Concept and Meaning

A summer of wonder awaits us with our new theme Spirited Away. Inspired by the Studio Ghibli classic film, this nostalgic issue is all about sharing stories from our childhood, our travels around the world, and other personal reflections about our spiritual growth. Whether the distance you travel is by a plane or in your dreams, let’s have an amazing summer together and share stories about all the wonderful places we will go.

Inspiration Questions

Spirited - Tell us a story about your spiritual growth. What is your family’s culture and are there any connections to your culture that have helped you navigate your spirituality in your young adult years? Were there any significant challenges you’ve encountered that have shaped who you are today? What does spirituality mean to you?

Away - If you could go anywhere in the universe, where would you go and why? Did you go on any trips this summer? Where did you go and what did you learn from your travel experience? Are you a serial day dreamer? Tell us about a reoccurring day dream that you’d like to come true!

Nostalgia - What is nostalgic to you and why? What is a specific song, smell, or core memory that resonates with you? Have you watched the film Spirited Away before? What is your favorite part of the film and how does it relate to your life today?

World Section — Wonders

Motherland

Written by Lika Uehara

“I have lived my Japanese culture as much as my Brazilian one, in ways that echo through my life choices. I am Japanese in an unquantifiable manner, a manner so intertwined with who I am today that it is innately “enough.”

Season of 07

Written by Ashley Yang

“It almost felt as if I had forgotten who I was and where I had come from, nearly like forgetting my own name. Despite going through the challenges of facing monsters and venturing into strange places alone there is always a light to remind you who you are when you can't seem to remember on your own, the way Haku reminded Sin of her true identity.”

POV: A Tik Tok Trend Makes You Nostalgic

Written by Jaylieca Cunanan

Picture this: You wake up one morning and open TikTok to help you shake off the morning grogginess when the first thing you hear once the app loads is a familiar sound from your childhood.

The Spirited Away Issue

Spicing Up Conversations

Written by Amulya Chintalapati
If you’ve ever grown up around people from India, you’ll often hear the invitation, “Come inside, let’s have some chai.”

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Dear High School

Written by Elizabeth Lu
In retrospect (with the wisdom I’ve gained in the two months since I’ve bid you farewell for good), I have no idea how I was so confident, given how often I am wrong.

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Feeling Like Home

Written by Katrina Romero Tran
My life in the U.S. was so full of responsibility, of titles, of opportunities. And yet, I couldn’t stop thinking about how reality could have been very different had my parents not immigrated to the U.S.

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The colour of hatred: The Southport Stabbing

Written by Keira Morales
On August 7th, 2024, riots erupted in various local towns and cities in England.

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Motherland

Written by Lika Uehara
Sometimes, I take these pieces of my culture for granted. Only in retrospect do they gleam and reflect like an incomplete mirror, showing me a space in a community that I am part of, yet occupy only partially.

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Season of 07

Written by Ashley Yang
It almost felt as if I had forgotten who I was and where I had come from, nearly like forgetting my own name.

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POV: A TikTok Trend Makes You Nostalgic

Written by Jaylieca Cunanan
Picture this: You wake up one morning and open TikTok to help you shake off the morning grogginess when the first thing you hear once the app loads is a familiar sound from your childhood.

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The Attic

Written by Samuel Teoh
Light filters through the skylights of my attic, exposing the specks of dust swirling in the air. A layer of musty air coats the dull wooden walls. An easel with a blank canvas stands in the middle of the room, under the light.

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