Leaving the MIT whirlwind
My first two years of college, I found myself getting caught up in a flurry of so many obligations and classes that I couldn’t even remember how many organizations I was a part of.
On whale tails and Brexit
We were a group of young, forward-thinking individuals who celebrated diversity and learning, discussed enlightening topics over lunch, and had weekly lab meetings to hear presentations on the group’s research.
I can see Russia from my lab
I spent my summer at the National Nuclear Research University MEPhI in the southern outskirts of Moscow, Russia. The Kremlin was just barely visible across Kolomenskoe Park on a clear day.
The illusion of experience
At this second barbecue, something that the host’s mother said stuck with me for the entirety of our trip. “My sister moved to Florida because it’s really dangerous here,” she had explained to us.
Biofuels and karaoke
Working and living in Brazil was an experience like none other. I learned so much about chemical engineering, biofuels, Brazil, and myself.
Virtual reality zombies in Berlin
The highlight of my summer was using the mobile EEG, which allowed me to take a glimpse into other people’s brains while they moved and interacted with space.
Looking back and moving forward
The room lacked character. A single barred window, which overlooked the students’ courtyard, was the only thing interrupting the bare dominion of bleach white walls.
Dinner in a Japanese household
I only got to see Shoko and Kazuo twice while I was living in Yokohama, Japan, since I spent most of my weekends exploring other parts of the country. Still, those were two of the most memorable days of my summer.
Pokémon and robots
After over a month of working at Yoshimoto Robotics in the heart of the great metropolis of Tokyo, my life had become a routine. Everything changed when Pokémon Go took Japan by storm.
Making change in Paris
The morning after Bastille Day, the French national holiday, found me walking down the Rue Rambuteau in Paris. I was on the way to a boulangerie that boasted of having the best baguette in the city.