Last night, I finally got the chance to sit down with one of my great guy friends at American University. He and I both have had insanely crazy semesters that have caused us to put hang-outs on hold for awhile. While I give him a hard time constantly, he truly is a great friend of mine who I tell almost everything. There are things that I tell him that I don't tell others. He's just incredibly straight forward and will call me out when I get into this ridiculous mentality.
He has had some awesome opportunities this semester (rockstar, this kid) so one of my questions during dinner was: What are some life lessons that you've gained?
Let me tell you, the number of things he listed off can be put in a book. One thing he said that stuck with me was, "Don't just do what you think fits the 'model' of your perfect life."
As I've said before, I'm the "Type-A planner type of gal." And, this friend of mine knows it and gives me a tough time for it always! The more I move forward in life the more this rings true. It is nearly impossible for a person to plan out every single aspect of his or her life. I can't do it. You can't do it. Nobody can do it. There will always be something out of your control. Planning EVERYTHING can be dangerous. Typically, at the end of the road is nothing but disappointment. Trust me, I've been there one too many times.
After dinner last night, I actually had to pause and think about where I am currently. You can say that a lot of things are going my way right now but at the same time, I can't keep going down this road where I force things to fit into this model of a life of mine (i.e. dating, relationships, marriage, career, family). While it's smart to plan the general direction of where you want to go, you really can't
micromanage every aspect.
One of my resolutions for 2013: Let go. Step out of your comfort zone.
Friday, December 21, 2012
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Let's Catch Up
Hey y'all!
It has definitely been a bit of time since I last posted. SO much has happened in the past couple of months. I'm not entirely sure where to begin?
Biggest life updates: I finished my second to last semester as an undergrad and I have officially started full-time work as of this past Tuesday morning. Yes, you read that right-- FULL TIME JOB. Now you may be thinking, "Full-time job? Are you graduating?" Oh no, I am still graduating on time in May 2013. (If I weren't, I think my mother would have a heart attack and refuse to continue paying for my education past May 2013.) Starting January 14th, I will be tackling my final semester at American University with a full-time student course load as well as working full-time as a marketing coordinator with a FABULOUS company.
How would I sum up this past semester? DIFFICULT. Walking into this semester, I had this notion that I was going to take things easy and actually enjoy life. Who was I fooling?? I ended up interning, taking a leadership role in Alpha Kappa Psi, aiming for that 4.0 in school, while trying to throw in a little bit of personal life fun. While I think I hit every aspect that I wanted to, it came with extreme exhaustion. There were plenty of nights where I would get home around midnight after a long day and want to throw in the towel and quit. Learning to balance all of this brought frustration yet it brought such JOY. Crazy, right? I've had so many great laughs, experiences, new friends, and opportunities come out of one hectic semester. I can honestly say that I don't regret any of it.
Most importantly, I came out of this semester with a full-time job waiting for me. No more post-grad stress! WOO! I feel incredibly blessed for this opportunity. I love the position, I love the people I work with, and most importantly I love the fact that I get to do what I love to do most.
There is no doubt that next semester is going to be ridiculous--more tears and more frustration and more exhaustion. But, I have an incredible community of people here supporting me constantly. The last thing that I'd want to do is disappoint any of them. I know deep down that the experiences that I will come across will top all of the tears, frustration, and exhaustion.
There are no words to describe my excitement for finishing up my undergraduate career at American University and taking the first true step in my real work career.
Here's to the future!
It has definitely been a bit of time since I last posted. SO much has happened in the past couple of months. I'm not entirely sure where to begin?
Biggest life updates: I finished my second to last semester as an undergrad and I have officially started full-time work as of this past Tuesday morning. Yes, you read that right-- FULL TIME JOB. Now you may be thinking, "Full-time job? Are you graduating?" Oh no, I am still graduating on time in May 2013. (If I weren't, I think my mother would have a heart attack and refuse to continue paying for my education past May 2013.) Starting January 14th, I will be tackling my final semester at American University with a full-time student course load as well as working full-time as a marketing coordinator with a FABULOUS company.
