Life seems like a pause in a system that moves at speeds beyond the speed of light, but it is not. In fact, in the continuous and tenuous movement of our atoms we can observe the vibrations that originate with the passage of time, the product of our own energy rising beyond our bodies. We are the most opportune moment for the universe, we are beams of light for the cosmos, we are the particle that occupies space and the wave that contracts and expands in a movement that seems like a dance, sometimes chaotic, sometimes too classical. As harmonious as a Beethoven symphony, the waves travel millions of light years in search of a refractory that decompresses the millions of beams that it has in its composition, different energies, different frequencies, so diverse is the cosmos as nature itself. Where is color born if not in the pupil of the observer? Where is the beauty of art if not in the perception of its creator? There, in the middle of our darkest ignorance, within the smallest of our cells, lies a small universe that vibrates to its own voice, faint, almost imperceptible, but there it is, evidence that our existence is much more than a work of art, more than a perfectly achieved design, it is a conspiracy of billions of beams of light housing an infinity of cells that satisfy the same desire "to exist." Life sprouts at every little opportunity, when you least expect it, a small seed that makes its way through the middle of an asphalted floor, It could well become a Sycamore whose roots make their way through the avenues, shouting its right to grow, to be part of this work we call life. Where do we come from if not from the breath? We are the painting that portrays freedom, not of judgment or of the heart, but the freedom of creation itself. We are not separated by anything but our bodies, but at the opportune moment that we were created, at that moment we already carried the expansion contained in the flesh, in the bones. Inside and out we are exactly the same, we are creation, we are Light, we are shadows, we are particle and wave, we are a small infinity of atoms, we are one of billions of threads that make up this universal canvas. In the middle of my chaotic and limited perception lies the calm sensation that I am a Whole, that we are an extension that has never stopped growing and certainly never will.

Hello… If you are reading this, you have found humanity's third attempt at making contact with our intergalactic brothers and sisters. I send this essay along with the Voyager 3.0 in the hope that you find it and read it. Our cosmic address is Planet Earth, The Solar System, Milky Way galaxy, Virgo Star Cluster. I know our location is not all that special in the grand scheme of things but before you rule us out as ordinary, please read the following story of mine for this may change your viewpoint of us. I don't know about your planet, but our globe and its citizens are still firmly attached to political distinction and economic supremacy. As a result, small countries and vulnerable people are often bullied and exploited. My country Tibet happens to be one of them. It was invaded and taken over by China in 1959. I was born on foreign soil as a refugee in India and as ironic as it is, I have never been to Tibet. My father fled Tibet in the year 1981 at age 13 with thousands of other Tibetans to seek asylum in India under the guidance of H.H the 14th Dalai Lama and has never been able to go back since. My mother, like me, was born in India and has never been to Tibet. Throughout my life, people would ask me, “Where are you from?”: A question easy for many people to answer but not for me. I would say “I am from Tibet,” but in the next breath I would have to add “but I have never been to Tibet.” People would either frown or laugh hearing that response. That would always be saddening. I was desperately in search of identity whereas most people were entitled to it since they were born. Growing up like that might seem dark, and it was until the Universe found me. I was a small kid (age 8) when my mother showed me picture books of Dinosaur and the next thing I knew, I was attached to it. Memorizing and visualizing different dinosaurs became my favorite past time and digging the earth in search of fossils became my best-loved adventure. With curious ventures like this, I was already in love with science, but it was when we were learning the universal law of Gravity that I realized that science was much more than just 'curious adventures.' It was a way to see universal connections- connections spanning beyond Space and Time. The equations of gravity told me that everything in the universe obeys the same law of gravity and is connected in that way. In some deep sense, I am connected to you and you are connected to me as well. This glimpse of a universal connection started my quest to look for more of our connections. I read books like Selfish Gene, Feynman lectures, Upright thinkers and A brief history of time. I watched youtube videos from the World Science Festival, Vsauce, and Kurzegast. I listened to podcasts such as Waking up, Startalk and Infinite monkey cage. And the more I looked, the more our connections seemed obvious: How we live, interconnected, through a delicate food web, How all of us humans evolved from the plains of Africa sharing the same genetic makeup, and how all of us atomically came from the stardust of distant Supernovae. Only then did I realize how petty our human-made political differences are in comparison to our shared reality of physical laws. In the face of that realization, worrying about my political insignificance seemed stupid. Instead, I started to see how connected we are to each other and felt a strong sense of love for everyone. I also started to see how our actions affect our shared planet and became morally and ecologically concerned about it. So dear Alien, although I have never met you, I still hold a strong sense of respect and love for you. These series of realizations, for me, was an indicator of how strong knowledge of the Universe can be in the service of Unity and peace. That's why I became a ‘Student of the Universe' passionately in pursuit of the physical laws that the universe has to teach us in the hope that I can foster these realizations to create our Universe a better place to live in. So Dear Alien, if you are still reading this, I hope you understand now that our planet is unique not because of its location but because of stories like mine. Thank you for reading, Tenzin Jampa Student of the Universe

