Kristi in Korea

Captain’s Log, Stardate 12/8/25–01/20, 2026 After a longer-than-intended delay in transmissions, the captain is back online. December moved fast, covered a lot of ground (literally), and reminded me just how lucky I am to have good people in so many corners of the universe. Right before winter break, I got to explore the local version of Hawaiian food with a dear friend from Colorado. It was one of those simple, happy moments—good food, good conversation, and the feeling that even far from home, connection still finds you. While observing the cultural traditions of SJA, I had the joy of subbing for students during a beloved community ritual: the “ramen party.” For those unfamiliar, this is a birthday celebration where students all bring ramen and enjoy it together during advisory. It turns out that a room full of teenagers, hot noodles, and laughter is a pretty excellent recipe for joy. I mostly supervised and admired their organization (and restraint—no ramen disasters were reported)....

Injuries have mounted, new sports have been discovered, international alliances have formed over Thanksgiving dinner, and the captain has been spotted infiltrating competitive pickleball territory. Meanwhile, trivia victories, charitable covert ops, and unexpected aquatic reconnaissance missions continue as the voyage presses on. Captain’s Log, Stardate 11/24–12/7, 2025 The crew faced our first official home engagement of the season. Two of our primary officers—also known as starters—were sidelined with injuries, and the visiting squad arrived fully armed with talent. Though the final score did not favor our vessel, valuable intelligence was gathered, morale remains intact, and hopes are high for a more successful outcome in the next encounter. Due to escalating injury reports, the coach and I were unexpectedly called into active duty during practice. I have not engaged in live basketball combat since high school. Starfleet records confirm: this activity is significantly more exhaustin...

  Captain’s log, Stardate 2025.11.15–23. An account of shore leave, unexpected turbulence, and successful return to base. November break officially began on the 15th. I traveled with the basketball teams to a suburb of Seoul—a nonstop ride of chaos and fun. Unfortunately, the journey was plagued with injuries. One of the guards broke a finger in the first game of the season and was out for the tournament. Then, during the first game of the tournament, two more players had suspicious finger injuries, prompting the head coach to rush them to the doctor before the next game. Thankfully, both returned cleared to play. During the third game, a player injured her ankle badly enough that I rode with her in the ambulance to the hospital. She tore two tendons. In the span of a few hours, she had an X-ray, an MRI, and two consults with an orthopedic doctor. She left with a cast and a broken heart. She’s such a fierce competitor.  And a senior :( In the girls’ championship game, one of o...