Every summer, I find myself back in London. After five years of returning, I know the familiar rhythm almost by heart. The Underground announcements, the busy streets of Covent Garden, the smell of pastries drifting from cafés in the morning, and the comfort of picking up a meal deal from Boots after a long day of exploring. It’s funny how a city with millions of people can begin to feel familiar, almost like a second home. When people think of London, they often picture the

If you’d asked me at the beginning of the school year, “What will National History Day mean to you?” I might have answered something along the lines of: another month (okay, maybe longer) of history reading, another history paper to write, another display to create, and another project to present. And I would have been completely, tragically mistaken. My involvement with National History Day became one of the most significant educational experiences of eighth grade. It challe

Over the Chinese New Year break, my family and I traveled to Jordan, visiting three places that could not have been more different from my everyday life: Wadi Rum, Petra and the Dead Sea. What started as a family trip quickly became one of the most meaningful experiences I’ve ever had, not just because of how beautiful it was, but because of what it made me realize about nature and history. Our first stop was Wadi Rum. To us, the desert felt endless. Massive sandstone mounta