August Newsletter

Portugal Road Trip | Setbacks: Injuries | Quote of the month | Getting back at it: What’s Next

Hey guys, it is me again, Abhilash. This newsletter is the second in a three-part series where I challenged myself to give you more timely newsletters. This one is a bit late due to school.

A bit about me

Hi, my name is Abhilash Mohapatra, and first, let's start with a quick introduction. I'm a 15-year-old student at Lycée International (a unique school) near Paris, France. and an alum at TKS (The Knowledge Society) as part of their 23' Innovate program. I am passionate about space exploration.

Portugal Road Trip

After 4,431 km, over ten different cities/towns, three different countries, and many hours cooped up in our car, my Portugal Road trip ended precisely 19 days after it started. I will condense this experience's insights into a neat bulleted list. But first, please subscribe. I post a monthly newsletter; your support keeps this series going.

What you just saw was the itinerary my family and my friends's family (they did the trip with us) took.

So, what did I learn?

• I learned the value of speaking to unknown people. I could talk to people and become friends through basketball in each city we stayed in. I looked for a local basketball court and went out there to play against people. This made connecting with local people easier as I felt comfortable in this space, and it forced serendipitous experiences.

• I was maintaining a rigid set of principles for your diet. I was more concerned about fitness levels during this trip than ever before. I realized that the easiest way to be healthy is to have a set of principles that you follow. For example, there was no dessert, and I always went for the non-fried without sauce version of the dish I was eating.

Setbacks: Injuries

After returning from my trip, I struggled to find the motivation to get back to work, especially with the healing process from my second dental surgery. Recovering from my second dental surgery was a challenging journey filled with triumphs and setbacks. While I had hoped for a smoother experience this time, the road to recovery was just as hard as the first. Swollen cheeks, discomfort, and difficulty eating became my daily companions, making even the simplest tasks feel monumental. Each day brought incremental improvements, and I learned to appreciate the small victories—a pain-free moment, a slightly easier meal. Perhaps the most important thing I learned is that some progress is better than none, and that enabled me to do something rather than wallow in the feeling of unproductiveness.

Quote of the month

“You know what, I'm not negotiating with myself. The deal was already made. I set out at the beginning of the summer.”-Kobe Bryant R.I.P Mamba

This quote was so impactful that I created a physical contract with all the obligations I wanted to maintain.

Getting back at it: What's Next

I have slowly been restarting all the stuff I need to do, largely thanks to my coach, who forced me out of my house to come to practice, even if it was just to do physical prep, see other people, and move a bit. I am slowly gearing back to go to school.

Upcoming Events

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