Dear Ely, It's dark here, do you know? Even during the day. And the window is so small; I can barely see the gardener when he passes. Can you see him when he passes your cell? Is he one of the Others? But... he never looked scary to me. He smiles at me when he finds me looking at him through the tiny hole of a window. Sometimes, he even passes me a candy. But what if he is one of Them? Oh, Ely. . . Dear Ely, I miss you so much. Remember those times when we used to play 'catch-Sam's-tail"? And how we used to pull and braid each other's hair? It's been so long. Do you know why They did this? Do you . . . ? Dear Ely, They knocked today. But I remained quiet, just like you had told me when we came here. When I did not open, They banged and thrashed at the door. I still didn't make a sound. Oh Ely, I am so scared these days. They might come and take me away, just like Maurice. . . Dear Ely, Do you know it rained today? I can still smell it; though the rain is gone for hours now, but the intoxicating damp, sweet smell of the undergrowth is reminding me of all the fun you, I and Sam used to have. The gardener had, very discreetly, passed me one of those fluffy flowers we had seen on the day we were dragged here. I was going to say thank you, but the Others had dragged him off when They found out what he did. . . Ely, I think they are coming for me. I can hear the screams and firing. Did they get you, Ely? Did they? Ely, can you hear me? I'm so scared. What do they do once they drag you off? Do they point those ghastly black things at you and blow off your heart? Or do they hang you upsi Museum Authority: These scraps of writing were found on the walls of the cellar where the victim was kept. We assume she was killed before she could end her last of the queries to the person whom she called Ely.

Everyone knows this feeling. It's a kind of magic. But what does create it? The answer is quite simple: our family's love, understanding, a kind word. This is a gift that has no price at all. And it's the best. When I meet you, your eyes always shine and I can see this magical light, my dear grandfather. How wise, calm, responsive you are. I've never seen your anger or hatred. The world needs more people like you. You're 82 years old now, but your soul is really young. You smile even at problems, and that smile can heal so many broken hearts. You dedicated your life to millions of children, who went to school. During these 50 years of your career, you inspired your pupils and encouraged them to think unusually, to be creative. It turns out that physics and astronomy are really interesting to learn! You have always thought that every child is individual. I feel incredibly lucky, because you are the main teacher in my life. When I was small, you took me to the park and told me different stories, fairy tales. Your hands were warm and soft. I was sitting on a swing while you taught me to count. My golden days. We looked at the stars and they shone so brightly. The most important treasures for you are books. You've been collecting a huge library and sharing it with me. I inherited this love. Every book has its own smell, history, its own heart. It seems like you travel through chapters and feel emotions of characters. You can laugh with them, cry or hate. For example, philosophical books show us a picture of life. These ideas will never lose the power as our human nature remains unchangeable for entire centuries. Thinkers' words describe our reality. It's a wonderful chance to gain knowledge and open your mind. Limitation exists only in our consciousness. Grandpa, you've always said that self-education and self-improvement is the best way to achieve your dream life. It's necessary to learn constantly something new during your life. Stay curious, don't be afraid of the new horizons. Your example proves it, motivates. You were born in a poor family, had no books. You used to sleep almost on the ground and write on the old pieces of paper. There were hard years after the Second World War. Later you walked miles to borrow some books. In spite of all these obstacles you entered one of the most prestigious universities in our country and became a student of the famous professors. I remember those words: your purposefulness and hard work decide everything. Your favorite game is chess. It's the gymnasium of the mind. A perfect way to develop logical and analytical skills. As for me, the game reflects our society. Black or white spaces, black or white pieces. A pawn can become the queen. The king is strong because of his guard, but his golden crown won't save him. The strong pieces stand behind the pawns, but their destiny depends on the players. The game can last only on a bounded board, and then comes «zugzwang» - it means «no escape». In the end, all kings and pawns go into the same box. It's like in life, isn't it? You suffered a stroke in 2012. Your life was on the line. I was scared, grandpa. I was afraid of losing you, dark colors began to appear in my eyes. My God, no. Fortunately, you stand on your feet again. Your sense of humor is alive. Those days you were so weak, but wanted to solve mathematical problems. Today you still read complex academic literature and memorize poems. This love of life has won. Your kindness has returned to you as a boomerang, granddad. All I want is to save your health. Live long. I still can't accept how short our life is. Why can't we turn back the clock? We have one scenario, one way, one fate. One day a station will be final for us, and we will not be able to come back. After all, everyone of us deserves its own finish. Seconds turn to minutes, the minutes turn to hours, the hours to days and the days to years. Time is an impetuous stream of water that will flow out to the last drop. The stars can live for billions of years, but a child can only live for a few months. Do you manage your time properly or not, it kills you in the end. It lasts forever, so our lives are an ordinary thing for it. Grandpa, I can't imagine that you won't be home one day and I won't hear your voice. No, it's too painful. Every day I pray for your health. I'll continue to make you happy, we'll do everything possible for our happy moments. I'm very grateful to you. On a summer night you take your telescope and look at the stars. You seem like a wizard who understands the mystery of the starry sky. And it's so boundless, charming. The stars are bright as always. They are silent and won't open the secrets of the Universe to us. There are things that we must not know about. But if we believe, we can notice miracles around us. Yes, even a new life is a miracle. ‘Grandpa, will the weather be sunny tomorrow?' ‘The most important thing is to keep the sunshine in our souls!'

