Hello. I’m Minhao and this is my blog.

Most people reading this will already know who I am (somehow). For those of you that don’t, this is my whimsical interpretation of myself.

I like to think I’m a pretty fun guy. Hard to offend, easy to talk to, generally funny and all-around casual. Summed up in one overused word, I’m very “chill.”

But I’d like to think that there’s more to me than just one word. To me, my identity lies within my head. You know what they say; pictures speak louder than a thousand words. So I guess that’s just what I’ll do.

That’s me. For those of you that can’t seem to find me, I’m the tiny Asian three from the left, and this is a picture of my 12 year old self at a piano recital.

This is a picture taken from the Chicago Tribune. If you ask me, it’s a conveniently perfect representation of my attitude.

I love piano. In fact, I love it so much that I forgot to smile at one of the most prestigious recitals in the Chicagoland area.

Why? I was too deep in thought, reflecting on my performance. I’m always searching for my mistakes, thinking about areas where I could’ve done better, and thinking towards the future. With so much going through my head, I often forget to work my cheekbones and curl my lips into a smile.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve always been this way.

Like the time I forgot to eat dinner while playing video games. For three nights in a row. On the bright side, midnight McDonald’s runs are strangely relaxing.

Or the time I spent 14 straight hours self-learning Computer Science. I was still clacking away at the keys until my mom called me at 11 AM, saying I had to go to school.

And my favorite memory? I was visiting my cousin’s office at Goldman Sachs for a weekend. The environment, the firm, the city—all of it occupied every nook and cranny of my brain. On Monday, I woke up to 140 messages, 33 missed phone calls, and an expired plane ticket. That’s right—I missed my flight back home. Was my mom furious? Yes. Was I? Not really. I got to spend a couple more days living my dream.

I get ridiculed for my aloofness all the time, especially by my parents. My friends are a little more crude, opting for words such as “dumb***” and “stupid.” But do I care? Not at all. In fact, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I’m always thinking. Thinking about piano. About art. About careers. About biology, math, chemistry, and computer science. I’m always envisioning my future, painting a picture in my head of how far I can take my skills. I ignore the disapproving comments, and I certainly don’t let the little stuff get in my way. Smiling for a picture of my most impressive recital yet? Forget that—I’d rather think about my Carneige Hall debut in New York. After all, it’s only 30 minutes away from the Goldman Sachs’ headquarters.

The thoughts in my head never stop, but I’d never want them to. It’s what put my 12 year old self on the big stage, in front of hundreds of audience members in the first place.

But that was 5 years ago, when my naive self thought that piano was the only purpose in my life. As college becomes the next big step in my life, I can’t help but envision the perfect lifestyle waiting ahead of me.

A since I’m already here, I might as well tell you about the thoughts that constantly occupy my mind nowadays. After all, I’m a strong believer that my thoughts constitute who I am.

Getting recruited as an investment banker for Goldman Sachs straight out of undergrad. Surrounding myself with ambitious people everyday. Going out for a nice lunch with my currently employed cousin. Driving my McLaren through the vibrant city of New York, under the beautiful lights and towering skyscrapers. Meeting with clients over a nice steak dinner. Going home to my 100th floor apartment building, where I fall asleep and do it all again.

I know not everybody agrees with my thoughts. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if most people brushed it off as a pipe dream. But that’s fine; these are my thoughts, after all. My ubiquitous vision of a McLaren-loving I-banker… well… that’s just who I am.

Actually, I take that back.

That’s who I will be.