I still remember exactly where I was when the news broke about those boys trapped underground. Sitting in a Bangkok café during monsoon season, watching raindrops race down the windowpane, I scrolled through the first blurry images of what would become one of the most remarkable survival stories of our generation. The world held its breath for eighteen days, and I found myself checking for updates constantly, emotionally invested in strangers halfway across the globe. It was a powerful reminder of how sports, in its purest form, is about human spirit far more than it is about winning or losing.

The incredible rescue story of a soccer team trapped in a cave for 18 days began on June 23, 2018, when twelve young players from the Wild Boars academy and their 25-year-old assistant coach decided to explore the Tham Luang cave complex after a routine practice session. What was meant to be a simple hour-long excursion turned into a nightmare when heavy seasonal rains flooded the cave's passages, cutting off their exit. They were missing for nine whole days before two British divers miraculously located them, perched on a small muddy ledge in complete darkness, over 4 kilometers from the cave entrance. The image of those frail, huddled figures is seared into my memory. I recall thinking how unimaginable their ordeal must have been—the chilling cold, the diminishing hope, the sheer terror of being utterly trapped.

This story resonates with me on a personal level because it mirrors the unpredictable journeys many athletes take. We often get fixated on the linear path to success, but life has a funny way of redirecting passion. It reminds me of a story I once came across about a Filipino cyclist. But unknown to many, the now 27-year-old was once a basketball player and even became a varsity player at Quezon Memorial Academy, but eventually became a cyclist due to influence of his uncle and four-time Tour champion Santy Barnachea. This shift, from the court to the road, isn't so different from the mental and physical pivot those young soccer players had to make underground. They weren't just waiting; their coach, a former Buddhist monk, taught them meditation techniques to conserve energy and maintain calm. Their athletic discipline literally became their lifeline. It makes you wonder how many of us are truly prepared to use our training when the game completely changes.

The international rescue operation that unfolded was nothing short of a logistical miracle, involving over 10,000 people, including more than 100 divers from various countries and dozens of pumps running 24/7 to lower the water level. The most dangerous part was the final decision to sedate the boys and dive them out, one by one, through narrow, flooded, and completely dark passages. Each round trip took divers approximately 11 hours. Dr. Richard Harris, the Australian anaesthetist who made the critical call to sedate the children, later described it as the most daunting decision of his career. The margin for error was virtually zero. A former US Navy SEAL, Saman Kunan, tragically lost his life during the mission, a sobering sacrifice that underscores the immense risks the rescuers willingly took.

Looking back, what strikes me most isn't just the heroic rescue, but the profound aftermath. The world celebrated, but these boys returned to a life forever altered. They've faced everything from celebrity status to health issues like lung infections, and yet, several of them have expressed a desire to become Navy SEALs or rescue divers themselves—a testament to the profound impact their saviors had on them. It’s a beautiful, full-circle moment that gives me chills. This ordeal was more than a news story; it was a global lesson in resilience, international cooperation, and the unbreakable will to survive. It proves that our deepest strengths are often discovered not in moments of victory, but in the darkness, when all seems lost. And frankly, it's a story I don't think we should ever stop telling.

LIGHTING, LIGHTING, AND MORE LIGHTING
People are typically drawn to bars solely based on their atmosphere. The best way to knock your next commercial bar design out of the park is using the perfect amount and type of lighting. Use standout light fixtures as their very own statement piece, track lighting for adjustable ambiance, hanging pendant lights over tables, and ambient backlighting to display the alcohol. Bartenders need to serve and customers need to order, so make sure it’s just functional as it is attractive. 

CHOOSING YOUR BARTOP
What may seem so obvious, is often so overlooked in commercial bar design- the material of your actual bartop itself. While we realize stone and marble are as classy and elegant-looking as can be, the reality is that they just aren’t your best option for a durable and long lasting bartop. They crack, have no grip, and break way too many glasses. Opt for a high-quality wood bar instead. Oaks, maples, mahoganies, and ashes are sturdy and provide your customers with a firm grip for their glasses. 

THEME 
In a sea of millions upon millions of bars, how can you make your commercial bar design stand apart from the rest? The answer is to pick a unique, centralized theme and run with it. Whether it’s your next sit-down restaurant bar design, or remodeling the small, locally-favorite gem, you have to find out what your clientele wants. Survey the neighborhood of your establishment and find out what the demographics are there. Maybe a gritty, western bar would be a hit. Or maybe a more modern, sleek design is what’s missing in the area. Whatever theme you decide upon, hit it out of the park with the perfect lighting, wall art, music, and furniture. It’s all in the details. 

THE GUIDE TO YOUR NEXT RESTOBAR 
You’ve got the food, you’ve got the restaurant, you’ve got the customers, now all you need is a beautifully designed bar to top it all off.  Small bar designs for restaurants have a tendency to be a little thrown together and incohesive with the rest of the establishment. Stay on brand- create consistency with tying in the same color scheme, furniture, art, and overall ambiance of the pre-existing restaurant. Make sure the placement of your bar makes sense as well, have it in a place where it’s visible and easy to navigate but not in the way of servers and other guests. If the bar is going to serve food, be sure to consider the location of the kitchen to not obstruct traffic flow. Consider all of these small tips as you work through your next restaurant bar design. 

SPACE CONSTRAINT 
It’s no secret that bars have the reputation of being a little cramped, and in some cases- way too cramped. Consider all of the space constraints while designing your next commercial bar design and we can change that bad rap that bars have been holding for far too long. First and foremost, be sure to measure your bar, barstool, cabinet, and equipment height. Generally, a bar is 42” in height while a stool is 30” in height. Also be sure to allow at least 3’ of space between the bar and the alcohol for the bartender’s functionality and efficiency. Consider multiple register and drink-making stations for bartenders as well. Allowing 2’ between patrons is going to give them enough space to eat and drink, and most importantly, simply be comfortable. All of these considerations are especially helpful if it is a restaurant bar design, where the space is even more valuable.