How would I sum up this past semester? DIFFICULT. Walking into this semester, I had this notion that I was going to take things easy and actually enjoy life. Who was I fooling?? I ended up interning, taking a leadership role in Alpha Kappa Psi, aiming for that 4.0 in school, while trying to throw in a little bit of personal life fun. While I think I hit every aspect that I wanted to, it came with extreme exhaustion. There were plenty of nights where I would get home around midnight after a long day and want to throw in the towel and quit. Learning to balance all of this brought frustration yet it brought such JOY. Crazy, right? I've had so many great laughs, experiences, new friends, and opportunities come out of one hectic semester. I can honestly say that I don't regret any of it.
Most importantly, I came out of this semester with a full-time job waiting for me. No more post-grad stress! WOO! I feel incredibly blessed for this opportunity. I love the position, I love the people I work with, and most importantly I love the fact that I get to do what I love to do most.
There is no doubt that next semester is going to be ridiculous--more tears and more frustration and more exhaustion. But, I have an incredible community of people here supporting me constantly. The last thing that I'd want to do is disappoint any of them. I know deep down that the experiences that I will come across will top all of the tears, frustration, and exhaustion.
There are no words to describe my excitement for finishing up my undergraduate career at American University and taking the first true step in my real work career.
Here's to the future!
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Get in Shape!
I am completely procrastinating right now. The pile of work is massive and yet here I am, snuggling in bed, sipping on tea, listening to Maroon 5's first album Songs About Jane, and blogging. Over Thanksgiving I realized how long it's been since I last worked out. It has been more than just a while. So, here I am: committing to a workout schedule and healthy eating. What will I be embarking on during this challenge?
1. Wake up an hour early every morning to work out. (We'll see how this goes.)
2. Limit desserts to once a week.
3. No coffee, sodas, or soft drinks.
4. WATER WATER WATER (and some tea).
5. Home-cooked meals!
It's going to be a tough one but I will try my best to stick to it! Who wants to be my fitness buddy??
...alright back to these papers that are glaring at me.
Monday, November 12, 2012
Monthly Goals | November 2012
It has been TWO months since I last posted. School + Alpha Kappa Psi + internship + miscellaneous activites have kept me totally preoccupied. Kicking off my return to Walk in Love with my monthly goals for November!
November Goals:
1. Keep up with journaling, devotions, and blogging
2. Write one handwritten note per week
3. Conduct informational interviews with senior management at my internship
4. WORK. OUT.
5. STOP. SHOPPING.
6. ENJOY Thanksgiving break and give myself a real break
7. Read one book
8. Try 2 new recipes
Kind of loving my goals for November. Keep me accountable?
What are your goals for November?
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Monthly Goals: September
August was a bit of a crazy month for me and I completely fell behind on blogging (including posting my monthly goals). But, I'm back in full force, ready to tackle the month of September! First off though, can you believe it's September already!? 2012 is simply FLYING by and before you know it, it'll be 2013. What an insane thought! Well here are my goals for September. There are quite a few.
September Goals:
1. Stay organized and be on top of readings for class
2. Rock my internship at CalTort and keep pushing myself
3. Do the best that I can at my e-board position with Alpha Kappa Psi
4. Write more handwritten letters
5. Intentionally pray for myself and friends
6. Get back into a normal workout routine
7. Stay in touch with friends
8. Drink lots of pumpkin spice lattes
9. Give myself a break and breathe every once in awhile
10. POSITIVE THINKING
10. POSITIVE THINKING
Who's ready for all-things fall? Pumpkin spice lattes, cardigans, changing colors, gorgeous DC scenery, cooler weather, boots, and most importantly FOOTBALL!
Friday, August 31, 2012
Readjusting from China
Time to be 100% honest.
With the start of the new semester and reuniting with old classmates, I've been getting the question, "How was China?" more than once a day. To make things simple, I go with the generic response of, "It was great! A true learning experience."
This is my cop-out response because I honestly don't know what else to say. I've been home for three months now after spending an entire semester abroad in China. But within these three months, I never got the chance to sit down and really reflect on my experience in China. There wasn't any time for reflection and truth be told, I didn't want to think about my semester abroad.
