[Letters from Elly] My days studying abroad part 2 This writing below or even the remaining of it I'm going to post in the future, is a part of letters from my student Elly, who used to be my student in the class which I was English teaching assistant. This is totally private email to me and my Elly, but as it did inspire me, I have an idea that there are others who would also be inspired by these so real and touching experience. I can't wait to hear your feeling after reading this. Because this feeling is worth sharing, as I paraphrase from TED's slogan \m/ 2. First year as an International student 2011- 2012 In Vietnam, I was always a star in school. I didn’t expect any difficulties in adapting into the new environment. I thought that my English was excellent enough to carry any conversation. And I was wrong. No matter how hard I tried to pronounce the word, no one got me. There was an accent that made me sound different and weird like a freak. I felt ashamed of myself. Failure was the only scenario that I had never imagined. It broke me down completely. My confidence plunged freely into the abyss. I felt like a fool hanging around school with no friends. I couldn’t express myself into words. From a bold, outgoing person, I huddled myself into the corner of the room, and cried desperately for my life. I had no one, literally no one to talk to. At that time, I started to feel the mental crisis of many international students. My uncle is out for work till midnight. I was home with the door closed and no one around. I missed my family, my hometown terribly. In Vietnam, you see people everywhere. You are never alone. You do not need a vehicle to go around. A bike is cool enough or you can basically just walk. At here, things were completely opposite. Every- night video call with my mom was full of tears and regret. I tangled myself with a bunch of irreversible questions. Was it a wrong decision to go here? Or should I give up and return to my country? I was so lost that I couldn’t find my way out. Was I the only one who has to go through all this? Every morning waking up, I prayed to God for just a normal day, a day that I could go through without tears rolling down my cheek.