I landed in Philly after a 21-hour flight from Hanoi. It’s been two days since then and I’m typing this post in my friend’s house at frking 5am (I’m still fighting jetlag).
A few minutes before that, I was laying in bed, checking my messages and dms, at the same time thinking about how much support and love I have received from my friends and family. Every single message I receive was either a thoughtful check-in, or a warm welcome. Not to mention many phone calls from mum, dad, and my close friends just to make sure jetlag wasn’t hitting me too hard.
There was a time before, when I tried to stay lowkey on social media and only talk to certain people when necessary. It was not a bad experience, as I had a fairly low screen time and more reflection time. However, recently, I’ve updating my situations, my feelings, and my activities on my personal accounts more often. The replies were usually small talks, but I could tell how they could easily turn into long conversations when we need one.
After all, as cliché as it sound, I don’t think social media is a toxic virtual world. It could be a way to acknowledge that I’m on someone’s mind today and I’m loved no matter where I go, what I do.
Bryn Mawr, Aug 16 2021
Trang "Tee" Nguyen 