Emily Ung - Week 16 - A long Walk

As this school year goes by and junior year is slowly coming to an end, I’ve been reflecting on each memorable moment. Something I recently started doing this year is taking long walks with my best friend, Yogita. It started with a short study date at Fremont Food Hall in Fremont Hub, which turned into a 5-hour gossip/laughing session, and ended with our bellies full from the deliciously cheesy corndog and matcha lattes. We sat there half locked-in, chatting about recent events and how we felt occasionally. By the time it got dark, we decided to take a walk around the newly renovated neighborhood. It was only supposed to be a short 5-minute walk to digest everything we munched on, but before we knew it, we had walked for almost an hour. It was those deep conversations we had with each other about life and our purpose, as well as funny jokes about school, and controversial topics that we may have disagreed on, that still stick with me today. That first walk we took together holds such a special place in my heart, and I cherish each time we get to escape the stresses of life and take a pleasant walk with nature. 

Yogita searching for her soulmate at Fremont Hub! (photo taken by me)

Walks are now one of my favorite things to do. At first, I wasn’t so keen on spending that much time walking in circles in our small, boring town, yet having company to debrief with while taking a moment to look at the natural beauty around me changed my perspective. I used to go on long walks with my other friend whenever we met, discussing life updates and deeper thoughts, but I barely see her anymore since we’re so busy. I still reminisce about those simpler times, when we had all the time in the world to sneak away from her house and explore the hilly trails and neighboring homes, each with a different story. I still remember the police officer who lived on the highest hill, the evil land thieving lady who would sue neighbors and take their land, and the haunted house on the top of my friend’s hill. 


The endless stories that have been shared and the countless intellectual moments I’ve had will always be valuable to me. As this year gets busier, I strive to find time, even if it’s just for 30 minutes, to connect with nature and feel the breeze through my body, forgetting everything bad that ever happened to me. 

Comments

  1. Tanishka NathMay 16, 2025 at 11:51 AM

    Hi Emily! I haven’t been able to go on walks as much as I would like to, but your blog definitely has convinced me to go on more. Now that our work has started to slow down, this is a problem that I haven’t really thought about. I’ve been stuck in my house or Suju’s for so long that I haven’t really been able to just walk in nature and take in the moment sometimes. I like how you described blogs as a way to escape the stresses of life and to just take a walk in nature; Nature has a way of calming you down when things are rough, and I have also felt that going on walks helped me slow down when everything around me seems to be going so fast paced. I like how walks are one of your favorite things to do now, and that looking at nature has changed your perspective on life. Sometimes it’s some of the most unexpected moments that become your favorite moments, whether it be an ordinary walk with your friend or just sitting in nature. I would also like to find some time to go into nature everyday, even if it’s just for 5 minutes. I like how the stories and conversations you’ve had have helped you walk more, hope you have a good senior year! Good job!

    ReplyDelete
  2. James ChanMay 20, 2025 at 12:48 PM

    Emily, I’ve had similar experiences while bike riding. I usually listen to audiobooks while I’m riding my bike, so I have plenty of time to examine myself, enjoy nature, and get nice and introspective. Your post actually opened my eyes to the idea of taking walks with friends—I don’t usually think about taking walks with my friends, so I’m gonna try that out later (maybe over the summer, it’ll be something to do). Now that I am thinking about it, I’m realizing that I do most of my best work when I’m talking with others—when I need to do classwork, create characters in theater, or do magic/juggling, I do my best work in social situations. I suppose walking with friends as opposed to walking/biking by myself would do the same things, so maybe I should try that out! What other fun things would you recommend doing over the summer/in free time?

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Neev - Week 16: Remembering Junior Year

Image
So here we are, I guess... This is how I view the time and idea of summer Junior year: a year we'd been hearing horror stories and rumors about ever since elementary school. Whether it was through neighbors recounting their times or through teachers scaring us about the pressure we would face, we were led to believe junior year of high school, especially for us APENGers, would be hell on Earth.  Was it really that bad, however? Don't get me wrong, there were indeed some unmanageable times, where essays, tests, meetings, and seemingly everything the world could throw at you coincided. Those times did make us feel like we would never make it out, that it was time to give up and stop caring. But guess what, here we are, at almost the other side of it all. For most, AP exams are done, barely any teachers have mandatory final exams, prom and party season is on the way. Summer is almost here. If I'm being completely honest, I think in a few years, I'll see junior year as more...
Read more

Pranatee Shah Week 16 - Reflection of the Year

Image
As junior year comes to an end, I would like to take the time to reflect on the experiences I have had this year and the memories I have made. At the beginning of the school year, I was constantly stressed. After only experiencing the workload of one AP class sophomore year, I did not feel prepared to face the wrath of four AP classes. The gazillions of annotations due each week, blogs, current events, and timed writes all thrown on me at once was overwhelming. AP Lang felt like the work of seven classes combined! Semester one seemed never-ending. However, it wasn’t all that bad. Small moments, such as watching the little 3-5 year olds I teach dance to kill it on stage; Thanksgiving break, where my dance team met up for Friendsgiving ; and my birthday, when I spent almost four hours in a trampoline park with my friends have made the semester memorable.  Then, semester two came around. I remember being anxious over the fact that AP tests, finals, and the SAT were all approaching in...
Read more

Arushi Naidu - Week 9: Power in Positivity through Adversity

Image
As a young student, I was surrounded by impactful mentors who I looked up to every single \day of my life. My parents, my teachers, my piano instructor, older family friends…my early years were filled with role models who I aspired to emulate. Now, as I reflect on the qualities of leadership and people in my life that I consider to be powerful, I often find myself wondering why I continue to admire these individuals. It is not only because of their success and their drive to achieve passion and purpose in their day-to-day lives but it has mostly been because of their commitment to spread positivity and wisdom.  No matter how badly I practice, my piano teacher has always taught me with unwavering patience and encouragement. It is through her actions that I am able to see the passion that drives her and the life that she has built for herself, and there is immense power in that.  My parents both work daunting corporate positions (as I’m sure many of your parents do), which is no...
Read more