Fallin' for New York City

A few years ago, the decision to move to New York City was between Texas and New York. It was probably the recent legislation in Texas that made me not regret the decision to move or maybe I found a personal peace and quiet after two year of surviving in this chaotic city.

 To be real, the main reason is because of love. That will always be a beautiful fact for me. 

A constant thing in my life is my perception of some things, my personal goals, and my self love. I always believed that having a strong foundations of these things will help in most challenges. The past year has been quite hard as I juggled school and work. The commute time from home - work- and school has been brutal. The time devoted to studying has caused me lack of sleep and losing a few muscle mass (haha). It was such a clusterfuck but everyday I remind myself that despite of it all, my personal perseverance is what got me out of bed every morning. 

For the past year, I was deprived of things I normally love doing. These things are super generic! I like to watch shows/movies and read books. I have to devote my time to work and my school work, haha. It was a sacrifice to make because I want to further my career (and hopefully get into academia!).

The pandemic continued to affect me mentally and I wasn't spared from the racial slurs and hostility of some clients that I've encountered at my job to the point of being afraid of being asian in New York City. I didn't think I will be exactly what the news described. I feel for others who experienced this on the daily. After three occasions, I felt that I need to accept defeat and seek help. 

 I am doing my best to come out stronger. I am doing my best to remain inspired. I am doing my best to not be hateful - at this moment, I don't think I will ever get to that point, because the good is so much more better than the bad. 

The positive sides about New York City for me is the diversity of culture and food. Despite of it all, I know that this is where I thrive. I love learning about people and eating food. I really love my open-mindedness about these things. I also did not realize that I will have appreciation for upstate New York way more than I realized. I finally got a waterfall moment. 

I like to think that living in New York City made me hold on to my resilience tighter than ever. It made me hold on to practicing gratitude and embracing the good things however small they can feel sometimes. I will think about a compliment from a patient, the deep talks with a classmate/colleague on the train, and having someone to embrace. For other things, I embrace the independence to do whatever the hell I want in my current situation that I am realistically capable of doing. 

New York City, I always knew you would be chaotic and that I will be stressed. I know that my heart broke, at times, but here I am to stay. You had opened so many doors for me career wise and inspired me to do more. Please continue to show me love, as this is what got me here in the first place. At this point, you are my home. Thank you for having me. 

May the next year give me more blessings and stability. 

Until next time. 

Live life on the Edge

 I am way behind on my updates. I will try and sum it up. Clearly, I made this blog to track my life here in NYC (but it became a clusterf*ck, thanks to the pandemic!). I did not expect to live through the pandemic here. Regardless, I am extremely thankful to have made it this far since March of 2020. I am grateful for being vaccinated. Life is slowly getting back to normal. I am grateful to be able to go out and support small businesses. 

I was able to reach my first year anniversary living in New York City on September 26, 2020. At the time, The Edge in NYC was offering healthcare workers free entrance to be able to take the elevator high up and see the view. In my opinion, that's the best way to see NYC. 

It was breathtaking. I can't believe I decided to live in NYC. 

At the end of November, I made a decision to chop my hair. I also got some highlights a few months after. While a lot of people got into plants during the pandemic, I am just patiently waiting for my hair to grow. It is interesting witnessing the pixie grow and the upkeep that is suggested. It was a spur-of-the-moment decision as I was walking to the train station after work in Lower East Side. Shout out to Bubu NYC. 

Hair definitely grew a bit since November of last year (as these are semi-recent photos). The pandemic made me do it. Partially (haha). Also, I turned 30 years old last December and having a pixie was something I always wanted to do. Cheers to a new decade. 

Moving forward to the present time, I am still trying to get back into some normalcy like most people. I am thankful that there are some things that I have control over such as having books to read and shows to watch. I am grateful for being employed and have an opportunity to further my career through my education. My personal takeaway while living and working through this pandemic is definitely gratitude. Along with mindfulness, gratitude should be practiced every day. 

Other things that happened. May the photos say it all. 

.. and a random photo in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania:

In the midst of it all, the school has been kicking my ass. I have to push through because I have a dream. I currently get a break and then it would be my last 10 weeks. 

Stay well, stay safe.