Adventurer

Taking down Steelheart with David. Fighting the Minotaur with Percy. Casting ‘Expecto Patronum’ on dementors with Harry. Books have always been my portal to another world. Embarking on adventures with my fictional friends was the adrenaline I could not find anywhere else. My earliest memories are of me belly down on my ottoman reading Harry Potter with the rest of the series stacked on my left. In a sense, I was a book junkie, addicted to the thrill of adventure.

My first non-literary adventure involved barreling down a slope at a monstrous speed with nothing but two pieces of metal attached to my feet for support. Sure, I ended two feet deep in the snow upside down (no head injuries thanks to my helmet), but I loved the rush of the air nipping my face, heart pounding, and the sense that anything was possible. Last summer, I tried waterfall rappelling in Belize, basically scaling a waterfall. Clad in waterproof hiking gear, my socks were still drenched (a miserable feeling), I had a runny nose, and zero trust in the rock that was supporting my weight. Somehow, the rock held and I managed to reach the bottom after seriously questioning my life decisions. Ultimately, adventures like these forced me to get out of my comfort zone and live life to the fullest.

I believe every explorer must have an open mind, as what lies ahead is usually unknown. My freshman year, I bravely decided to try yoga. I played tennis competitively for multiple hours a day, and had heard that yoga would be a good way to prevent injuries. I remember walking into my first class and being the only teenage boy in a room full of middle aged women. Four years later, I still practice yoga with those women and I haven’t had an injury yet (knock on wood). I’ve even become more open minded about food, especially Chinese food. Even though I am an avid meat eater, the thought of eating duck was unsettling. However, when Szechuan Spice, an Asian restaurant that advertised its Peking duck, opened up nearby, I had to try it out. Let’s just say duck is now on my list of favorite delicacies. You see, only those who are accepting of different cultures can experience adventures to the fullest.

Lastly, an adventurer must be willing to go on different types of adventures, not just the adrenaline pumping ones. I myself am always on a quest for knowledge. Recently, I became hooked on chess and found myself playing for hours a day. There came a point, however, when I hit a wall and stopped progressing. This motivated me to watch videos on chess strategy, solve chess puzzles in books, and even buy a chess themed board game to strengthen my critical thinking skills. Similarly, I have begun a journey to discover what career I want to pursue. Over the summer, I took courses through edX including Harvard’s cs50 and multiple data science courses. The final project for the computer science course was to program a stock simulating website. This experience sparked an interest in both business and computer science. You see, not all adventures make your heart pound, but they can be just as rewarding.

Whether reading some J.K. Rowling, climbing Mount Rushmore, or learning to program, I’m always eager to venture into the unknown. After all, who knows what I’ll find.