🧗🏻‍♀️Climbing

I started indoor climbing about a year ago. I’m still a beginner, but I love the problem-solving on each route and how it blends focus and strength. Lately I’ve been working on grip and hanging endurance. I usually climb V2 boulders comfortably, find V3 challenging, and try one new route each week. Some of the tougher routes even sneak into my dreams!

🏛️U.S. Politics & Society

I follow U.S. politics as a hobby and as context for my research. My favorites are What the Health and Resources Radio. Living in the U.S. has made it engaging to observe how policies and public discourse shape the society here. It’s fascinating to see how debates and decisions unfold, especially as someone experiencing it from both an insider and outsider perspective. Recently, I enjoyed reading American Nations by Colin Woodard for its exploration of how regional histories and cultural divides continue to influence contemporary U.S.

🗺️Three cities/towns a year

Each place I visit has its own pace, shaped by the people, climate (heat and humidity!), and history. I try to visit at least three new cities/towns each year, gravitating to public spaces, local food, and small stories found on walking tours. Portland, ME’s working waterfront and compact sale was my favorite. (Fun fact: Oregon’s Portland took its name by a coin toss, way later than Maine’s Portland.) Albuquerque, NM where AERE 2025 happened surprised me with its high-desert plants, very different vibe from a southern state I’m familiar with. Morgantown, WV is the outlier here. I lived there in 2007–08, not just visited. I still miss its pace and the fall palette of Coopers Rock. For Europe, my favorite city is Barcelona, Spain: Priorat and Estrella Damm are hard to beat.

… and my steady favorite is NYC, whose energy always pulls me in; Seoul will always be my home, no matter how far I am from.