Monsooners: Bruce “Chef” Zhang, Mel “Acclimatized” Jeng, Olivia “Carl’s Best Friend” Ho, Amanda “Moncler Valley” Thai, Susan “Flu Season” Chor, Olga “Groomed Blacks” Lepigina, Eric “Yurt Cookie” Tam, Elena “Weekender” Adushkina

Remarks:

“@⁨The Monsoon Diaries⁩ thank you for organizing such an awesome trip!” – Olga Lepigina

“I just landed back in EWR, thank you all for being so amazing and making this monsoon so fun!” – Olivia Ho

Monsooners: Mel “My Northern Light” Jeng, Yuhan “The Girl Who Leapt Through Time” Lee, Sampson “Solar Flare” Lau, Melissa “Hot Tub Sauna Tech Support” Rios, Shirley “Postcards From Beyond” Chu, Keseena “For Richer or Polar” Chengadu

Remarks:

“Still can’t believe we went to the Arctic Circle with @monsoondiaries and attended @keseena’s wedding at the snow hotel / ice chapel

Here’s to more serendipitous moments.” – Shirley Chu

“Grateful for an amazing adventure.” – YuHan Lee

“It’s not every day that you get to spend a night at a freaking snow hotel and attend a friend’s wedding at an ice chapel!

Slept in a snow hotel (@arcticsnowhotel) that is reconstructed each winter and had a survival guide on how to survive sleeping in a OC (~32F) room. I cocooned myself and I actually ended up sleeping quite well! The hotel gave guests a diploma to certify that they survived a night at the snow hotel, which yes, I’ll frame!

Attended Keseena’s wedding in the ice chapel and she was so magical. Can wet alk about riding away in a reindeer, please?

Dinner at the ice restaurant was also such an interesting experience. We sat on reindeer furs, our waters began to ice over, and dessert was served on an ice sculpture/plate!

Such a unique and memorable experience traveling with The Monsoon Diaries & celebrating Keseena.

Rovaniemi, Lapland Finland
February 2026.” – Shirley Chu

“Who would have thought a quick drink with someone I assumed I’d never see again would lead to this. Life really does connect dots you don’t even know you’re drawing.
#monsoonersaroundtheworld” – Keseena Chengadu

“We got lucky. The northern lights were so bright that we could see it clearly with the naked eye. I got teary eyed seeing the northern lights so brightly for the first time. 🥹

Traveled with @monsoondiaries (my 1st monsoon ever!) and got a natural world wonder occurrence checked off my bucket list. ✨” – Shirley Chu

Monsooners: Cindy “No Sleep ‘Til Mainstage” Cui, Victor “RageCAGE” Tran, Patricia “MangoASMR” Chen, Donna “Surfing Panda” Vo, Fanny “Rave Kismet” Yang, John “Our Brother” Yang, Amanda “Mediator” Thai, Deb “Weekend Warrior” Smith, Caty “Serendipity From Seville” Zhao

Remarks:

“Oh … and I’m glad you helped when I asked you for directions back in Sevilla. 🫶Grateful to be part of such a powerful & beautiful community that always says yes 💪🏻” – Caty Zhao

“Being home has been surreal so the pictures on my phone that i have been showing people are proof that it actually happened. missing everyone and the mountain views!” – Donna Vo

“Missing the mountains 😩 and hanging with you all” – Patricia Chen

“Glad you’re back, another great trip! I’m back in Manhattan too.” – Amanda Thai

We made it to the Tomorrowland Aftermovie (01:16 mark; it’ll begin right at that point when you click below):

Monsooners: Colleen “Discernment” Wong, Bruce “Eat What You Catch” Zhang, Yui “Early Bird Catches the Worm” Wakabayashi, Sharon “It’s About Time” Li, Eric “Gon’ Fishing” Tam, Lydia “Now Has More Than 30 Friends” Chan, Mihaela “ROFLOLMAO” K., Daniel Zhang, Ashley “Pre-Kholed” Wong, Uriah “Celery” Kim, Jennifer “Birthday Girl” Schultz, Anna “Promises To Try Camping Next Time” Mui, Ayesha “It’s Wine o’ Clock” Arif, Terrence “Meniscus” Chan, Alicia “Lamb Vutton” Shi, Susan “Here for the Post-Wedding Brunch” Chor, Amanda “Hunky” Thai, Koichi “Group Photo Seating” Sakamaki, Jennifer Kim, Grace “Matriarch” Liu, Lauren “Bougkeepsie” Zhao, Amanda Pan, Elizabeth Pan, Charlie Mazza, Alfred “Shufflin King” Lam, Sofia “Mahjong Queen” Yang, Jay “Celebrity PT” Lee, Penny “Reece’s Pieces” Zhu, Claire “Light Source” Lim, David “Groomswear” Lee, Melissa “Bridalwear” Fan, Yuhan “Tinfoil Cakes” Lee, Raubern “Popcorn Bag” Totanes

