What makes you feel alive when you are doing it and why? (300 words)
What makes you feel alive when you are doing it and why?
What makes me feel live when I’m doing it is immersive, off-the-grid travel. Immersing in other cultures gives me a sensation of freedom and learning that I crave.
I first discovered this passion at age 15, when I flew to Guatemala with my grandmother. The moment I stepped off the plane at La Aurora International Airport, I was in another world: The sound of Spanish and the smell of “Rellenitos” (plantain patties stuffed with sweet beans) gave me a thrill I’d never experienced before. Over the next two weeks, we ventured from cities to villages to rainforests; this new world made me feel alive, and I’ve been seeking new, unfamiliar worlds ever since.
Three years later, I was immersed in a new world – a solo motor scooter trip across Cambodia – when I fell and sprained my leg – I needed help fast. The nearest habitation was a fishing town, where foreigners were rarely seen. A Hmong fisherman named Choj came to my aid: he spoke no English, but he saw my injury. He took me to his home, bandaged my sprain, and urged me to stay the night. For the next two days, as my sprain healed, I dined on kab yaub (egg rolls), drank Angkor Beer, and laughed with Choj and his family.
In 20xx, my search for the unfamiliar brought me to an orphanage in Haiti, where I volunteered as a farmhand. ‘Immersion’ took a life-or-death turn when a scorching brush fire broke out, threatening the orphanage. For 36 hours, alongside over a hundred Haitian volunteers, we fought the fire, backburning fields, clearing brush and carrying babies out of homes. Happily, most of the buildings – and all the orphans – were safe. At Haas and beyond, I’m eager to immerse in more new worlds: my short list includes Sri Lanka, Brazil, and Mongolia.