I love to travel and get lost in the process

It's exhilarating to explore a place you've never been with just the google map to guide you (and whenever my battery dies, with a physical map).

I started the year right in the beautiful little town of "Alberobello" (beautiful tree) surrounded by trulli in the heart of Puglia, Italy.

I always like to take pictures

Mostly of what I see, but I'm also fond of taking street mirror selfies whenever it's possible. There is something about photos that transcend language, stories, and time. Last year, I started painting live landscapes too, and it was bliss.

Before coming to EU, I’m very comfortable doing things on my own

Here I realized that it’s also equally rewarding to share moments with friends, a lot of friends. Say, waiting for a delayed train for hours, celebrating the Napoli Scudetto win with strangers, running away from a conference to explore the city, or goofing under the sun.

The kid in me felt very excited to snap my first four seasons

From where I come from, we have nice weather all year round except for the angry typhoons in between.

Experiencing my first four seasons is as bittersweet as the Italian caffe. Last year, I excitedly waited for spring during a long winter, all the while looking forward to summer and fall.

When I don't do PhD stuff, I explore

Like Dora, I love to explore, and learn a lot about the world, especially from places and the people I met. So it's always nice to hear stories from various places on Earth, even from those I never heard of before, be it from books, music, films, foods I learned to cook or over dinner and some wine (or beer).