For most of my life, I’ve been living with storms and their consequences.

I grew up in the Philippines and we face typhoon after typhoon every year. I’ve seen the consequences of it – from destruction to growth. I’ve been stuck outside during a typhoon and genuinely feared for my life.

I’ve also seen the flowers, trees, grasses that grow from the water. The world is always somehow a little bit different whenever a storm comes. 

Those wild typhoons in the Philippines were terrifying, but it was also home, and it’s easy to see the impact of strong storms and to see the people around you and nature itself working to support each other and re-build after a storm.

Then, I moved to Vancouver.

Vancouver rarely has typhoons or thunderstorms. It was a big change to see light but steady and constant rain all the time. I don’t see the destruction or the growth as much as I used to. It was strange, weird…annoying!

For months at a time the rain here is constant. Sometimes it feels like it will never stop. Gone are the claps of thunder and the flash floods. All I see are puddles. The steady rain has made me see water and storms in a different way.

I’ve wondered: Do we need immense and powerful storms to make a difference? Can a rainy drizzle make as much of a difference as a typhoon?

University is like a typhoon, especially for international students. It’s going to shake you up and keep you looking. At university it’s easy to be swept up in excitement and intensity.

But it’s the light drizzles in our lives that can make a huge difference.

It may not be as exciting or as lively but every drop can nourish us and help us grow. Here are some quiet “drizzle” moments I’ve had at UBC that have changed my life:

I saw a poster for an event where I met the people that became my closest friends.

I had a conversation with a staff person and that made me pursue research.

My professor shared a short slide in one of their lectures and now I’m reconsidering my future career.

These moments are just like ripples.

A ripple is caused by a small disturbance in the water but it can radiate in waves, make a big change from a small beginning. I realized that the ripples that truly make a difference are the people we meet. So be open to a 5-minute conversation with someone you will never see again just as you would have with a person you’ve been friends with for 5 years.

And don’t forget that there is beauty in the quiet.

Keep an eye out for random posters or short Facebook posts online. You never know how they might change your life. There are so many AMS clubs and campus and community organizations and if we look hard enough, we can find a place where we will feel like we belong.

UBC’s motto is Tuum Est: It is yours. It is yours to take the small ripples in your life and create your own storm.

We shouldn’t forget the ripples from our past. And we should try to be open to the ones that are yet to come. We shouldn’t be afraid to create change.

Storms will always remind me of home. But now, the light drizzle and quiet rain – they’re also my home.