Welcome

Growing up, I increasingly felt a strong desire to go somewhere exciting and do something important with my life. Without a strong sense of what that would look like, I often only had inklings of what that would not look like. But I let that desire inform my decisions, traveling across Italy with my mom in lieu of attending my high school graduation and signing up for How to Change the World as my first elective in undergrad. Even as I write and try to process why I feel compelled to do so, I am sitting in South Africa guided by that same desire.

I'm sure there are plenty of people who would look at that college version of me or even my current self and think How Incredibly Pretentious or How Incredibly Privileged. And both of those sentiments hold some water. I not only have the financial means to travel, but my parents took every opportunity to expand my horizons, a mantra that used to drive me crazy. I am grateful.

Although I'm driven by a similar desire, my sense of travel and home have changed over the years, each one informing the other. While reading old journal entries makes me cringe, I do want to chronicle my experiences and reflect on how they are refining my sense of exciting and important. I want to continue laughing at my naivete while also honoring the version of myself that takes risks and continues to grow. Welcome to my adventures of wanderlust and home.

Photography by Kevin Yuan.