Arriving in San Francisco, I quickly realized how different everything felt compared to home. The city is full of steep slopes, and even our accommodation, the Monroe Residence Club, was tucked into the middle of a hill. The building felt very cozy, with plenty of bricks and an old-fashioned vibe. Inside, there was even a fireplace where people would gather around — something I had only seen in movies. The elevator looked ancient too, like a piece of history still working. It all felt so different and interesting.

And then, the weather. The cool air welcomed me right after stepping out of the airport. It was chilly, but I loved it. I even filmed myself breathing out that little cloud of visible air — something that never happens back home in Vietnam. The cold, the breeze, the feeling of freshness — it made every walk outside enjoyable, whether it was in the morning or late at night. But the weather also had its surprises. One day, rain suddenly came pouring down while we were walking outside. None of us had prepared for it, so we all had to rush and buy umbrellas. It felt funny — standing there with our new umbrellas, completely unplanned — but I guess that's part of what makes traveling memorable.

The breakfast at Monroe was a whole different kind of challenge for a Vietnamese like me. It was the same thing every morning — and after a few days, it really started to feel like we were testing our endurance. Thankfully, our instant noodles (the orange package, like a rescue float keeping us alive!) gave us some comfort. Lunches were prepared by the residence, and we boys took turns carrying the packages each day. Dinner was a bit better, with some variety in the dishes.

What struck me even more was the traffic and roads here. The highways were so wide — four lanes each direction — and almost no motorbikes at all. People drove fast, but very steady, especially outside of town where there were hardly any traffic lights. Instead of stopping and starting, cars kept moving at a constant speed, with an extra lane on the right just for emergencies. And the red light with the little hand sign — I had never seen that before! But what impressed me most was how cars actually stop for pedestrians at crosswalks — so polite, so disciplined. Driving downtown was another experience: steep roads everywhere, with angles that felt like 30 to 45 degrees. It was a bit scary, but exciting too. Everything just felt organized, open, and quite impressive.

Each day on our way to school, we took advantage of the free public bus for people under 18. After getting off, we usually walked a bit to reach our destination. Honestly, I really enjoyed these daily walks. The sidewalks were wide, smooth, and clearly made for pedestrians — very different from the busy and often chaotic streets back home. The whole city seemed to support walking, and most of the time when we explored San Francisco, it was on foot. Every street felt like it had something interesting waiting around the corner. After school or exploring, we usually took the bus back home.

One night stands out vividly in my memory. After visiting a destination, we decided to take a different route home, simply for the fun of exploring new streets. Using Google Maps, we found a bus route and got on without much thought. But as soon as we boarded, the driver asked us for the fare. We were a bit confused, and kept explaining that we were under 18 and it should be free. The driver looked at us, smiled, and just said, “Just get on.” Later, after some quick research, we figured out that it was not the regular government public bus, but a private bus service run by some organization. Technically, we should have paid, but the driver kindly let it slide. When we got off, we all said “thank you” many times, really grateful for his kindness. That small interaction still sticks in my mind — a random act of kindness from a stranger in a foreign country.

Of course, being tourists, we couldn’t miss riding the famous cable cars — such an iconic part of San Francisco! The cable cars felt like a moving piece of history. We rode them just twice — back and forth — but the experience was worth it, especially with the beautiful city views from those steep streets. 

For longer trips, like visiting UC Berkeley, we used the BART metro system. It was my first time using a proper metro train, and I was impressed by how punctual, fast, and reliable it was. I received a Clipper card, and everything was so well-organized. The whole experience made me realize how efficient public transportation can be when well-designed. 

For out-of-town travels, such as going to Lake Tahoe or moving between cities, we traveled in two large vans for our group. The local drivers handled the long drives smoothly — and honestly, quite fast, which made me a bit nervous sometimes!

