My last "first day of school" pic outside Murphy Hall—basically my second home thanks to all my Hubbard classes!

I’ve always believed that the best way to get to know someone is through the things they obsess over. For me, that is a mix of cooking, books, reality TV, and anime. A bit chaotic, but that's just how I like it. 

Cooking is a relatively new love, but a passionate one. Every week, I challenge myself to try a new recipe, often inspired by a late-night TikTok scroll or one of the thousands of Pinterest links my mom sends me. I rarely stick to the script because recipes are just guidelines, right? More garlic is always a given. While my plating skills could use some improvement, the flavors usually make up for it. Cooking has become my creative outlet, a way to experiment, unwind, and occasionally impress my friends when they least expect it.

These are two examples of me cooking for others, which is my favorite aspect of cheffing it up. Steak fajitas for my family, and bruschetta for an appetizer potluck with friends.

Books, on the other hand, have been a lifelong obsession. I have always been the kind of person who gets lost in a story and forgets the world around them. I have always wanted to read the classics, but for the longest time, I found them intimidating. The language felt dense, and I worried I would spend more time deciphering sentences than actually enjoying the story. But once I adjusted, I was surprised to find myself getting swept up just the same. Now, I only have to look up a vocabulary word every once in a while. This year, I am challenging myself to read all of Jane Austen’s novels and eventually tackle Anna Karenina. There is something about classics that intrigues me because of the way they capture human nature in a way that still feels relevant today.

I re-discovered Survivor during the 2020 lockdown, years after first watching it at my neighbor’s house as a kid. It became my rock during an isolating and uncertain time. As someone who thrives on competition and suddenly lost my social outlet, I felt connected to the game in a way I never had before. The strategy, the blindsides, the social maneuvering, it was everything I loved wrapped into one. What started as a nostalgic rewatch quickly turned into a full-blown obsession, and now, I have seen nearly every season.

Here’s an edit I made for class of me on my favorite Survivor challenge, “Get a Grip.” While sitting on top is technically not allowed, if I had to do this challenge I’d be koala-bearing it all the way.

And then there is anime, a passion I share with my sister. For years, it felt like our little secret world, something just the two of us understood. Now, I love seeing how media, whether it is anime or reality TV, brings people together. It is incredible how a shared passion for a story, a character, or even a well-executed plot twist can create entire communities. That is the magic of storytelling. It connects people, sparks conversations, and makes the world feel just a little bit smaller. At the end of the day, I think that is what I love most. Finding connection in the things that make us passionate, no matter how niche or unexpected they might be.