25 REFLECTIONS AT 25 YEARS
What you might not know about me is that every year on my birthday, I shed a few tears. They aren't tears of sadness, but tears of joy and excitement for making it to where I currently am. As an adult now in my mid twenties, I still am aspiring to learn more and find inspiration wherever I go. I'm going to be really honest and say that I've been struggling with finding the inspiration that I had back when I wrote my "23 THINGS I LEARNED AT 23" post which made it challenging for me to blog during this past year. I'll hold this thought until later on in this post, but what I hope to achieve here is a reflection on 25 things that have greatly influenced me in my 25 years. :')
I've been inspired by Urban 20 Something and divided my 25 reflections up a little into categories:
5 Books/Movies That Have Influenced Me
5 Memorable Places I Have Visited
5 Things I Look Forward To/Hope to Achieve in the Next 5 Years
10 Important Lessons I Learned
5 BOOKS/MOVIES THAT HAVE INFLUENCED ME
Brain on Fire is one of the most recent books that I have read cover to cover (aside from the Crazy Rich Asian trilogy) and would hands down recommend to anyone looking for a new read. This memoir talks about a local NY Post reporter who suddenly started experiencing weird psychotic behaviors in the midst of her normal, healthy life. Doctors described her behaviors as cases of "demonic possessions." I was shocked at how this woman was able to keep a journal about her month-long journey illness. She was diagnosed with anti-NMDA, a rare autoimmune disease that can attack the brain. This book really gives you a different POV of things - it was definitely a page turner and makes you wonder if the supernatural really does exist!
The author gives his personal advice and perspectives on pretty much how to tackle life; from going to job interviews, to dealing with relationships, to overcoming an addiction with alcohol and even "the right way" of committing suicide. Reading about this guy's point of view in life influenced me to have an honest communication with myself and with others.
A funny thing that happened literally one month after reading this book was when I had decided to walk into Barnes and Nobles one day on a quest to find a new book to read. Coincidentally on that same day, Augusten Burroughs was doing a book signing for his new book, Lust & Wonder. It was my first time meeting a new favorite author and witnessing a new book that I had eventually purchased getting signed. Truly an inspiring experience that I'll never forget.
#GirlBoss isn't something that I had expected myself to read, since it is such a popular book. I'm not the type of person who would choose to read a trending book because everyone else is reading it (except for Crazy Rich Asians), but the first sentence of the first page reeled me in. I really enjoy reading memoirs because it puts myself in the author's shoes and rewinds time to the year they were experiencing what they wrote about. Sophia Amoruso was the eBay queen back in the day, making money off vintage clothing she had purchased from thrift stores. Keeping in mind that this was back in the day when the internet was still fairly new to the world, Sophia hustled the heck out of the internet and eventually founded Nasty Gal.
My favorite movie of all time, and such a classic. This girl makes a wish on her 13th birthday to be older. She wakes up the next day as a 30 year old woman. At first, being 30 is all she's ever dreamed about - big boobs, a job as a magazine editor, dating a super hot boyfriend and best friends with the popular girl from her high school. Soon enough, she realizes that the dream she had at 13 wasn't what she wanted. She regrets that her best friend was going to marry someone else, and that she had neglected her parents for the past seventeen years. Life happens too fast so don't be too anxious to grow up.
My love for food documentaries started with this very one. Well, I've always loved watching Food Network and other people cook, but seeing the whole story behind a dish or what makes the chef become a Michelin Star is so amazing. The very one line Jiro said that stuck with me was, "Once you decide on your occupation, you must immerse yourself in your work. Never complain about your job. You must dedicate your life to mastering your skill. That's the secret of success... and is the key to being regarded honorably." The reason why that is so true is because we live most of our life working until retirement, and once we start working in our 20s we'll be working pretty much for the next 40-50 years. So why not make the most out of it - become a master of your work.
5 MEMORABLE PLACES I HAVE VISITED
1. Alaska
Everything about my experience of going to Alaska was amazing. It was the most adventurous vacation I had ever taken - so many hikes and vibrant scenery. I haven't appreciated mother nature this much until I went on this trip. I came here around August with my family - we had a terrible experience with getting our flight cancelled by American Airlines (never flying with them ever again) and missed our cruise ship when it docked off of Seattle. However, this shortcoming allowed us to experience a flight straight to Ketchikan, Alaska where the airport was on an island, and we caught our ship at that first dock. The people who live there have such different lifestyles from the rest of the states. It's hard to imagine myself doing a life in Alaska, but I would say yes a million times to going back. You can read about my trip in my blog post here.
2. Chichen Itza
Chichen Itza was part of my college senior year Spring Break trip. My friends and I did this excursion during one of the days we were there... and from what I remember, we had to be up and ready by 8am and we traveled through 2 different timezones (it was only like 2 hours of time difference back and forth, but still crazy to keep up with in 1 day)! At that time, I was going through a couple of ups and downs, so my friends influenced me to make this spontaneous decision of booking a flight with them to Cancun. Out of all the crazy decisions I had made in my life I would never regret this one. I became close to two amazing college friends who I still hang out with today.
3. Austin, TX
This was the first trip my boyfriend and I did together just last year. We came for ACL Fest, but took the week to explore the rad city. We visited UT, walked around the college town, met some new friends, watched the sun set, ate some dank food and saw bats! There's definitely some kind of vibe that Austin gives off and it makes me get why people from there have so pride. I mean, I would too if I were from a place surrounded by so much art and culture. You can read about my trip to Austin here.
