Twenty-two.

#22. Why are you, you?

I like how question 22 out of the 50 forces me to look back on my 22 years here on Earth and really figure out why I turned out this way. I mean there’s a lot of reasons why I am the person you all know and love today -bats my lashes-

I’m me because of what I was born into.

Unlike most of my family, I was born and raised in New Jersey and not Burma, so I’m definitely more Americanized. I would say it was easier for me to fit in because this place was all I knew. Being raised in a town where I was one of the only Asian people definitely made me open-minded and accepting of other people. It also helped me to grow a tough skin at the same time. I might have been open to befriending people from different backgrounds, but there were a number of those in my town who weren’t so accepting of me.

As far as my family goes, I come from a working class, immigrant family just trying to make a better life for their children. My parents weren’t always there, but they always did try to give me the best they could. I’m appreciative of the little things because of that. However, since they weren’t always there for me, I sort of developed these abandonment issues. I didn’t get a lot of direction or attention when I was younger, so it’s almost like I seek that out in other people now. I try not to, but it definitely is apparent at times. Don’t get me wrong, though. I’m not needy. I’d say I’ve come a long way from where I used to be.

I’m me because of the people I choose to surround myself with.

What did Drake say? “Get your team in order. Assembly is key.” Yeah. That’s right. It took a long time to weed out the dead weight, but I love my team. My friends are far from perfect, but they’re loyal. They have my best interest in mind, which is something I couldn’t even say about a lot of people around me not even a year ago. They’re all dedicated, goal oriented individuals and are really making moves to achieve want they want out of life. The people in my circle inspire me to go after what I want. They push me to chase after my dreams as they are. They challenge me to grow and become a better me. If you don’t surround yourself with the right people, they will hold you up instead of holding you down like they’re supposed to. I have to say I don’t have to worry about that because I couldn’t ask for better team of people around me.

I’m me because of the situations I’ve gone through.

Life has taught me that everything is a learning experience. Every possible curveball has been thrown at me. I’ve had my ups and a lot of downs, but I stopped questioning why I was put into certain situations a long time ago. Every circumstance I’ve been placed into is because I needed to be there. I needed to take something away from each situation regardless if the conditions were good or bad. Every smile, every terrible relationship, every joyful tear, every friendship ended.. I learned from that. I’m growing as a person because of what I learned. I may not realize it at the time, but all that I go through helps me find just a little bit more of myself.

I would go further, but one of the things I’ve learned in the past twenty-two years is that life is a journey to find ourselves and I haven’t completed that journey just yet. I’m not entirely sure why I’m me, but the above certainly points out a few reasons.

But maybe the most important reason I’m me is because.. well.. Who else am I supposed to be? You? I’ll pass.