"Glorious Victory" by ARK

I did it! I survived!

Two months of stay in a world completely unfamiliar--and I came out alive!

I will not deny the fact that I was really stressed out during my stay there, and I do not think the pay was worth it. In fact, I wouldn't be so happy to leave if I enjoyed myself.

But I will also not deny that I made a couple of new friends, faced real challenges and learned a LOT of things. These will come in handy some time in the future.

During my stay, I've had my share of everything there was to experience. I was forced to do things I wouldn't have tried otherwise. I was forced to handle difficult tasks on my own. I was forced to seek out other people's help. Force was my teacher.

It pushed me off the tree so I would open my wings and fly.

Because of it, I was reborn. I know how to maneuver in the air now. And it was all because I had no choice but to soar.

The entire thing was an uncomfortable learning experience.

No two days were the same, I could swear to that. Work hours were ever-changing and unpredictable. No time to get used to anything. Stopping in the middle of a race would mean an instant loss. Stopping in the middle of a fight would be the death of you. And in this industry, stopping for a quick breath is no different.

Multi-tasking, quick thinking, on-the-spot memorization, strength, a sturdy sense of judgement, and self-respect--these are just some of the weapons you will be made to wield if you ever enter this battlefield.

I couldn't brag much, because I am in no way comparable to the crew who've been working there for ages. Some crew claimed that even those who were hired at the same time as I was, were already better than me. They said I was being left out.

But I was never left out. I shined on my own. I had traits and skills nobody else had, like say, handling the customers with an unlimited patience. Only I had that. Only I was able to prove my point without sounding arrogant or cocky.

For that they called me intelligent. For that I gained their respect.

And it's not like I was the slowest crew. I had my share of praise for being good at what I was doing.

I wasn't the best. I couldn't prove myself worthy to a lot of them. But to me, I've been doing really well. I was being excellent, beyond my standards.

I've been reaching heights I was too afraid to go to.

It was scary, but flying alone with a heavy burden was something I've never done before. I am proud of myself for having survived all that. I will never forget any of it.

Last night as we closed the store, I couldn't help but glance at everything one last time--for the next time I visit it, I will not be allowed to go inside. As I walked away from the fast food that has been my home for two months, I thought: "The feeling of glorious victory...I survived!"

I left happily.