Driven, efficient, and unstoppable, Vika is the type of friend who moves through life vigorously, without ever succumbing to defeatism. Earlier this year, I visited her in Guanajuato, a picturesque town in the Bajío region of Mexico, where I spent five days admiring the sheer immensity of her shapeshifting career: a trained mathematician who cut her teeth in consulting and operations for six years before blossoming into a successful self-published romance author. As I watched Vika in action, a through line revealed itself, a lesson so simple and yet so powerful—that we are all authors of our own stories, not characters in someone else’s stories.

Rarely do I meet someone who embodies the spirit of modern-day Bay Area as much as my friend Victor does. If not kitesurfing or paragliding or scuba-diving, then he is building or tinkering. If not playing with the latest tech, then he is traveling or organizing large-group activities. He is, in almost every way, my polar opposite: an unwaveringly extroverted, resourcefully dexterous seeker of adventure. Over the course of nine months during which I interviewed Victor, I was reminded why, despite these contrasts, we have become friends. Because his infectious passion, curiosity, and inclusivity break all barriers, draw you in, and keep you hooked.

I spent a day catching up with my friend Mahsa in her hometown Dubai and visiting the city’s coolest spots: from the luxurious Bulgari Resort to the contemporary art spaces in Alserkal Avenue. We talked about Mahsa’s nomadic life over the past ten years and her passion for sustainable infrastructure. But visiting these spots brought up deeper aspects of Mahsa’s life as well: the search for meaning in her Dubaian-Persian-Canadian identity, which allowed me to witness Mahsa’s most admirable trait unfold in real time—her ability to cut through the noise and find her own truth.

Otherwise known as the cheeky, glittering Persian Barbie. A few days after her excellent February performance at the Rickshaw Stop in San Francisco, I met up with Disco to chat about the nuts and bolts of her music career. Whether it’s switching back and forth between producing and DJing, videotaping and self-analyzing her live performances, or coming up with lyrics in the most unusual moments, Disco showed me how much passion goes into her craft and how much mental stamina it actually takes to be a pop star.

A month before the birth of his first child, Reza hosted me in San Jose, where he and his wife had recently set up their house, a homely and snug oasis in the heart of Silicon Valley. A jack of all trades, Reza is a character whose depth, at first, reveals itself subtly and then starts to shine brightly. As we drove and walked around the city, I got to learn about the moments that made Reza the layered character he is today—the dapper and sporty guy who is a hippie at heart, the straight-to-the-point coworker who is unintentionally hilarious, the undecipherable, intimidating dude who is not afraid to talk about the power of finding the right person to love.

On paper, Anisha might sound like the quintessential character of the San Francisco corporate scene: a business school-educated venture capitalist who once worked in finance and tech. Those who know her, however, know that she defies all the stereotypes that come with this image. An observant, sensible introvert with a heightened sense of empathy and an eye for beauty, Anisha is a lifelong learner, someone who resolutely searches for harmony in life. The two of us spent a sunny Saturday in San Francisco, eating, baking, hunting for books, and talking about the ways Anisha finds structure in a world of chaos.