Turlock To Taiwan

It’s been quite the journey from a small town in nearly the exact center of California to Taipei, Taiwan. 99 percent of people don’t know my hometown of Turlock, CA, so in college I had to answer “Where are you from?” with a variation of either “a small town just east of San Francisco ” or “near Modesto, California, you know, the Laci Peterson story…” The latter was a fun conversation starter. I usually continued on about how there’s nothing to do and getting stuck in the Valley, but the truth is, I’m grateful for growing up in Turlock.

Our first home was on a cul-de-sac in a quiet neighborhood, where beyond our back fence was nothing but farmland for miles. The only traffic was a quarter mile back up on Hawkeye Ave going to Dutcher Elementary School and the biggest thing you looked forward each year was going to the Stanislaus County Fair, ready to chow down on a cinnamon roll after a “thrilling” ride. You learn to appreciate little things like that. I knew everyone, and everyone knew you. It was a great community.

Life was pretty normal growing up. My sister and I traveled all around California for our soccer tournaments and gymnastics meets. We went camping every year just south of Big Sur on the California coast, and had some fun times in one of the most magnificent places in the world. We drove to Bakersfield to visit all the rest of our family every holiday and summer. 

But as life tends to do, it throws you a curveball. In 2006, my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. My friends and my parent’s friends helped us a lot during this time, keeping us positive and supporting us with whatever we needed. Then my mom was told she was in remission in early 2007, and everyone who knew my mom was celebrating. But it came back. In early September, doctors confirmed the worst. The cancer spread too far throughout her body to save her. She passed away on September 29^th, 2007.

It all happened so quickly. I didn’t really know what to do or what to think. One of the main things that kept me going is that I knew my mom would want me to live my life to the fullest.

We also had even more support from people and from what seemed like a good portion of the city of Turlock. My mom had cast a wide net. My friends were a real foundation by being there for me whenever I needed, playing table tennis in the garage or going to In N Out at whatever hour. If my family or myself didn’t have the kind of support we did, things might have turned out differently.

I wasn’t sure what I was going to do after high school throughout most of my senior year. It was still a hard time. I knew I needed to get out of Turlock and go to college in the Northwest, a place that I fell in love with at age 10 and visited the summer prior, ‘08. I needed something smaller. A place, without consciously admitting, like Turlock. In the late spring, my family friend and I talked about her time at Gonzaga. I can remember so vividly spending that same night researching the school, and the moment I said to myself, ‘this is the place.’

In January 2010, I received my acceptance letter. Opening that big, white envelope and reading the letter to my dad was truly a special moment.

I wasn’t exactly sure I would enjoy it or be accepted in at school. However, it couldn’t have worked out better. From my first year living in Desmet to my senior year with our basketball team being ranked #1 in the country, it was the greatest three years of my life. I met my best friends and accomplished more than I ever could have thought possible. After graduation, I continued on to Seattle, where many other recent Zags settle, looking to have fun with current friends, meet new ones, and explore the area that holds strong family roots. I felt it was a successful adventure, but I wanted to branch out much further.

Now, I’m taking the biggest risk I’ve ever embarked on that takes me to a place that I have been dreaming about for a while - Asia. The risk is large, but so too is the reward. I hope that my decision to travel to Taipei is as good as my decision to attend Gonzaga and that I can find my own tight knit community like Turlock, here.

Surround yourself with people who share the same zeal for life and joy as you do, and always remain positive. I’ve made a ton of mistakes throughout my life, but in the end, I’ve always tried to honor my parents and thank them for what they’ve done for me and how they raised me.

Be courageous, adventurous, bold, and live life to the fullest. You only live twice. Or so it seems.