My Life in China (#13): My First Article

When I started college, I was not even 16 years old. I was one of the youngest in the class, and sometimes the weakest.

It was the first time I was away from my parents. I was very homesick. I had a friend who was from my hometown. We often shed tears together.

The first school break came and went, I didn't want to go back. I stayed at home just until the very last day.

It was winter. There was no heating at that time. During the school year, when it was sunny, we often took out of comforter and let the sun do some magic. At least that evening would be a night of heaven because of the "smell of sun."

From my home to school, it was a day of the bus ride. When I got to the dormitory, it was night already. I was exhausted. To my surprise, my roommate took out my comforter for the sun during the day. When I crawled into my bed. I was soaked in the smell of the sun.

I was so touched by the kindness of my roommate, I wrote an article and mailed it to a prestigious newspaper China Youth Newspaper (中国青年报). A few days later, it was published.

It was my first article that has been published in a national newsletter. I became popular in my department and got recognized by the school. I received a delicate pen with words Perseverance (锲而不舍) engraved in.

Yes, it was my very first article. A decade later, my daughter inspired me to pick up my pen again...