December 28, 2019 Amidst the Rubble “Gen!” I spun around at the sound of Thomas’ voice, immediately crushed by his arms around me. It felt nice to relax in his arms. He held me close, leaning into my ear. “I thought you were in there.”
November 16, 2019 Cleaning House “Ready?” I nodded over to Thomas, who held his wand tightly in his hand. His dark eyes shifted to the rattling door. I gulped. “On three.” “One,” we both paused, hearing more intense rattling, “two…three.” SLAM! One flick of our wrists and the lock turned. The door burst open, slamming open against the wall. Pages upon pages flew out of the attic, causing both of us to hold our hands up. Books toppled to the hallway floor from the stairs, reaching our toes and growing into a large pile.
November 2, 2019 In Seconds The slam of my locker was a blessing. It was finally the end of the school day and I could gladly spend my free time tonight with my best friend, Anna.
October 19, 2019 Breaking Curfew Later, we all retreated to the dormitory. After spending just a few days there, the hallway of beds had become somewhere of a new home to us. I had left clothes all over the floor, like Mom hated for me to do. The twins had manifested posters of their favorites bands and plastered them to the walls, much to their parents’ dismay, whom had left on another operation right after dinner. Thomas, beside me, had changed the white coloring of the old bed sheets to an evergreen, while his sister opted for a light purple color. This was all fine and dandy, as Grandma had told us, as long as we reversed them before we returned home.
August 17, 2019 Stumbling Sophomores “Come on, I know you don’t want to, but he really wants to meet you,” Angela pleaded as we walked out of the double doors into the fading afternoon sun. Not a cloud was in the sky, but all my books were in my book bag piled high. It would be, as usual, another long day at the library for us.
June 15, 2019 Another Mortal Monday Directly to my right, an alarm clock buzzed and vibrated the night stand. I opened my eyes, but moved slowly as I waved a hand over the machine, turning it off without even putting a finger on it. The horrid noise stopped and I pulled my pillow over my face. Another glorious school day. At least it was nearly summer vacation.
March 10, 2019 The Tragedy at Kingston Manor If it wasn’t for the full moon overhead, all of Boyston Lane would have been pitch black. A dim light lit some of the walkway, just enough so that anyone could see how dead quiet the neighborhood was, not that it was bustling normally. Boyston Lane was one of the safest parts of Oak Park, thus no one batted an eye. August 14th was just any other ordinary evening for the residents.
March 6, 2019 Taking on Taiwan: To All I Leave Behind Well, we’ve made it to the end of the blog series! As you read this, I will be home in Chicago, being greeted by my family at Chicago O’Hare International Airport. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t excited to head home, begin anew, and start the next chapter of my life. But I’d also be lying if I told you that I wasn’t upset about leaving behind Taiwan, a place I call home.
December 30, 2018 New Year, Same Me 2018 flew by in the blink of an eye. It honestly feels like I woke up and it was January, blinked a couple of times, and here we are in December, right before New Years’ Eve. I’m so grateful for all that has happened in the last year. I started a fitness routine and kept up with it, I wrote three books and published two of them before the end of the year, I visited home and saw most of my family and friends, decided to move home, and now, as you are reading this, I will be preparing for my NYE celebration in Hsinchu with two of my best friends.
December 23, 2018 What Happens After Your Last Game I remember the first time I stepped foot on the ice in hockey skates. At nine years old, I had donned figure skates for six years leading up to that, but nothing could prepare me for the dozens of bruises and bumps I had all over my body as I got used to life without toe picks. But yet, despite every fall and a few stifled laughs from my teammates that summer, I kept on trying. Thirteen years later, I would step on the ice for the last time, wearing my collegiate uniform and equipment way larger than the first set of pads I wore way back when.
