2021 Reflections
Lately I have been trying to journal more to focus on the positive and to cultivate gratitude, so I wanted to take the time to reflect on 2021 starting off with things I am grateful for this year.
WFH
WFH is the best thing that has ever happened to me, and I am extremely grateful that I do not have to do the 2+ hour daily commute to work. I was living in San Francisco and having to commute down to mountain view for work and although we had company shuttles, the commute was just awful. Working from home has been such a blessing. I feel like I have that time back to be productive.
Moved into my own apartment
I moved into a my own apartment in May, and it has seriously been life changing. I used to love having roommates, but having your own place is truly something else especially during a pandemic when most of your time is spent at home. I was lucky to find a renovated apartment with dishwasher, in unit washer/dryer, and parking at a covid discount. What’s also unique about my apartment is that it is split level, meaning the bedroom/bathroom is upstairs, while the kitchen and living space are downstairs.
My Long Distance BF came to visit me
If you are actually reading my blog post, then you deserve a little backstory. I met my long distance BF during the pandemic more than a year ago on twitch (a streaming platform notoriously known for gaming) and started talking on discord. We have been doing long distance for a year now. He lives in Canada, so covid is a lot more serious there right now. We met for the first time during Thanksgiving week, and it was honestly the most surreal experience ever. He was only supposed to be visiting for a week, but then he decided to stay until mid january so that we could spend christmas and new years together. I was sad this past week after having to drop him off at the airport, but I am so grateful for the time spent together especially during a pandemic!!!
My blogger friends
I am so grateful to have blogger friends to explore and shoot content with, especially during a pandemic and now the omicron surge. Shoutout to @justinavanessa and @trendenvy (takes most of my IG pics!). Looking forward to our Yosemite trip this weekend.
Some things I learned this year
Shifting Mindsets
As someone who is typically very dependent on my mood or just “how I feel that day”, I am realizing there are things I can do to change my outlook. I started the infamous “5 minute journal” and if you havn’t tried it yet, it is a low commitment journal where you write down 3 things you are grateful for every day and 3 affirmations for yourself. As someone who has a hard time building habits, I found this journal to be very doable. Just physically writing down things you are grateful for just helps to reframe your mindset, instead of focusing on the negatives in life. I found it immensely helpful to start the day like this. Although I am in no way athletic, any form of moving my body will always set me up for success. Whether it is a walk outside, 10 min yoga in the morning, or just getting out of the apartment for fresh air, it really changes your mood for the rest of the day.
Long Distance
Never thought I would be in an LDR, but here we are. I am not going to sugarcoat it, but long distance is hard. It was much easier to accept in the beginning of the pandemic when we couldn’t go anywhere. One thing I learned is that you need to overcommunicate when it comes to LDR, because a lot of things get lost in translation.
Some Resolutions & Goals
Use a planner consistently to organize my thoughts/life (just bought the MYB planner by nitsan, sold out currently but you can preorder)
Experiment more with content creation - topics and formats
Exercise more even if it is a walk outside
Grow in my relationships with others
Continue practicing gratitude
I would like to write more.
Hoping to look back on these in the future.