In Three Months, Three Oceans: Exploring the Human-Nature Connection
Wandering with Purpose: Where Every Mile Deepens My Curiosity for How We Live.
From December 2024 to March 2025（during school beaks), I set out on travels across Southeast Asia and the Pacific to deepen my understanding of how humans relate to nature across cultures—an experience that brought my passion for environmental psychology to life.
2024.12 Malaysia
In Sabah, Malaysia (Kota Kinabalu & Semporna), I interviewed local fishermen whose livelihoods are intertwined with the rhythms of the ocean. Diving alongside sea turtles in the Coral Triangle, I began to grasp how ecological well-being directly affects community identity and happiness. The friendships I made there reminded me how healing and bonding nature can be when shared.
2025.1 Guam and Saipan
Skydiving from 4,200 meters gave me a visceral sense of awe and surrender—a moment that made me reflect on theories of risk perception and human-nature thrill-seeking. Gun shooting, an unexpected activity, prompted reflection on how environments shape our sense of agency, power, and fear. Every dive in the Pacific became a meditation on how unfamiliar environments shift our sense of self.
2025.3 Hawaii(Honolulu and Hilo)
Summary
Across three oceans and four vibrant destinations, I saw how culture, memory, and environment shape the way we live with nature. From island rituals to rainforest rhythms, every place deepened my belief that understanding human–nature relationships is key to healing both. These months weren’t just a journey through landscapes—they were a journey into the heart of what it means to belong, to care, and to live thoughtfully on this Earth.