I am Kha Tran (my real name is Trần Mộng Kha) and i'm come from Vietnam . My friends at work take the initial "MK" as my name so that it can be easily pronounce. But i really refer by Kha Tran for official record at OU.
In 2014, i was a Senior at Ho Chi Minh City University of Law, the number one Law school in the South side of Vietnam. I have interest in law but i wasn't able to finish my degree due to the immigration to the United States on Feb 2014. Now i am a Senior in Finance at OU and will graduate next summer.
There was a time when i was depressed, back when i first came to America. To be honest, i did not want to move, but i was forced. The five month period just around the house made me feel stuffy. My relatives were busy with their daily work. I didn't know how to drive a car back then, or even if i knew, there is still no car. Language and culture barriers made me feel anxious. Can't speak, can't hear and can't understand others gradually made me don't want to say a words.
Back to 2014, when i was 21, i was in a relationship with my so-called husband. We had a tough time together. When i insisted to go back to my country, my uncle said it is because of him. My uncle was not completely right. It was him, my husband, encouraged me to overcome the life with so much tears to get back to normal. It was him who showed me if i insisted on keeping that melancholia, it would take longer for us to be together again. It was because of his encouragement, i started to learn English. In August, i passed the TOEFL test, and officially entered school, ending this sadness. In 2018, i finished my associate degree at OCCC and continuing to complete the bachelor degree at OU.
I used to travel back to my country every summer and really have fun there. I just got back Vietnam four days ago, and still fell jet lag. The purpose of this trip is to prepare for our wedding. We signed all paper works but still wait for the ceremony at the end of this year. That why i called him a "so-called husband" 😊.
From now on, i keep moving on toward my dream.
Me and my husband in the pre-wedding album took on July 27th, 2018 in Da Lat, Viet Nam.
Photographer: Nhan Rau Nguyen
By the way, my husband named Trung Phan. We met together when we was in law school. He's now a legal specialist in a bank in Vietnam.
Congratulations on reaching your senior year at OU, Kha: that is a great accomplishment! And congratulations also on your upcoming marriage: the photo you shared is beautiful! College is always a challenge, and to do all your schoolwork in a foreign language makes it a much bigger challenge. I will be really glad if you can relax and have fun with the writing in this class, learning new things about English but without stress, just for fun! There is not a unit of Vietnamese stories in the UnTextbook, but there have been two WONDERFUL Vietnamese Storybooks that previous students created: Living in the Past: Tales of Ancient Vietnam and Vietnamese Myths and Legends ... I learned so much from both of them! Maybe you will want to do a Vietnamese project for class also. :-)
ReplyDeleteHi Kha! The photo you shared is gorgeous and I hope you get to share more this year. Depression is hard to overcome but you have done it and you are making the best of your situation. I am glad you still get to go back to Vietnam. I would like to visit someday. Since I traveled abroad this summer, I have gotten he travel bug and want to go everywhere! Congrats on your senior year - you have almost made it!
ReplyDeleteHi!
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry you had such a tough time when you first got here. I lived in France for only six months and I was miserable sometimes. It can be hard to be away from home for too long. But I'm glad that you were able to overcome it, and I'm happy for you and your fiancé! I'm excited to read your stories this semester!
Alona
Hi! I can't even imagine what it must have been like to move to a foreign country where you didn't speak or understand the language. What courage you have to continue your education at OU. Congratulation on your marriage, you two make a beautiful couple. I'm glad you still get to go home and see your country, family, and husband.
ReplyDeleteHi Kha!
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry to hear about the tough times you've had. I've had my fair share as well, so I know what it's like to deal with and cope with depression, but I'm glad to see how far you've come since that time period! I think it's wonderful that you have found someone you're willing to wait for and do what you have to do to be with! I have dreams of marrying my current girlfriend and raising a family with her, so I know all too well how strong a motivator love can be. Good luck to you in your final year!
Hey sister! Your story inspires me to continue to strive for my own dreams!! While you didn't get to finish law school, you still have the experience you gained from your education in law and now you can use it in all of your financial analysis, making your degree from OU so much stronger! You commented on my story from Week 2 saying that you often changed your career path, but you did not change your path. You just evolved and all of the challenges that you have overcome will make you the kind of businesswoman that I dream of working with in the future. I wish you all of the best in the future and long marriage of happiness and health! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Kha! Congratulations on getting married!! Your picture is so beautiful! I am glad you have found your happiness and proud of you for finding the courage to continue your education with OU! I lived in Germany when I was around six and I remember walking around outside of the military base and not being able to understand anyone. It is a really scary feeling, but it definitely pushes you to learn a new language!
ReplyDeleteHi Kha! Congratulations on your marriage, that's so exciting! The picture you uploaded is stunning! You've had an interesting journey so far! Going from another country to moving to Oklahoma must have been a big adjustment, but it seems like you have adjusted well. Congrats on being so close to graduating, keep going! You've come such a long way. It was nice to meet you!
ReplyDeleteHi Kha! It's nice to meet you. I think its so brave of you to come to a foreign country and pursue an education. It is definitely a culture shock and I am sure it was difficult to adjust. Also, congratulations on your marriage! You guys look like a beautiful couple. I can't wait for your "so-called husband" to just officially be your husband!
