q: I'm having a long run of bad luck...

how do I cope?

a: What ever you do, don't panic. Take a time-out and breathe. Rethink the situation and assess the worst that can happen. Mentally put yourself in that situation and imagine it playing out. Not that bad? Good. Still freaking out? Calm down and reconsider. Repeat until content.

Not to be Biblical or anything, but have you heard of the book of Job? Homeboy went through a mad crazy spell of bad luck and all of his friends thought that God was punishing him. However, Job disagreed. Job was right: sometimes bad things just happen for no reason. Some people just have this innate need to blame so they blame God/karma/etc. I subscribe to a more simplistic explanation: shit happens.

I could be as harsh as a close friend of mine: "Asian Girl, life sucks. Get a helmet." (Sorry, BFF2, I still love ya.) Unfortunately, I'm notorious for whining/dwelling on things so some tough love was definitely in order. I hope you're not anywhere near as stubborn as I am.

I may not know the extent or severity of your situation, so I apologize ahead of time if this seems trite. I'm no stranger to a string of bad luck. For instance, I've been single for four years. (Just kidding...not the single part, but insinuating that being single is bad luck.) A good two months before leaving for England, it was just one thing after another. I slept with someone I shouldn't have. I got caught up in someone else's illicit activities. I got rejected for a higher credit limit. I got into two car accidents within a week of each other. I lost my job...a week before Christmas. My admission and housing situation in England was not confirmed and the university was closed until the second week of January. A good friend's mother died shortly after Christmas and the funeral was held on my 22nd birthday. Pretty much, I thought I was completely fucked.

However, what helped me out was some kind words from a friend: "Since all these bad things have happened to you so far, something really good has got to happen." (Thanks again, BFF2! haha...) Sure enough, things began to improve. I got my acceptance letter during the first week of January. My aunt lent my dad 4000 dollars for my trip. My housing finally came through 4 days before my departure. Soon enough, I was on a plane to the UK and experienced the time of my life (so far, that is).

The lesson is, things will get better eventually. Here's something to remember from the greatest musical ever: "Except for death and paying taxes, everything in life is only for now."