2019 Anthems
Last year, I put together my first set of annual anthems—songs that had defined 2018 for me, whether it be …
2019: Bloom
All the Ways This Year Could’ve Gone
Cover photo: A diner I could have unpeeled a clementine five minutes ago instead of unwrapping a matcha ice cream. …
To the Woman Who Used to Own the DVD Store
Most of Seoul is not beautiful because it developed so quickly, which is to say, most of Seoul is not beautiful because it could not keep up with its own creation, with its constant birthing of itself.
50 Things That Happened in 5 Weeks of College (and On Doing Alright)
Dropped a class after one lecture Took a CS class then proceeded to skip all the lectures Caught the freshman …
A Ghibli Pilgrimage, Part I: Preparation
This will be a series of posts covering my recent 7-day solo backpacking trip to Japan. The table of contents …
Musings in Madrid
I grip my bag and keep it secure against the front of my body like a pale child; I’d been …
How to Appreciate a Long Flight
Take a seat. Perhaps you have to make the awkward shuffle passing in front of aisle passengers to get to …
Mid-Year Resolutions & Reflection
I really had no clue what 2019 had in for me. It came rocking like a polished amusement park train, …
From the Pit of Hustle Culture
The unease set in just a couple weeks after tucking away my high school graduation cap in my bedroom. The …
Questions People Have Asked About College Admissions
I really thought I was done talking about the US college admissions process. I never hated doing it, but I …
An Empty Set is the Saddest Thing
The set for my last high school theater production was the grandest we’d ever had. Through the years, I’d seen …
A Game Nobody Wins
This Thursday morning, the entire high school assembled in the gym for the end-of-year award ceremony. I admit to always …
For Collegeboard
*This was written in the last 20 minutes of my AP Microeconomics exam, in the blank pages for the free …
The Gentlest Parting
It feels like I should be talking to him right now. It feels like I should be talking to him …
Exiting the Beinecke
For nothing was simply one thing. The other Lighthouse was true too. —Virginia Woolf I had grown used to …
On Passing Jing An Si
I’m dozing off in the Shanghai subway. We’re on a school trip. I’m fatigued from the flight and trying to …
[S(e)oul City] 3. Wordsmiths & The Pocket
A single microphone in a dimmed room, a quiet buzz in the air. Not much of a spotlight. I step …
On Choral Music
Upon returning from a 5-day trip to Beijing for a choir festival, I sat in the familiarity of my bedroom, …
Please Don’t Forget Me: a Cry for Permanence
Our histories are those of people that have come and gone. Reflecting upon the past is bound to bring up …
The Golden Rule of Genuine How-Do-You-Do’s
“How’s it going?” “What’s up?” “How are you these days?” There’s a million ways to say it, whether you’re chatting …
