Shit I Learned This Semester: Spring 2012 Special Semester at Sea Edition

In true Paul fashion, I’ve finally written my list of shit I learned this past semester.  For the past few years, I’ve posted similar lists at the close of each term on my other blog (holdenpaulfield.blogspot.com), and who would I be if I just skipped the greatest semester of my life?  Of course, I acquired a world full of knowledge, but I wanted to write a more general list of things from which I think all of you could learn (even if it’s just a little bit).  I’ve had a good amount of time to think about this, and I know it’s probably not the most perfect list.  There’s no way to sum up all of the things I learned into a list of merely fifty points.  Regardless, I hope you enjoy it.

1. A beaming smile can get you a long way.
2. The Vietnamese are incredibly fond of bendy straws.
3. You must admit your weaknesses.
4. The ground is beautiful.
5. Doxycycline can cure anything.
6. The internet is a luxury.
7. People are more impressionable than you may think.
8. I am a serious nerd.
9. Do not underestimate the ability of a few American twenty-somethings to find the nearest bar.
10. Everyone loves KFC.
11. Technology helps build relationships while simultaneously hindering them.
12. There’s no such thing as being lost.
13. The only way to test your instincts by making mistakes.
14. Don’t be afraid to make those mistakes.
15. Children are the best inspiration.
16. Everyone needs alone time.
17. Sometimes, you just have to splurge a bit.
18. Wealth is relative.
19. It doesn’t take a lot to make someone happy.
20. There’s a buoy where the equator and prime meridian meet.
21. The world of academia is very small.
22. Haggling can be a very playful social interaction.
23. If you think you’ve acquired sea legs, you haven’t.
24. When shopping in Asia, you’re approximately three sizes larger than you thought.
25. Everything is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
26. It’s okay to be stubborn.
27. The best way to commemorate someone is by putting that person’s face on everything.
28. You will never truly know the things you take for granted.
29. Spontaneity will never disappoint.
30. Language is never a barrier to make friends.
31. The world is so much cooler when you’re not looking through a camera lens.
32. A brohawk can draw a lot of unwanted attention.
33. The most remarkable people are in disguise.
34. Much like crossing the street in Vietnam, you must be able to trust even when you’re feeling the most fearful.
35. 7-11 will never be the same again.
36. You are not alone.
37. Clear umbrellas are incredibly practical.
38. The beginning is also the destination.
39. You will never see most of the people you’ve met ever again.
40. Everything’s Gonna Be OK.
41. Take advice like a grain of salt.
42. People perceive you very differently than you perceive yourself.
43. Communism isn’t as scary as you think.
44. Find what you were looking for, then find something better.
45. There is nothing worse than living a life already planned.
46. You could still feel lonely in a crowded place.
47. There’s no possible way to remember everything.
48. You never really know how much someone has gone through to get where they are now.
49. It isn’t dark tofu.  It’s duck blood.
50. I love my life.  And you should love yours, too.