A few weeks ago, my friend Madison, whom I met in Beijing, came to DC for a short weekend visit. Madison, like me is an American-born-Chinese (what we call ABC) and was my rock in China. We held each other up. One night during her visit, we were at dinner and finally talked about our experience in China and readjustment back to the States. It was a tough night for me because I finally faced everything that I had suppressed. So...here we go.
China WAS a great experience but at the same time, it was extremely difficult for me. I learned more than I had bargained for in those 4-5 months. I saw things that I never expected, heard stories that broke my heart, and it was all worth the money I paid for to go to China. I think that I was never able to fully answer the "How was China?" question because, I don't know how to put my experience into words. No one can fully understand me unless they were physically there in China with me. I walk around campus and drive around Washington, DC thinking about the people around me. They have no idea what I went through and have no idea as to the condition of other places in the world.
In a way, China opened my eyes to the speed at which the country is changing. You have the richest of the rich and then the poorest of the poor. It's incredibly sad to see and hear the stories! Visiting the broken down, agricultural areas truly puts so much in perspective. Some of these people who live in homes with dirt floors, are actually the happiest people that I've ever met. They are so at peace and have found contentment in their current situation. It was so humbling to see.
If anything, my semester in China made me proud to me a Chinese-American. While in China, I found myself knee-deep in something I'd like to call "Identity Crisis." The Chinese saw me as an American while Americans saw me as Chinese. I really was in limbo! But you know what, why not be proud of being both Chinese and an American? The Chinese culture is so rich and the people are so strong in adversity. The Americans are also so strong and the country is filled with diversity and opprotunities. I come back to the United States a little less high-strung and more appreciative of what I have but more importantly, who I am.
With the start of the new semester and reuniting with old classmates, I've been getting the question, "How was China?" more than once a day. To make things simple, I go with the generic response of, "It was great! A true learning experience."
This is my cop-out response because I honestly don't know what else to say. I've been home for three months now after spending an entire semester abroad in China. But within these three months, I never got the chance to sit down and really reflect on my experience in China. There wasn't any time for reflection and truth be told, I didn't want to think about my semester abroad.
A few weeks ago, my friend Madison, whom I met in Beijing, came to DC for a short weekend visit. Madison, like me is an American-born-Chinese (what we call ABC) and was my rock in China. We held each other up. One night during her visit, we were at dinner and finally talked about our experience in China and readjustment back to the States. It was a tough night for me because I finally faced everything that I had suppressed. So...here we go.
China WAS a great experience but at the same time, it was extremely difficult for me. I learned more than I had bargained for in those 4-5 months. I saw things that I never expected, heard stories that broke my heart, and it was all worth the money I paid for to go to China. I think that I was never able to fully answer the "How was China?" question because, I don't know how to put my experience into words. No one can fully understand me unless they were physically there in China with me. I walk around campus and drive around Washington, DC thinking about the people around me. They have no idea what I went through and have no idea as to the condition of other places in the world.
In a way, China opened my eyes to the speed at which the country is changing. You have the richest of the rich and then the poorest of the poor. It's incredibly sad to see and hear the stories! Visiting the broken down, agricultural areas truly puts so much in perspective. Some of these people who live in homes with dirt floors, are actually the happiest people that I've ever met. They are so at peace and have found contentment in their current situation. It was so humbling to see.
If anything, my semester in China made me proud to me a Chinese-American. While in China, I found myself knee-deep in something I'd like to call "Identity Crisis." The Chinese saw me as an American while Americans saw me as Chinese. I really was in limbo! But you know what, why not be proud of being both Chinese and an American? The Chinese culture is so rich and the people are so strong in adversity. The Americans are also so strong and the country is filled with diversity and opprotunities. I come back to the United States a little less high-strung and more appreciative of what I have but more importantly, who I am.
Monday, August 13, 2012
I AM BACK
Alright, I admit, July was a really bad blogging month for me. I was distracted with my 21st birthday, friends coming into town, a NYC trip, and the start of my fall internship. With that being said, I am finally back and settled down. Who's ready to start blogging again? THIS GIRL! Keep your eyes out for a ton of new posts and life updates. There's a whole lot happening in my crazy world! GET PUMPED.
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