4. Los Angeles
LA - the city of angels! This trip is so memorable to me because this was at the very tail end of my transition from an old job into a new one. I was experiencing so many changes in both my personal and professional life at this time, and all were coming at me spontaneously one after another. PLUS... all of these changes unexpectedly happened during this trip to LA, so my girls here witnessed both an emotional breakdown and celebration of mine. This trip also made me feel so thankful for everything that I have in life. I remember a very moment where we sat down to have a late afternoon snack right across the street from the Santa Monica sunset, with pink blankets wrapped around us because it was a chilly December, and we were talking about our families - all the hardships and happy moments that we each have with our own. You can read about my LA trip here.
5. Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico was just a small visit from a cruise I had went on with my family, but this is memorable to me because just a week or two after I came home from this trip, Hurricane Maria (I believe it was Maria) hit! I felt so sad watching the news that week because all I could think about was the fact that I was just there. I love visiting scenic places though - they allow you to appreciate what you have and the very opportunity of being in that place at that moment.
5 THINGS I LOOK FORWARD TO/HOPE TO ACHIEVE IN THE NEXT 5 YEARS
1. Looking Forward to: My Hong Kong/Japan trip this December!
This December will be my first time going to Asia! My family is not the type that would plan a long trip unless it's through a cruise or with another group of people who would do all the planning. I haven't gone with friends yet because we were all still in school and still working on getting our full time jobs. So, I'm very excited to finally have the opportunity to go with my boyfriend and his family!
2. Looking Forward to: Going to Coachella again next year
This year was my first year going to Coachella and second time visiting LA. Next time around, my boyfriend and I plan on exploring Northern California (maybe San Francisco) before we head to the festival. I've never been to San Fran, so I do hope we get to venture out there.
3. Goal: A passion project
I feel that this one can be a challenging goal. Social media exposes us to limitless opportunities and ideas... and we become so inspired to do so many different things... but then we end up putting so much pressure on ourselves to try to achieve everything. I've always had some knack for visual design ever since high school, and my friends can definitely attest to this. It's great to be a well-rounded person (a jack of all trades), but I want to strive to be someone who wears one tall hat and be very damn confident in that.
4. Goal: Travel more often
One of my favorite bloggers who I've been following since Ben's season of The Bachelor (Caila Quinn) posted a quote on her Instagram story saying "Travel - because you can make more money but you can't make more time." There's a handful of big places I'd love to visit before I fully settle into a family.
5. Goal: Document my life
Whether it's through video or blogging, my goal is to continue documenting my adventures so that I can look back on my experiences. Our memory fades over time, so documenting on our life helps us reminisce on the good times. Also, editing small clips is something I like to do. Even though it may be a crappy clip, it still holds the valuable memories.
10 IMPORTANT LESSONS I LEARNED
1. Friends don't have to come and go - know who's worth having stick around
We all know that saying "Friends come and go," but they don't all have to. Know who's worth keeping - the ones who actually value you as a friend. True friends help make you feel good and confident, and they wouldn't shun you down or use you as leverage to climb their own ladder to success. Having close friends that you can count on like family is important. Also, don't be afraid to cut one loose if you feel that they don't appreciate your friendship. As we get older, we have better things to worry about.
2. Know your worth
In your professional and personal life there will be factors around you that would make you feel like you're not good enough. Just like the saying, "there's somebody for everybody," there's a place where you are meant to fit in. Sometimes great effort is under appreciated, but as long as you know how much your work is worth, you can take yourself to better places.
3. Love yourself before anyone else
I feel that it's important to remind yourself at 25 to always love yourself. Make sure that you're still working hard towards your goals and building your confidence, so that when someone or something comes into your life and does you wrong, you can have the confidence and will to tell yourself to move on... because you are happy with yourself already.
4. Not every year will be a good one
Sometimes chasing after your dreams requires a setback. Setbacks are tough, especially when you are just about on the way to establishing your position in your job or your social life. But setbacks can also lead you to more opportunities down the road.
5. Happiness is a mindset
I came across an Instagram post today about how people sometimes have the idea that happiness is in the next place, the next job, or even the next partner. If we can't find happiness where we're at, then we won't be able to find it anywhere else.
6. Don't settle, no matter how hungry you are
Whether it is for a job, a relationship or self worth, never settle no matter how hungry you are. Things will come to you when you least expect it, but only when you've worked hard on building yourself first. Before settling in, ask yourself this question: "Do I see myself doing this for the next 5 years?" Don't devote yourself to a decision that you will regret down the line. Take your time and do your research, but stay eager.
7. Don't lose sight of your goals
It's more easy to be eager and determined in your early 20s - opportunities are endless. Once you start immersing yourself into your job or career, you might start to lose sight or interest of what you've always wanted to do (if you haven't achieved that yet). If money were no object, what would you become? You can still strive to meet with yourself half-way.
8. Be honest with yourself and openly communicate
No one knows yourself any better than you do. Always ask questions and don't be afraid to talk about your feelings with those around you. If you don't open up yourself more, no one will get the opportunity to know more about you.
9. Do something you like
We're at that weird age where we don't really have that much responsibility, yet still have remnants of that "Screw it I'm going to quit my job and go on a sabbatical" mentality. Now is probably the best time to rethink what road you'd want to take. Time isn't ticking any slower fam.
10. Try your best not to compare yourself with everyone else
The reason why I say "try your best" is because I'm not the best person to be saying we shouldn't be comparing ourselves to others. It's easier said than done, and I'm personally struggling with this. At 25, you have super interesting friends who are happy with their jobs and pursuing great hobbies (they probably also have thousands of followers on instagram). On the other hand, you have friends who may still be in school or are still figuring out what they want to do in life. Wherever you are, you should try to only focus on your personal growth and path. Okay yes, a little comparison helps you stay on your toes, and if you're having trouble finding inspiration, keep searching!