Diana is Helen's younger sister and lifelong best friend. The strength of their bond has roots in their early childhood when they bitterly quarreled over which book-on-tape to replay on their cassette player (over and over and over again). No matter how far Helen's life journey took her from home, Diana was able to be there for her- literally. She can ride a motorcycle, drive stick-shift, and captain a cargo ship. She is currently a pilot for China Airlines.

Johnny and Tan have known each other since 1999, when they realized that they had nearly identical class schedules during freshman year of high school. Through all these years, Johnny's quick wit and intelligent banter has only sharpened. Tan also suspects that he will continue to fall for Johnny's pump fake on the basketball court. The list of Johnny's positive attributes are as many as the number of views on his YouTube videos (nearly 500,000 at last count!). If we can't find Johnny at UCSF Medical Center, we can bet he is teeing up at a golf course nearby.

Emile and Tan have known each other since 2010, when Emile moved to New York City during Tan's medical education and training. New York City is a place of near limitless options for entertainment, but Emile and Tan nearly always gravitated back to Woorijip, the unpretentious Korea Town restaurant/bar ("cafeteria/convenience store" for the naysayers) that allowed easy conversation at normal speaking levels. Manhattan is a city full of colorful characters, and Emile was always the suave and confident gentleman. Emile now lives in Seattle and is finishing up the first season of his very own podcast, EWangBang.

Ingrid is Helen's closest friend from business school. Her poise and intelligence have always been apparent, and Helen feels privileged also to know Ingrid's warm and nurturing personality. Ingrid is the consummate classmate, and she will always be the first to offer support via interview prep or bubble tea. She is an accomplished musician and investment banker. She currently has her eyes set on an even bigger prize: to become a dog owner.

Kevin is Tan's younger cousin by nearly 10 years. It is always a sign of our advancing years when we find that our kid cousin is now a full-fledged adult who is more put together in his life than we were at his age. Kevin is studying Computer Science at UC Riverside, and looks to make an impact in technology and education when it is all said and done. In the meantime, he is powerlifting with weights we will never be able to comprehend without a calculator.

Linda is Helen's partner-in-crime in New York City. They first met at a job orientation, and soon became fast friends in which no adventure was ever turned down. Through all the antics that come with living in New York City- wining, dining, walking 30 blocks with an oil-based painting, planning day trips to Boston and Cancun (!)- Linda has always remained Helen's truest confidant. Linda is currently a product manager, and has also recently escaped from New York to settle in California. The adventures continue!