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Change is Hard
Charles Darwin’s “Survival of the Fittest,” exemplifies how living organisms that were capable of biologically evolving and adapting to a changed environment, increased the survival odds of their species. And no other species on Planet Earth has changed their environment more drastically or rapidly like Homo Sapiens. It is no wonder we as humans have such difficulties in life. In such a short span, just one human life, we are confronted with multiple decisions; like navigating a mine field with traps in every corner. When you consider it, adolescence has more milestones than a highway. It’s these constant changes that challenge us every step of the way. In life, things…
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The Remains of My Home
Imagine a lone sailor out on the Pacific Ocean, with North America on one side and the Asian continent on the other. This sailor is stuck between two ‘islands’, two worlds that are not quite home. I am this traveler who glances in the water to see my reflection. Only then do I see the lines and scars that are proof of my history. Our bodies become the place where our past leaves its mark. As a Chinese adoptee, the history of my birth culture is embedded in the strands of my DNA and left on the tastebuds that make me crave Chinese cuisine. My parents and their Euro-American history…
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Into the Mist
If I was to simplify adolescence into a phrase, I would say it was, “constantly arriving at a crossroad.” Where time and time again, we must weigh the options of our life choices. Whether to study in college, what degree, what kind of job, what sort of lifestyle, who do we want to be? These questions are like mantras keeping us in an endless loop of doubt. We can suffocate in fear of doing wrong; which leads to inaction. Some people follow after what their parents have done either from obligation or convenience. Some have only one concern, of whether there will be food on the table. These life choices,…
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Authentically Ourselves (Pt. 2)
I know it’s easier said than done. But for me accepting myself (which I still work on), comes down to this: If I let others decide who and what I should be, who benefits? When I answer, truth be told, it’s no one. No one at the end of the day is going to benefit from me trying to be something I’m not. At least, I will not reap the reward or become better because of it. Even if society wants people to feel inadequate, they do not benefit from having someone actually change; they only gain something from our unquenchable thirst of wanting to change and selling the idea…
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Admiring Authenticity (Pt. 1)
The celebrities I often admire are ones who admit their own struggles and share their pain for the public eye to see; a kind of vulnerability that takes gumption. I want to be that brave and honest as those individuals. I’m not suggesting that everyone has to pour their deepest or darkest secrets out. I know that cannot be easy, especially as a famous person. The media and the culture of tabloid scandals are overwhelmingly intrusive. What I do want to highlight is that people should feel encouraged to act authentically and speak about things that they do feel comfortable sharing; offering their viewpoint as close to what feels truest…
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Walking Away
Ever had a terrible boss or bully that you wish you had the guts to give them a piece of your mind? The kind of taking the last word to an all time show stopping sentence that is witty, bad ass, poignant, drop-the-mic, peace out energy. This sort of momentous jaw-dropping scene is something I would wholeheartedly want to see, but realistically, I doubt I’ll ever experience. I absolutely praise other people who do get their wonderful poetic justice, but I’ve actually never had a moment where I wanted or needed to do that. I’ve had some wonderful bosses (so far) and I’ve had what I would call “unofficial bullies”.…
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Write for the Rubbish
If you are a person who writes often, whether as an author, journalist, musician, or even a student, you may well know this phrase: “Write for the trashcan.” This phrase is intended to help people learn that we can’t write perfect published works on the first go, but that it takes numerous drafts, edits, and revisions. If you think about it, our daily life is one draft after another. It’s about attempting to do what is right, saying what you really need, and trying to reach to some ideal, yet always waking up to another draft to try it all again. I probably spend too much time wanting to achieve…
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All Journeys End
Alone in the apartment I stare out the window. The lion head fountain across the street reminds me of the solitary walk I did to the Trevi Fountain only a couple nights before. I’m sitting on a railing in the center so that I have a wide angle view of the fountain. The anticipated lights are out shimmering a tinted blue. I try to focus on the artwork before me as I stare at the sculpture of the chiseled muscles of Poseidon and his loyal dolphins, but my view is obstructed frequently by couples trying to take photos of themselves. After giving up on any reflective pondering, I reach in…
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I’ve Grown Accustomed to Rome
I didn’t expect that with such little time that I would make such an attachment to a place. I can’t say I’m in love with Rome yet, but I feel at home here. Every morning I’m greeted by shop owners and restaurant servers. In Rome I genuinely feel cared for. Even as I sit here scribbling thoughts on a paper place setting with a pen I borrowed, I feel comfortable among strangers. Sitting here for over an hour at a Café that I always go to, or going back to the same sandwich shops, has built intimacy. I understand now that food is enriched by the experience I have. I still…
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Rome’s Worth Every Penny
For tourists, Rome appears to be a dangerous pickpocketing place, with narrow streets that cars are constantly creeping up behind in your peripheral view, and it’s fighting to get a good spot at the Colosseum for a photo. Like other tourists who have come before me, I was worried about my things being pickpocketed or that I’d lose my passport. However, I didn’t realize that after a week of being here that I was in more danger of Rome taking my money with my full permission. From paying to see local art museums, buying a new leather purse, to the daily meals I can’t eat enough of—I have emptied my…