Nineteen.

It seems weird to think that I am nineteen. It seems weird to think that that is the age that I really am.It seems to me that nineteen is something others think I am not as well. It's common in Laos to lie about your age. So I thought I would follow along with everyone else and say I was older than I am. But the thing is I feel much older than I am. Laos instilled in me many responsibilities and in a way made me grow up. But in another ways Laos gave me all these opportunities to have made me feel like I am much older. The life I have lived so far has been nothing less then adventurous. I have seen more then most and for that I feel older and also grateful. But in reality I am nineteen. I do have many responsibilities and I also do have a lot of life to live. But also a lot to learn. To think last year on my birthday, I was in California with my family. I had little knowledge of what I was going to be doing in a year. I was thinking about college and about what to do with my life and now where am I but in Laos. It seems like a lifetime ago that I was in America. Especially in times like birthdays and holiday's to be so far away from my family. I dream of the days when I can hug my mom and dad and laugh with my sisters and hang out with my friends. I dream of  jamba juice and the falafel and mexican food. And I can't wait for the days that those dreams will come true. But then I think of about....What about a year from now? I'll be dreaming about the hug from my friends and the high pitches laughing of my students. I'll dream about all the Sabaidee's and Phop gawn mai's (Hello and see you later in Lao) I'll dream about the sticky rice and green mango's and lao food. And those dreams will take a long time to come true if they ever will. It seems outrageous that there is only four more months in Laos. How the time flies. How the times flies and then you realize that you are only nineteen and have lots of life to live. And what a joy that is.