My lovely Universe, it is crazy to be writing in this space today. It feels like the start of something new. But I am here to write how my life has changed since I felt your presence. How often you let me know about yourself when a warm and pleasant wind touches my hair reminding me about the moments of enjoyment or when a light sunbeam makes me wake up to start a new day. I always recognize you. You talk to me, and our conversation remains interesting, eternal and emotional. It is time when I am ready to say thanks for all things and situiations I have passed through to become who I am right now. Thank you for a tough adventure of “home” girl. You should remember when I was trying all possible ways to enter one of the prestigious university of Russia. And I had depression, because I saw how my parents were looking forward to my test results, but it was so hopeless. I thought it had been the biggest failure in my life. In fact, the end of my story was move to Almaty, a city that taight love and hate go hand and hand sometimes. I was starving because I did not have enough money to buy some food; I was looking for a job, but every time I found one, the employers would find many reasons not to hire me. I had no idea what I was going to do; I started to give up... But suddenly my sister announced me about my father who was in hospital with emergency. I was shouting and crying as I could not help my family anyhow. Hating everything around, I did not realize how my life would be filled by people, who supported and helped me not to lose faith in the best future. Thank you for American adventure, a time of stepping outside of my comfort zone. America it is another and more fascinating story of my life. If someone had told me, that I would be in America, meet new friends and see Empire State Building, I would have never believed it. Thoughts are material, are not they? I wanted and I did it. It was a tough time when I was searching all ways to find some money for my trip. That is why, I borrowed 1400$ from my parents, friends and other people. But that time I was pretty sure, that everything would be alright. As a result, I heard important words: “ Your visa is approved” and I was ready to begin my new chapter of life. If someone invented a time machine, I would definitely go back to the time when I worked at Hersheypark. I met friends, who could make hookah and sang songs of Kendrick Lamar. As a young girl from small town, I wanted to learn how to enjoy every moment. Standing on the escalator at Penn Station in New York, I was thinking about people who hanker to be in my shoes. I won a great chance to look at huge sizes of skyscrapers and hear many languages of the world. After all challenges I have passed through, I am sure, it is worth it. Thank you, lovely Universe, for feeling of love. Moreover, I experienced of love. How many times did I ask you about my true love, which would help to find all answers to my questions? I told you I would be waiting for my “loved one” as long as it takes. I was silly by thinking about man, who did not appreciate my concern, support and me as a woman. It is sad and happy story about one couple who were looking for each other and thinking that they made a right choices. In many cases, people confuse the feeling of love with the fact that they want to take shelter from loneliness. They think how is great to be with person who loves you just the way you are. However, do we love the same way? I have found the answer: no. I was ready to give everything I had, be with him no matter what happened and love him to the moon and back. When someone asks me, what is love? My answer will be a strong heartbeat, glitter in my eyes and smile on my face. Love is ability to share your privacy, not to be afraid to show own shortcomings, let someone know about your funny and embarrassing stories from life. Since I made the right choice, I have been asking you to make him dissapear from my thoughts. I want to forget everything like a terrible nightmare, but I am way too good at goodbyes. What do you know about another love like a mother who loves her child? I would like to tell about one kid and family, which have played a sagnificant role in my life. Universe, you showed me how much I could love baby as mine. His parents give him everything what he wants. Lucky kid, actually. I taught him how wishes could come true, how belief could become a powerful force to go ahead. After playing Mortal Combat and watching Snapchat filters with him, I wanted for that moment to last forever. If someone asks me about love again, I will advise giving all warmth and care to kids because they have not known about dissapointment and failures yet. I lost one feeling and got another, a better one. And I have no idea what you have already prepared for me, but I am sure you are kind to me. Take care,Universe Your Dreamer.