ReplyDeleteHi Kha, Congratulations on getting married and also Congratulations in advance for completing school in the summer. I am glad that you overcame your depression, it serves as an inspiration for others who are currently experiencing Depression. I know it was kind of a culture shock coming here from another country, I have a roommate who is from Turkey and came to the states a month ago and so I am helping him adjust. I can tell you are very driven and i wish you and your husband nothing but success in the class and in the future!
ReplyDeleteHey Kha, nice to meet you!
ReplyDeleteIt takes a lot to open up about mental illnesses such as depression to thank you. Congratulations on your soon-to-be marriage and on your education. Sounds like you have a lot going on right now besides just school so I hope you are taking care of yourself. I hope the jet lag has worn off by this point but now it might just be replaced with the tiredness of a busy life. I wish you the best!
Hi Kha! I'm sorry you had a rough few years when moving to America! I can't imagine being forced to move away from my own home and the place that I had grown up in for so many years. I hope these next few years are filled with much more happiness for you and your family! That is amazing that you have learned English and are about to graduate with a finance degree! I am not good at math, so I admire people who are. I hope you have a great year!
ReplyDeleteHi Kha!
ReplyDeleteThe picture of you and your fiancé is so beautiful! Congratulations on your up-coming wedding! I think it was so brave of you to share your story, it would be so scary to move to a different country without knowing the language. But I’m so glad that things are starting to get better! I hope this semester goes well, and I can’t wait to read your stories.
Hi Kha!
ReplyDeleteI am also very sorry that you had a rough time when you first came to America. I am glad that you was able to over come your depression and now a Senior here at OU! YAY! Congratulations on your wedding at the end of the year, from your pre-wedding photo that you shared I am sure it is going to be beautiful. <3 My brother got married over the past summer, it was HOT but we all had so much fun. I truly wish you and your soon-to-be-husband many, many years of happiness and unconditional love for the two of you. When I was reading your introduction I thought I was reading a story (sorry if that may come off wrong) but your writing and English is beautiful. Hope that you have a great rest of the semester
Hi, Kha! I am so sorry that you had a rough time when you first came to America, but I am very happy for you that you have reached your senior year of college! I also wanted to tell you that your pre-wedding photo is stunning, and that you make a gorgeous bride! I love to pin wedding ideas on pinterest, so seeing your picture was very nice! I hope you and your husband have an amazing wedding and I wish you both a lifetime of happiness and love! I can't wait to read more of your stories as this semester goes on! Have a great senior year!
ReplyDeleteNice to meet you Kha! Your Pre-wedding photos look so beautiful. Congratulations on your upcoming ceremony and marriage to your "so called husband" c: I can't even imagine going through what you went through, and you must feel incredibly proud to have overcome that. Being taken away from everything you know and hold close sounds incredibly tough, yet you made so many jumps and accomplishments along the way. You sound like you're doing great now and I wish nothing but the best for you and your future family! Good luck this semester and I hope you come back to this post later down the line and update it with some real-time wedding pictures from the ceremony c:
ReplyDeleteHi Kha! Congrats on graduating next summer! That is awesome! I am so sorry that your transition into America was so hard. I am so happy for you though that you were able to pass the TOEFL test! Congratulations on getting married at the end of the year! Will you go on a honeymoon anywhere? Good luck with your wedding and I hope that you continue to enjoy the rest of your time at OU!
ReplyDeleteHi Kha, it is nice to “meet” you! I am sorry to hear your journey to the United States was challenging at first, but I am glad you have turned this around! Congratulations on your many accomplishments: learning English, graduating with your associate’s degree from OCCC, your upcoming graduation from OU and your wedding! I admire your dedication and persistence, and always keep moving towards your dream!
ReplyDeleteHi Kha! It sounds like you have been through a lot, but even so, you are still moving towards your goals and dreams. Not everyone is able to persevere through things like that. I think that is quite inspiring, especially for others who have been through a lot as well. I wish you the best and congratulations on graduating next summer. I hope your remaining semesters go well.
ReplyDeleteHello Kha, I’m sorry for the tough time having to transition from Vietnam to here in America, but I am glad things are getting better. It is so exciting that you are getting married at the end of this year, I better you are getting super excited since it is so close! I hope the rest of your semester is going great!
ReplyDeleteHi Kha! It sounds like you have come so far since you moved here, so congratulations! Your picture is absolutely stunning! If this is one of your pre-wedding pictures, I would love to see how beautiful your wedding pictures turn out! Congratulations on getting your Associate's and being close to finishing your degree at OU! I hope you have an absolutely wonderful wedding!
ReplyDeleteNice to meet you Kha Tran!
ReplyDeleteI can only imagine what it's like to have to leave your home country with all your family, to come here. I am glad that you were able to figure things out and become happier! Also congratulations on your marriage! I love your dress in the picture! You will achieve your dream one day!
Hi Kha,
ReplyDeleteYou have overcome the adversity that you have faced and that is cool. Your husband kept the fire inside you lit and made you perceiver. He is a good person for this. I hope that once you have your degree in finance everything works out for you and you continue to perceiver in life and hope your wedding goes well.
Hi Kha!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on being so close to finishing your degree! I am sure starting over from law to finance was not the easiest. Especially in a different country. I love that you still get to go back during the summers. Your picture is lovely and you two look very happy. Congrats on getting to finally finalize everything at the end of this year to make him officially your husband. Good luck on the rest of the semester!