Uncharted Territory

In my dream, I am a mermaid, kicking my tail through the water. But now, I stand on the edge of the pool, my reflection staring back up at me. Overcome with steely determination and burning curiosity, I want to discover if swimming without a mermaid tail will feel the same as in my dream. I take a leap of faith, literally, plunging my 3 foot frame into the water.

Whether diving into the deep end or pushing my boundaries on the frontier, exploring uncharted territory is essential to my identity.

I now find myself face-to-face with a fried octopus. But he does not intimidate me. It is six years later, and I am trying Greek food for the first time. I immediately fall in love with the fusion of flavors, evoking memories of my own multicultural background. In our kitchen, my mom, sister, and I often experiment with “fusion foods” from various cultures: quesadillas with feta cheese, gnocchi with sticky rice, turmeric chicken wings. On birthdays, it’s a tradition to have the best of both worlds — a bowl of longevity noodles with a slice of birthday cake. Even on family road trips whether to Yellowstone or Zion National Park, Las Vegas or Phoenix, we always venture into THE MAD GREEK CAFE: my eclectic home away from home. Taking the plunge allows me to have the best of multiple worlds.

In Art History, I visit the worlds of various cultures without a passport, but within this expanse I have to guide my close friend through uncharted territory: her severe depression. Missing over 60 percent of school, she almost did not pass sophomore year. Sending daily check-ins, encouraging messages, and lecture notes for our favorite class quickly becomes a ritual. The day before our AP Art History exam, I Skype call her and we stay up all night delving into the past. With my help, she passes not only the test but also another challenging school year. I’m more than willing to go the extra mile to uplift those who fall into the depths of human experience.

That extra mile is displayed in my scrappiness on the length of the volleyball court. Despite my 5 foot 3 frame, I am the starting libero for my high school and club volleyball teams, defending the back row like no tomorrow. Once in practice, I even split open my chin diving for a ball yet refused to sit on the sideline. After gluing my chin back together, I managed to play in our game the next day. I’m always where I need to be.

My ambition to explore uncharted territory allows me to take a walk on the wild side. I’m in Florida for the first time, and after playing four consecutive days in the Orlando AAU National Championships, I want to find manatees, my favorite animals. In freshman biology class, I wrote a report on these lovable but endangered species rarely found elsewhere in the world. Although my efforts are in vain at first, my persistence pays off. As I stand on the edge of the Banana River, my reflection staring back up at me, a manatee mother with her baby join me. Although not in the happiest place on earth, I have stumbled upon a secret and am reminded that we are not alone in this expanse; other creatures on this planet need our help. So though one adventure is complete, there will be more to come.

My first attempt to swim ended with my dad saving me from the deep end. Today, I stand on the edge ready to dive into the unknown. But I am more prepared this time. Driven, experimental, and dauntless in my pursuits, I am a nature-lover and emerging scientist who relishes venturing outside of my comfort zone. Through trial and error, I search for unmapped answers and await endless possibilities.