Kindness is a superpower — I get home from school and run upstairs to my bedroom. I don’t want to face my mom after what happened at school today. When dinner is ready, however, there’s nowhere to hide, and I walk downstairs with a giant bruise on my arm. “What happened darlin’?” my mom asks. …

I wish I could say it to my grandfather one last time — I walked into my grandfather’s home, not knowing what to expect. He normally sat in the living room with a freshly brewed cup of coffee. However, on that fateful day, my grandfather was nowhere to be seen. “Come over here,” said my mom. “Grandad is lying in bed and his…

It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made — “Taking a bus from New York to Miami is a terrible idea.” My friend begged me not to take a bus across America. He said it was dangerous and told horror stories about people getting robbed, stabbed, and stranded in the middle of nowhere. “Just take the plane instead,” he…

Everything you’ve heard about us is wrong — A lot of people don’t like digital nomads. They’re tired of seeing posts on social media about people sipping cocktails on tropical beaches with the caption #BestLifeEver. But that’s not me. I’m not traveling to a new country every week on a never-ending vacation. Nor am I relaxing by the…

I used to be terrified of dying. But in doing so, I never truly lived. — I burst into the first-floor bathroom of a towering skyscraper. My breaths come in short gasps, and my palms are slick with sweat. I don’t want to admit to my friend, James, that I’m scared of heights. But when he knocks on the door, there’s nowhere to hide, and I…

It’s one of the most liveable cities in the world — My flight lands in Melbourne during the early hours of the morning. Feeling grateful to be in one of the world’s most livable cities, I step out of the airport, locate a taxi, and ask to be taken downtown. Just outside Flinders Street Station, I bump into a close friend…

I’ve spent my life between the pages of books, and reading has taught me to cherish every moment. — I say goodnight to my mom as I walk upstairs. I don’t want her to know I plan to stay up late on a school night, so I tiptoe along the hallway, shut my bedroom door, and pretend to sleep. A few minutes later, I reach for my magical flashlight…

There’s a glimmer of hope when it comes to protecting our oceans — My heart sank as I stood motionless on a beach in Southeast Asia. The once beautiful scenery was ruined by a sea of cigarette butts, plastic bags, and food wrappers bobbing up and down. “Why can’t we clean this up?” I wondered. …

I was reluctant to talk about my anxiety for years — Intense fear grips me as I sprint out of the classroom. My footsteps echo along the silent corridor, and I can feel my heart racing, its pounding rhythm almost deafening to my ears. My hands tremble for several minutes as I try to calm down. When the bell rings, however…