And then, something truly futuristic caught my eye: on one of the streets, I saw a self-driving taxi. At first, I didn’t even know what it was — but after some quick research, I found out it was from Waymo. What really grabbed my attention was the spinning sensor mounted on top of the car, constantly rotating as it navigated the road. It felt surreal to watch a vehicle driving itself with no one behind the wheel. In Vietnam, that would seem like pure science fiction! But here, it was already happening in real life. Seeing AI technology operating so casually in everyday traffic made me pause and seriously reflect on where transportation might be heading in the near future.

Our days were always packed with places to see and things to do. San Francisco was full of surprises, and every destination felt like a new discovery.

We visited Twin Peaks, standing on top of the hills and looking out over the entire city. The wind was strong, and the view was just stunning — you could see the skyline, the bay, and even the bridges from up there. It felt like a postcard view, but much more alive when you're standing right there.

At Ocean Beach, I saw the endless waves crashing onto the shore. The wind was cold and strong, but the sound of the ocean was calming. It reminded me how different the Pacific Ocean feels compared to the beaches back home in Vietnam — so wide, so powerful.

Then there was Lombard Street, famous for being "the most crooked street in the world." Seeing it online and actually standing there are two very different feelings. The way the cars carefully drove down the sharp curves made me appreciate how well it was designed for such steep slopes.

Of course, Golden Gate Viewpoint was one of the highlights. The bridge is much larger and more impressive in real life than in pictures. The bright red color standing against the blue sky and water was just beautiful. We took so many photos there, trying to capture the moment, though honestly, the feeling of standing there can’t really be captured in a photo.

Pier 39 and Aquarium of the Bay gave us a more relaxed vibe. At Pier 39, I saw the famous sea lions lounging around, making noise like they’re chatting with each other. The shops, food stalls, and the sea breeze made it a very lively place. At the aquarium, walking through the glass tunnels with fish swimming above my head was magical — like entering a whole different world under the sea.

One of the farthest and most memorable trips was to Lake Tahoe. The lake was huge and crystal clear, surrounded by snowy mountains. The air was fresh and cold, and I even saw people skiing in the distance. Standing by the lake, I felt so small compared to the grand nature around me.

At the California Academy of Sciences, I was surprised to see how AI was integrated into the exhibits. There was a mechanical split-flap display that could answer trivia questions — combining old mechanical technology with modern AI. It sparked my curiosity about how AI can be blended with physical machines, something I had never thought about before.

The Exploratorium was another place that blew my mind. It’s like a giant science playground. Every exhibit was interactive — I could touch, experiment, and learn by doing. It made science feel fun and alive. Seeing how science and technology can be presented so interactively made me realize how important creativity is, even in technical fields like AI.

While visiting the California Academy of Sciences, one exhibit caught my attention right away — a trivia machine with an old-style split-flap display. I had seen these boards in movies before, but never up close. The mechanical flaps flipped quickly to reveal each letter, spelling out answers to questions I asked.

After some quick research, I learned how the machine worked. A motor spins the flaps, and a sensor makes sure they align correctly. What fascinated me even more was that it used AI to understand my questions and generate answers, combining both software intelligence and hardware design.

This simple yet clever integration of AI and mechanics made me think about how technology can go beyond just coding on screens. AI can work with physical systems to create interactive tools that help people in daily life — whether for information, customer service, or education. It inspired me to keep exploring how AI can be applied in creative ways to support people and solve real-world problems.

One of the most exciting parts of the trip was visiting two of the most famous universities in the U.S. — UC Berkeley and Stanford. As someone interested in technology, especially AI, I was eager to explore their programs, professors, and innovations that benefit society. I would have loved to sneak into a research lab and watch real AI projects in action. Unfortunately, I didn't get to attend any classes or observe their study approaches firsthand—a bit disappointing, since I hope to engage in similar research during my university years.

Still, walking around the UC Berkeley campus was very memorable. As a group, we were given a little challenge: find students wearing university hoodies and take photos with them. At first, it felt a bit awkward, but the students were super friendly. One of them even noticed what we were doing and smiled, asking, “Are you guys doing a mission or something?” That moment was fun, but it also made me think. These students looked so normal — just like anyone else — but they must be incredibly talented to be here. It inspired me a lot. I realized that if I want to get into a great university in the future, I’ll have to work really hard too. Seeing those students up close made my dream feel both more real and more motivating.

