It’s been said that life is a series of decisions. Most decisions—what am I going to wear today? What will I have for lunch?—are largely inconsequential, but most people do not expect everyday choices to change their lives, even though it’s almost always a combination of such decisions that do.

Dear readers,

Mistakes are inevitable. Whether it’s something as big as oversleeping the day of a big test or as small as forgetting your umbrella during a rainstorm—like I did today—they’re an unavoidable part of life and should be treated as such. That’s why we’ve chosen to celebrate things that have gone wrong, so to speak, in our “Oops” issue.

Dear readers,

They say youth is wasted on the young—and we’re here to prove them wrong.

A few years ago, the Mochi founders were a couple of college students who dreamed of creating a product we couldn’t find in the mediascape. Since then, we’ve come unbelievably far, thanks to an incredibly talented (and young) group of editors and writers. Together, we’ve put together an issue that celebrates young Asian Americans and the sweeping influence they have on the world.

Dear readers,

For me, the Christmas holidays mean one thing—going home to spend time and celebrate with the people I love best. I should probably be thankful all year round, but it’s really November and after when I start to remember how lucky I am to be constantly surrounded by people I love and care about.

Dear Mochi readers,

If I had to narrow down the one thing in my life that influenced me the most, it would be my five summers of nerd camp. Between the ages of 12 to 17, my parents would ship me off across the Pacific (with a lovely, puke-green, airline-sanctioned “Unaccompanied Minor” button on my chest) to attend the Center for Talented Youth, better known as CTY.

Maybe it was my parents’ compulsive need to pack educational experiences into every ounce of my childhood. Or maybe it was a desperate attempt to salvage their sanity by getting my brother and I out of the house as much as possible. But as far back as when I was 10 years old, I was flying across the ocean with a bright green “Unaccompanied Minor” button on my hoodie —spending summers at my aunt’s house in Los Angeles, studying pre-calculus at nerd camp or visiting dilapidated castles in England.

I remember the college application process like it was yesterday. From applying early decision in November to finishing the rest of my applications late December (like any good procrastinator, I hit the “submit” button five minutes before heading out to ring in the new year); to the breathless refreshing of my email in the school computer labs in March. I’ll never forget the disappointment of being deferred, then rejected from my first-choice college and months later, the rush of relief that came with accepting a spot at my now alma-mater, New York University.

Dear Readers,

How do you feel about Mochi’s new look? For our winter body-themed issue, we’ve given ourselves a makeover as well. This season, with the cold weather making us sluggish and a little lazier than usual, we’ve turned our minds to all things body- and health-related. We talked to a range of celebrities to weigh in on body image—singer-songwriter Marie Digby, “So You Think You Can Dance” contestant Karla Garcia and “Fame” actress Anna Maria Perez de Tagle.