The former half.

Just gonna put this here...

I think it's pretty safe to say that the world is looking forward to 2016 being over. Aside from political affiliation, there are many other current events that have left people devoid of hope (as of late, Carrie Fisher has passed away. RIP you badass, you). So as I have a few days until 2017, I'm trying to reflect on what my goals were, what I actually did, and what I strive for in the future One, it's always good to track things so you have something to look back on. Two, when looking back at accomplishments for the year, I feel it's always a mix of things I actually did/things I never touched on. Or maybe that is me, as I can't commit and follow through on some things by myself. Things I actually did: Starting to save money! Moving was a good step Bought stock (thank you, job) Actually took some time off for my own staycation to explore my new hood Went somewhere international! You bet I consider a work layover in Japan as accomplishing t...

Word vomit moment. This feeling has existed since the weekend and is spilling into the work week – I just can’t shake it. I feel like everyone is crushing their goals. But me. Part of me wants to have a pity party, as I feel I haven’t accomplished anything. …Says the twenty-something who is about to come up on her one year moving and work anniversary. Where are these insecurities even coming from? Oh, I don’t know, maybe it’s because I’m realizing there’s less than 2 months left of 2016. And there are people/other females younger than me crushing some serious goals. Real talk: Sometimes I tell myself “well at least I’m not [insert age] and doing XYZ.” But then I feel horrible, because empowered women empower women, right? Yes I typed that correctly, so you can read it again. Instead of wallowing in self-pity, it’s always good to use these opportunities to motivate oneself. I need to be a #GoalDigger. And suddenly, I’m hungry out of nowhere. Hungry...

I didn't just take a photo of this outfit because it was cute, or because I found the graphic to be powerful. I thought it would be good to document my outfit for my last race of the year. (Or so I say. You never know, I flip flop on these things.) I chose to start running more frequently after being in the PNW for a few months. As the winter rains were letting up, and the sun was coming out more, running outdoors was a great way for me to get out of the apartment. One afternoon, I'm in Jamba Juice for a snack, and then I see an ad for a local race. It was exactly 9 weeks out, and I was crazy & stupid enough to sign up. I thought that signing up for this race would be a great way to keep me running. Let me back up - 60% of the time I don't like running. Sometimes it's more effort than I want to put forward. Sometimes it's really easy to injure yourself. Sometimes it just freaking sucks. Well, what become "only one race in May" turned ...

It's past 3 in the morning, on August 2nd. I'm pretty much 28. There's something about being awake & coherent this late at night that feels... Very sobering. One good friend loves to ask "what are the highs and the lows?" when embarking upon another year of life. A "high" of mine was moving to Oregon for a great work opportunity. This time last year, I was craving newness and a new adventure. With a little bit of work, luck, and help from the universe, it somehow all came true. Another "high" was realizing how important family and friends are to me. Consequently, this also was a "low" of mine. I feel like it's been a little difficult building a support system in a new city that vaguely even resembles what I have back home. So as I blow out the candles on da cake, what do I want for myself? I want to be a goal setter. Another good friend of mine made a post on her social media, saying it's good to set personal and professio...

You may have heard about "that former Yelp employee who wrote an open letter to her CEO about the need to make a decent/liveable wage." I've been skimming the comments (something that gives me both amusement and frustration), and some trending keywords are "entitled" and "personal choice." Instead of focusing time and energy on those opinions, I think one of the biggest takeaways is that living and/or working in the Bay Area can actually put you into debt. This completely reminds me of my immediate post-undergrad life. I wanted to get into the apparel industry, so I took a job in San Francisco and moved back to the Bay Area. It seemed so fabulous and exciting at the time: new job, new city, new living situation, 22 and with my bachelor's degree! Hot damn! Yeah, the first 12 months were anything but that. (That's a blog post for another day...) I was definitely missing my college days, one reason being that I had this amazing job at...

PC:  chocolatesamurai.wordpress.com Sometimes, being an adult is not so fun. Knowing that you really should be responsible, is not a fun realization. For example, I would love to blow some money on trips I shouldn't take and materialistic items I'd like to pretend I can afford. But that won't get me any closer to becoming debt free and/or having an emergency fund. Super big unhappy emoji face right now. Sorry for the absence. Not sure how it's past the middle of February...