AnthroManTalks

I finally did it. Every single essay, supplemental, activity description. Submitted. Done. I don’t think I realized how much room college apps were taking up in my head until I hit that final submit button. For months, it’s been drafts and redrafts, late night edits, rereading the same 634 words until they didn’t even sound like English anymore. My Notes app is full of random ideas I wrote at the most random times of day because I thought they might turn into something meanin

We kicked off the new year with the January Tap Trip at Fa Yun Chan Temple, and it felt great to get back into the groove. This trip was pretty similar to what we’ve done before. Lots of digging, moving dirt, and just getting our hands dirty to improve the temple space. I think that there’s something satisfying about seeing an area slowly take shape after months of work. Everyone jumped in, passing buckets, shoveling, and helping each other out. Teamwork really makes the diff

The fourth and final section of The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down really stayed with me after I finished the book. It was so meaningful, because by this point you understand everyone involved so much better. You’re not just reading about a medical case anymore. You’re reading about real people who were trying their best, even when things kept going wrong. What I liked most about this section is how honest it is. There’s no clean ending where everything magically works

Over winter break, I was fortunate to get to spend Christmas in New York, which was honestly such a fun way to end the year. The city felt alive everywhere we went, even with the freezing cold weather. No snow, unfortunately, but still very much coat weather. One of my favorite parts was doing a food tour through Chinatown and Little Italy. We tried so many local spots and little cafes that I definitely wouldn’t have found on my own. I'm a big believer that everything tastes