Taiwan, I miss you
It has been five years since I boarded the plane to move back to the U.S. from Taiwan. As wistful as I was when I saw the green land vanish before my eyes, I thought I would get the opportunity to visit Taiwan a year or two after I left. But I was wrong. Each summer that followed presented a new obstacle preventing me from going back to Taiwan. I’m content with my life in the U.S., but that doesn’t mean my strong feelings of nostalgia for Taiwan have gone away. Whenever I look at old photos of me in Taiwan or flip through travel and dining books about Taiwan, a sudden surge of longing rises inside of me.
What P/NR taught me
Besides encouraging me to adopt a healthier mindset when it comes to academics, P/NR has taught me to embrace a lifestyle that has a balance of work and fun.
Eating tofu pudding again
I feel like I am back in my ten-year-old self once again, content with the joys in life as simple as tofu pudding.
The words that stuck with me
If I couldn’t even be kind and compassionate to myself, then how could I love anyone unconditionally?
Dear friend,
I know your insecurities, secrets, and aspirations, but can I really know you well despite having no day-to-day interactions with you?
The Growth Mindset
My fixed mindset was holding me back, not moving me forward.
A Song’s Lasting Impressions
It’s only the beginning of the music video, yet intuition tells me that this song will make me cry.
The Power of the Brush
Calligraphy felt like some form of meditation
The Necessity of Journaling
Small problems get brushed to the side and then build up over time, random ideas get forgotten, and things don’t get documented.
Wandering Around Tianmu Aimlessly
Why was I so emotional about a place I’d only lived in for two years?
Dear Housemate, Rewritten
This was the first time I truly cried for someone.
Love for the Charles River
For some reason, the Charles River holds a special place in my heart.
Visiting the Other Cambridge
I found it amusing that both are famous college towns that share the same name while having significant differences in various aspects.
GTL Italy Taught Me about Finding a Shared Humanity
The truth is that GTL Italy was one of the loneliest times in my life, but also one of the most meaningful experiences I had.
Bursting the MIT Bubble
It’s one thing to get to places without relying on Google Maps, but it’s another thing to know the people and stories that make up a place.
Dear Mom
I will share the epistolary thoughts I had in my mind this past month, thoughts that feel like an imaginary conversation with you, except you are silent.
Career Dilemma
What the executive leader at my internship said made me think a lot about how many people pursue jobs for money instead of personal fulfillment.
Revisiting il dolce far niente at Tanglewood
Besides the rich music I got to hear, what made Tanglewood special was that the concert going experience made me embrace il dolce far niente — the art of doing nothing.
MIT’s Excellent Sheep
My thoughts about MIT are more complicated now – grateful for the amazing people and research-driven environment, but also slightly disappointed and jaded about this place.
Regaining confidence, one step at a time
No one else can help me become more confident except myself.
On graduating and leaving French House
The idea of graduation didn’t feel real until my friend and I submitted our final project for a class the night before the last day of classes.