In December, after finishing finals, I had the opportunity to travel to Asia. Technically, I was completing my last final on the plane. We had a brief layover in Seoul, which gave us a few hours to explore the city and visit Gyeongbokgung Palace. From there, we flew to Singapore, which exceeded my expectations. My only real reference point had been Crazy Rich Asians, so seeing the city in person felt surreal. We went to the top of Marina Bay Sands and took in the skyline from the rooftop infinity pool. The next day, we traveled to Batam, Indonesia, where we spent the day at a resort and I had the chance to jet ski.

After that, we flew to Cambodia. I had heard about an ongoing conflict between Cambodia and Thailand and was curious to see how it was affecting daily life. We began in Siem Reap, where I visited Angkor Wat and several other temples. We stopped at Phnom Kulen National Park, where I was able to swim beneath a waterfall. Later, we visited the Kampong Phluk floating village and watched the sunset over Tonlé Sap Lake. Since we were flying out of Phnom Penh, we took a six hour bus ride across the country. When we arrived, the city was preparing for a peace protest opposing the conflict with Thailand. I joined the march, and it was a learning experience. Many Cambodians approached me to thank me for participating and explain the issue at hand.

Our final stop was Hong Kong. I ate constantly and was surprised by how many bakeries lined each street. It felt like there were at least two on every block. We visited the Big Buddha and explored the park built where Kowloon Walled City once stood. Navigating the city was a learning experience, especially coming from Los Angeles, where public transportation is limited. Overall, the trip was incredible and far more affordable than I expected. The money I earned working at summer camp was enough to cover the entire experience.

Posted on 01/27/2026

Last November, I had the unique opportunity to run a marathon in Florence, Italy. The idea came from a friend from the United Kingdom whom I worked with at summer camp. He managed to convince eight people to join him, most of whom were from the UK and had worked with us. Aside from me, there was only one other person from the United States who committed to the journey.

I began training in September, reaching longer distances and faster speeds than I ever had before. However, that momentum was disrupted by a demanding semester. I paused my training for five weeks to focus on school and my internship. By mid-November, I knew I had to lock in. So I did.

I flew to Florence on Thanksgiving Day on a cheap flight and became the second person to arrive at our Airbnb. Reuniting with my international friends was incredible. The next day, we explored the city and ate as much as possible, loading up on carbs of every kind: pastries, pizza, and pasta. Florence is not a bad place to indulge.

On race day, we woke up at 6 a.m., ate a small breakfast, and headed out. As we got closer to the starting line, the streets filled with runners. After waiting in a long bathroom line, I walked out just as officials began closing the fence to the marathon. I sprinted and made it in at the last possible moment.

We started running immediately. The pace was slow at first due to everyone be clumped together, but the energy was high and music blasted through the streets. I felt great at three miles. By seven miles, the pain set in. At eleven miles, my entire body ached. I stopped at mile thirteen.

I sat for fifteen minutes, questioning everything. Had I really traveled across the world just to fail? What would I say if I didn’t finish? Then I did what felt impossible. I stood up and kept going. I pushed past my limits and finished the race.

Posted on 01/22/2026

Posted on 01/22/2026