Remarks:

“When a friend asked if I wanted to join a camping trip about a month ago, I immediately said yes. Didn’t ask where we were going. Didn’t ask who was going, what we needed to buy, whether there were bathrooms, how we were getting there. I just assumed we’d figure it out. . . .

On the last night of the trip, we were all sitting around the campfire smelling vaguely like smoke and dirt, staring into flames the way human beings have apparently always done when trying to make sense of existence. Somehow the conversation drifted into spirituality and faith. Agnosticism versus absurdism versus nihilism. God. Meaning. Human suffering. Consciousness.

The light topics. . . .

The organizer of the camping trip has spent years bringing people together, curating experiences, organizing adventures. It was honestly inspiring to watch. He seemed to have this almost childlike joy about connection itself. Endless energy for introducing people, facilitating conversations, helping people experience awe together.

And it made me reflect on myself.

Because although I call myself a community builder too, lately I’ve felt emotionally burnt out. Especially after the past year and all the changes, heartbreak, tension, uncertainty. I still deeply believe in the goodness of people and the power of connection, but I’ve become much more discerning with where my energy goes.

Sometimes I worry that discernment slowly calcifies into cynicism if you’re not careful. . . .

Seeing the camping trip organizer move through the world with so much joy in bringing people together reminded me that I still have that in me somewhere. About two weeks ago, I also met someone who turned out to be a philanthropic advisor. He had a calm, wide-eyed idealism despite being much older.

It reminded me that cynicism is not inevitable. Some people somehow move through the world retaining their softness, curiosity, and belief in possibility even after life has given them every reason not to. Maybe wisdom is not certainty at all, but the ability to remain open despite uncertainty.

We go through phases. Seasons. Some people become hardened for a while. Others are softer, clearer, lighter.

And maybe one of the most beautiful things about human connection is that we can lean on each other across those different phases. Borrow perspective from those who have already walked certain roads. Learn from those less burdened. Or from people who were burdened and somehow emerged anyway. Isn’t it beautiful, this messy thing called life? Coddiwompling.” – Colleen Wong, on agnosticism and the limits of certainty, the pragmatic contemplative

“Thanks for an awesome weekend Calvin!! For all the years knowing you but never having been on a monsoon, I can finally say I get it 😉 Not that I ever doubted the magic of a monsoon, but being able to finally experience in person the beauty of what Monsoon Diaries is and was built on really is special.  Loved our camping group and how it organically just worked. Thanks for planning all the logistics, bringing all the gear that made sure we were eating good while camping 😉, but most importantly, being unapologetically you ☺️” – Sharon Li

“Thank you Calvin! I appreciate everything you all did this weekend. It means a lot to be included in such fun events” – Jennifer Schultz

“Thanks for the fun weekend!! Heart and belly are full! First time seeing the stars in 6 months was worth not being able to shower for 3 days 😂 . . . appreciated your enthusiasm and energy this past weekend.” – Colleen Wong

“Thanks y’all. Had such a blast. We just got back to Queens. Traffic was so much fun. Thank you for letting us share on the fun” – Jay Lee

“Thanks for organizing everything, Calvin!! I’m amazed at how we all organically just clicked and found a fun group dynamic after only one weekend 😊 if this was a first date there would definitely be a second! That being said, if you’re down to have a “treat yourself!” dinner at Ramro next Thursday, 5/28 (see video for sneak peek) please like this message with your emoji of choice 🫶🏼 – I’ll make the reservation tomorrow afternoon.” – Claire Kim

“Thank you @⁨Calvin Sun⁩ for organizing!!! So great meeting everyone and making fun memories 🥹 Also happy birthday @⁨Jennifer Schultz⁩ !!!!” – Sharon Li

“Thank you for the amazing memories and ice cream cake guys! Until our next monsoon 😊” – Jennifer Schultz