After touring campuses, we headed south into Silicon Valley. We stopped at the visitor areas of Google, Meta, and Apple Park — not full behind-the-scenes tours, but enough to feel the atmosphere. At Googleplex, I saw employees zooming between buildings on colorful bikes and even spotted a Waymo driverless shuttle — it felt like a glimpse into the future of transport .

We also visited Los Altos, the childhood home of Steve Jobs at 2066 Crist Drive. I didn't expect anything fancy—just a quiet, modest house with a plaque marking its historical importance. Standing outside that simple garage, where Apple’s journey began, was surprisingly powerful. It's incredible to think that such a groundbreaking company started right there — proof that big ideas can come from small places.

One of the most inspiring moments of my trip was meeting a like-minded friend from Uzbekistan, who shares my passion for AI. He showed me a website he had built for IELTS mock tests. The reading and listening sections were automatically graded, but for speaking and writing, he used ChatGPT to analyze responses, provide feedback, and even assign estimated band scores. I was amazed at how accurate and helpful the AI feedback was. Seeing AI integrated into a real-life educational product inspired me to pursue my own future AI projects that can serve society in similar ways.

In class, I also had the chance to study with international students from many different countries. My teacher, Aninao, introduced us to creative ways of learning idioms and vocabulary. One memorable activity involved pairing up with my Colombian classmate, Julian, to share stories using new idioms. He told me about his first airplane flight: how his stomach was in tight knots during takeoff, but once the plane was flying smoothly, he felt green like a cat. This interactive approach helped me understand that the best way to learn vocabulary is to use it actively in real conversations. Since then, I’ve made it a habit to create example sentences for any new word or phrase I learn, and practice them in daily conversations, which helps make them truly mine.

Another part of my assignment was to interview people about air pollution — a serious issue in my home country, Vietnam. Unfortunately, the task didn’t go as well as I had hoped. I did manage to interview my classmate and the TALK school director, focusing on air quality, its effects on health, and possible solutions. One interesting moment happened at UC Berkeley when I approached a student wearing the school hoodie to request an interview. He politely declined but encouraged me to try someone else. Even though I was nervous about approaching strangers, I found that people were friendly and approachable. Through this, my communication skills and confidence improved significantly.

These experiences — from seeing AI applied in real life, to practicing English with international friends, to overcoming my fear of interviewing strangers — have fueled my motivation to continue studying technology, especially AI. I want to one day build AI-powered applications that address real-world challenges like education, health, and even environmental issues such as air pollution caused by traffic congestion in Vietnam. AI-powered traffic management systems, combined with public education through mobile apps, could be a practical solution. I hope my future work will contribute to making life better for people, just as my friend’s project already does for his users.

The more I explore technology, the more fascinated I become, especially with Artificial Intelligence. Unlike traditional software that follows exact instructions, AI has the ability to learn and make decisions on its own through machine learning and natural language processing. I have been particularly amazed by chatbots like ChatGPT, which even supports multilingual communication and has been incredibly helpful to me. Seeing such technology in action sparks my imagination about how AI can integrate into daily life to assist humans in countless ways.

Looking ahead, I am especially excited about my upcoming summer project, where I will collaborate with peers and mentors on hands-on work related to AI. This opportunity will allow me to build real-world experience, develop practical skills, and deepen my understanding of how machine learning models and algorithms are created and applied. Beyond just coding, I hope to gain valuable insights into designing AI systems that can benefit society.

At the same time, I recognize that working with AI comes with great responsibility. One of the major challenges is ensuring fairness and minimizing bias in AI algorithms. Biased data can easily lead to unfair outcomes, so I believe it's important to focus on developing models that are inclusive and well-generalized. As AI continues to advance at a rapid pace, I am committed to staying informed, continuously learning, and contributing to its responsible development. My dream is to one day build AI-powered products that address real-world problems, improve people’s lives, and help create a better future for society.