2019: Year in Review
So no one told you life was gonna be this way…👏👏👏👏
I talk about “adulting” a lot.
But truth is I still don’t entirely feel like a full grown adult, even though I’m going through the motions. Unfortunately there isn’t a coming of age party that officially marks your status change from emerging adulthood to full-fledged adulthood.
I feel like being an adult is creating your individual identity and forging a life that you love. It’s doing things you want to do in the way you want to do it. Now that I’m in my mid-20s, I’m getting much closer to becoming the woman I want to be. And this year, I feel like I’ve made substantial progress through personal achievements I’m proud of and more importantly, developed a newfound understanding of what I should be doing at this stage in my life.
This year, I…
Cut out fast fashion.
Ever since starting my job at thredUP, I’ve learned so much about fashion waste and pollution. One of my resolutions last year was to not shop fast fashion. I’ll admit I broke twice, but I shop a lot and most of my “new” pieces this year have been secondhand. With secondhand I can buy nicer, higher quality premium brand clothing that I can rewear for a long time. I’ve also discovered more ethical brands to shop from, and never feel the urge to walk into a Zara or Forever 21 anymore.
Learned about diets.
At the beginning of the year, I tried Whole30. From there I started learning more about nutrition and eating low-carb and more plant-based. Towards the end of the year I started intermittent fasting and really love it. That + the Invisalign diet = making sure I’m more particular about the food I do consume and when I consume it.
Also, one of my 2019 resolutions was to not buy myself chips. Success!
kicked ass in body combat.
After 7 years of taking Body Combat classes, in July I trained to become an instructor and got certified in October! That was a huge personal accomplishment. But what I love the most is attending the weekly classes at my local gym. They make me feel on top of the world.
Ran two 12k’s!
I’ve always hated running. The mile run in P.E. class was the bane of my adolescence. Somehow I pulled myself together to run not one but two 12k’s this year. I even kind of trained for them. (Thank you amazing Nike Run app!) Your body is capable of so much more than you think.
went back to school.
I spent the first 5 months of this year studying for the GMAT. After taking it, I realized I wasn’t ready to get an MBA just yet. But I didn’t want to waste my time not learning anything. A few months later I enrolled in SF City College and started taking evening classes after work. It was a struggle having to spend hours in a classroom after a full day of work and get home at 10pm, but I ended up really enjoying my accounting class. Can’t wait for next semester!
discovered a love for cooking.
This year, as I really settled into my Bay Area home, I discovered that the time I spend cooking alone was time well spent. Cooking has become my favorite form of self-care. Not only does it nourish my body and soul, it’s also become a new outlet for creativity. Now I can assemble all sorts of edible concoctions others can enjoy.
Photographed beautiful people.
Even though I’m no longer actively building a photography portfolio, I still jump at the chance to do a photoshoot when the opportunity presents itself. This year I got to shoot dancers ranging from ballerinas to contortionists, new models, and some newly engaged friends of mine.
Took my coworkers sketching.
In May we had our annual thredUP UPconference, where we spent the day teaching all types of non work-related activities to fellow coworkers. It was my first time participating, and I put together a session to go urban sketching out in the city. People loved it! Dear past architecture professors, you would be so proud of me.
visited home, a lot.
After our family vacation at the beginning of this year, I realized how little time I get to spend with my family living on opposite sides of California. So every chance I got (Mother’s Day, 4th of July, work conference in Long Beach), I flew home to see my parents, even if it was just for a weekend. It’s always so nice sleeping in your childhood home, eating mom’s cooking, and picking fruit from the yard. I’m so thankful for a flexible work from home policy that allows me to spend time with loved ones.
wait, there’s more!
This year I also moved into a gorgeous new office on the sunny side of the bay, saw the Jonas Brothers and Sara Bareilles live, took a day trip to Phoenix with my coworkers, binged the entirety of Suits, rode bikes on my birthday, played guitar outside the confines of my bedroom, made mooncakes from scratch, went wedding dress shopping with my best friend, took my sister to Europe, got braces, learned to love flossing, visited the Salk Institute, got a massage for the first time, won a hackathon and upgraded my camera lens, went to a garlic festival, rode in a self-driving car, shipped my first big design project, visited a Friends set, walked a dog for the first time, took Simon to two Broadway shows in SF, met Tae Bo creator Billy Blanks, dined at Chez Panisse, cooked Christmas dinner, and went to Disneyland!
I learned that…
No amount of cool bucket list highlights or extraordinary accomplishments beats great company. See your friends and family often and plan things with them as much as you can.
You build your own unique career path. That means you show up to work and ask for what you want. No one’s going to hold your hand, through work or through life.
I am happiest when I spent time with loved ones, work out, and eat or make amazing food. Yes, I reviewed all my weekly “Good Things That’ve Happened This Week” list and tallied up the categories for the year. Data doesn’t lie!
Loneliness is a symptom of neglecting self-care. Living on your own is hard, but don’t forget, you always have yourself to depend on.
Following your curiosity is a better goal than following your passion.
Investing your money is passive income. Don’t just let it sit in your savings account.
Learning never ends. There is so much I don’t know, and I should learn as much as I can before life gets in the way.
Parents age, and they need my help now more than ever.
I’m a morning person.
If you don’t set goals, a year will flash by in the blink of an eye and leave you wondering what happened? On that note…
2020 Resolutions!
Less guilt. Practice self-compassion and be unapologetically me.
Stop trying to do things I’ve lost interest in. I’m curious about an endless stream of things and literally don’t have the time or mental capacity to act on all my hobbies, and I’m okay with that. So I’m telling myself to return that book, close those tabs, throw away that flyer. If I can let go off physical clutter I can let go of past ideas. They are not that precious.
Focus on my own sh*t and accept that there are things I just don’t care about. I don’t care about the newest TV shows, beauty trends, or taking care of plants. I don’t want to watch a baseball game or play a new video game. So what? I choose to spend my precious time doing things I care about.
Run a half marathon.
Make art. Remember that my goals for my own art have changed, and that I should only make art I’m passionate about. For now that is fine art photography.
Start teaching body combat.
Work harder at work. Take initiative and own projects.
Work on personal finance, fight lifestyle creep, and save more.
Not buy uncomfortable shoes. Cute shoes are not worth the physical pain and resulting bad mood.
Okay, that’s all! If I add more I’ll just forget them. So here’s to 2019, a year of adulting. And to 2020, a year of truly becoming. Cheers to the new decade!
Christmas in San Francisco: 2009 vs 2019
