Favorite Photo {The Girl Between the Lines}

This Week: Share your favorite picture & the story behind it.
I love taking pictures. I think they are a great way to remember certain moments and memories. But lately I haven't picked up my camera. Not sure why, but there have been some family gatherings, friends get together, where I wished I had brought my camera. Choosing a favorite picture was hard.  I was glad that one of my friends was able to capture this moment. It has now become one of my favorites. 

This picture was taken behind the stage of my college graduation. It is one of my best moments of my entire life. Let me tell you why. 
First of all, it was a long journey to graduation. As I look back, I had a blast in college, and sometimes now I wish I could go back. But it wasn't easy. The classes at Berkeley were hard. My first year there was the hardest. I was super homesick, and I probably cried every day, and I closed myself off. I snapped out of it, for the most part, my second year and met some pretty incredible people. Third year and Senior year were the hardest, academically wise. I began to feel overwhelmed, stressed, and suffered from anxiety attacks, I wasn't the best person those few years. Nevertheless I made it to the end of that rollercoaster ride. I still had a semester left after I walked the stage but I knew that it was going to go fast. 
Second of all, my family took the six hour drive to see me. And although we didn't explore much of Berkeley or the city, I was so grateful that they took the time to come back. I don't think they realized how much it meant for me to see them in the stands. 

My brothers, my cousins, and my niece

Lastly, I was able to take my parents on the stage with me. Although my mom, graduated High School here in the U.S , my dad didn't have that opportunity. He was a teenager when he came to the U.S and they both had to start working at a young age to help their families. For me it was an amazing opportunity for them to walk the stage with me, as we got our "diploma." They have always  told us that education is power and important. In a way, us (me and my brothers) graduating is also their dream. 

Do you have a favorite picture?