I open my phone after 20 minutes of “doing homework.” Instinctively, my finger follows the pattern that has been built into it. Swipe right, top left corner, one row down. Except this time, Instagram...

Growing up with an Asian mom and white dad meant that my mom’s colorful Southeast Asian traditions were forced to mix with my dad’s bland, stereotypical “mainstream American” traditions, painting...

Dentists love to describe wisdom teeth removal as a “routine procedure,” which is interesting because nothing about the eight days that followed felt routine, manageable or even remotely casual. What...

The aroma of breakfast burritos wafts through the air as I watch my friends eat, igniting the ever-familiar battle in my stomach.  “Oh, I ate before this,” I say to a concerned parent with a smile...

I hate being on my phone; I am always on my phone. This paradox traps me in a never-ending cycle of screen time, stress and regret.  Growing up in this new age of online interconnectedness, having...

I used to love telling people what I wanted to be when I grew up, though I grew to hate that question. In reality, I just wanted to be a child, live in the present and not worry about the future. Being...

The sun bleeds through the leaves of a pine tree, draping over the forlorn grass on which my small feet trod. The rhythm of my sneakers plays percussion to the cacophonous symphony of birds flying above...

As I lean back into my chair and extend an arm over a concerningly tall pile of books to reach for yet another textbook, my hand accidentally brushes against a scrapbook. The cover, decorated with flower...

The past seems unreal — even if I’ve lived it.  I remember seeing the world from my dad’s shoulders, when he would bear my weight, carry me when I was tired. I would look up at him with “puppy...

When I say the word “gelt,” people do one of two things: give me a weird look, or assume I’m talking about those beloved chocolate coins. But to me, the word has a different meaning: change. The...

Every year, starting around mid-December, the talk of New Year’s resolutions begin. People give themselves a few weeks to intoxicate, eat poorly, be a slob and do whatever they please before attempting...

If you have ever walked through the halls of the school wondering how almost everyone else somehow arrived with a perfectly packaged friend group, trust me, you are not imagining it. It really does look...