want to realize your self-worth through work, utilize your abilities, or enjoy your work in a way you love, in a capitalist society, adjustments are necessary if you don't achieve your ideals.

I've been missing Mike, Kirk, and Chad lately. Although I only really got to know them this year, their brief time in Japan was very memorable.

Life is so short, and every experience is frozen in time. Sometimes what you are experiencing is the best, but you are unaware of it at the time. When you try to find it again, you can never find it again. In this way, you slowly learn to cherish.