Do you want to see it?” our old neighbor, Sarit, asked casually. My mom’s nostalgic smile revealed her answer. But it was eight on a Tuesday night, and we would not have a chance to make an appointment with the realtor before our flight back to the US. “There’s no need for a realtor right now, let’s just knock on the door and tell them we’re prospective buyers,” Sarit said. Excitement surged within me. I wanted...

When I was younger I had a hard time participating in activities at which I wasn’t necessarily good, and I quit every single sport that I tried. I guess it took a certain level of maturity to realize that in order to be good at something, I needed to start at the bottom of the ladder and climb up, or in the case of the sport I finally adopted, dive in. I chose to join the swim team freshman...