Grand Canyon Rim2Rim: A Test of Fortitude
My eyes traced the trail ahead of me until it was reduced to the size of a thread as my dad and I approached the South Rim trailhead. We woke up early, ambitious and ready to embark on our hike. Both of us knew the challenge that lay ahead, but we were excited to take it on and we needed to take a break from our daily routines in order to immerse ourselves in nature, away from the influence of the...
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The Tales of a Commuter
I had come to Chicago from Atlanta for a summer internship for high school students at Loyola University. Yet, I had not once ventured out of the four walls of my dorm to experience the bustling city life. My professor was amazed at this and cooked up a plan. He invited me for breakfast and instead of dropping me at dorm he dropped me at CTA with a specific instruction: “Don’t be a nerd, Vishnu....
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Angel Island’s Mysteries
Angel Island was lush, green and beautiful. A typical vacation spot, obscured by forests which resembled the Amazon Jungle. The Golden Gate Bridge overlooked the tiny speck of paradise. However, it had a complicated history. Along with being a modern fairytale island, Angel Island was the immigration point for Asian immigrants. An “Ellis Island of the West.” But unlike Ellis Island, which allowed...
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As White as Snow
I couldn’t believe my eyes. Pure white sand, going on for miles and miles. As we drove down the winding road, my family and I admired the mounds of sand. We watched the sun’s rays reflect off the shining sand, amazed at how white the color was, just like snow. We were driving into White Sands National Monument, a beautiful gift of nature that had been formed over the course of millions of years....
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My Mom and I
This is a picture of my mother and I, standing atop the famed botanical garden in Eze, France. It was the summer after my sophomore year, and my mom and I were travelling through southwest Europe after leaving Skopje, Macedonia. My mom firmly believes in the value of travelling and learning from different cultures, and this is what brought us to the small rocky village of Eze that summer. You might...
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Welcome to the Rock
“We drove 2,400 miles, 35 painstaking hours in the car to see a jail, much less one that’s abandoned?” I rest my arms on the boat railing and glanced over at my exhausted family. After a long journey from Michigan to California, a boat ride to an island is the last thing any of us wanted. My dad seems thrilled, making me wonder why adults are so fascinated with touring boring, dilapidated...
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Her name was Xochitl
Christmas had arrived. Through the colored picturesque streets of San Miguel de Allende I walked, taking in the smell of warm churros and the fruity scent of ponche. Christmas lights hung above the streets attached to the tops of buildings, ribbons decorated doorways, and a recreation of the birth of Jesus was homed in the heart of the town, la Plaza Principal. I was in a city where a big divide existed...
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The Discovery of a New Language in Haiti
As the sweat dripped from my forehead I couldn’t help but wonder - was it from the intense heat, or was it from the butterflies currently inhabiting my stomach? I had just landed in Cap Haitian, Haiti, for my first ever mission trip. Traveling 1,742 miles from home was a daunting task. Add in the fact that I was in a group in which I knew no one, in a place extremely unfamiliar, and in a country...
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Finding Home
After an eighteen-hour flight from Los Angeles, I finally arrived in New Delhi. It had been five years since I last visited and I don’t remember much from my past experiences, but I do remember my unwillingness to go every summer. I distinctly recall the humid and sticky weather you feel as you step out of the airport and into the chaotic streets. With these few experiences in mind, I dreaded my...
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Making Memories in the Mediterranean
My family and I eagerly dipped our toes into the golden sand of Costa Brava and admired the crystal clear Mediterranean Sea after over an hour of scenic driving through the suburbs in Spain. The crisp air and mesmerizing blue waters ensured a promising day of kayaking through the rocky alcoves only a few miles from the beach. Enthusiastic to begin our adventure, my sister and I hopped into our designated...
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Vancouver! On a Budget!
"Little one! Little one! Would you like a fresh baked cookie Little one?" My 4 foot 6, 11-year-old sister (who HATES being called short) whipped her head around in anger only to see a friendly, elderly German woman in the baking section of the grocery store holding out the world's most ginormous chocolate chip cookie. As her expression morphed from rage to joy, it was clear that she realized what I...
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Bitter Teas, Sweet Views
In June, the Tea Club from my school took a week-long trip to Japan. Japan has an incredibly rich culture revolving around the growth, presence, and consumption of tea, so we thought it would be an amazing experience for a club that focuses on the same principles. The flight from Southern California to Tokyo was not as painstakingly terrible as I had heard from relatives who had previously ventured...
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