2018: A Year in Review

Sitting on the peak of San Jacinto Mountain, overlooking Coachella Valley

With 2019 right around the corner, who would I be if I did not include a little reflective post on all the things that I have experienced this year. All cliches aside, I truly learned how to put things that I love first and to always, always make time for creative work. Amongst many firsts, there was always room for traditions important to me and I know there is so much more of both to come. 2019 will be an incredibly important year for me as I (amongst many peers) will be graduating! Here are some highlights:

Hong Kong

Visiting Hong Kong was primarily to see how the health of my grandmother was coming along, but I did not realize how much I would learn about myself through it. I am so grateful for this experience, the time spent with both my dad and relatives I have not seen in a decade, and hope to revisit soon.

I visited the Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery for the first time, where my grandfather and uncle are buried.

Sewing

I have to thank Anna for her birthday brunch in Inman Square, which is the birthplace of my passion in sewing. After perusing a lot of the local establishments, we came across a fabric shop and I realized that the possibilities were endless. The rest is history!

Painting

It is so so easy to let academics get the best of my time, but I painted one of my absolute favorite pieces this year, two acrylic ducks on a pastel blue canvas. My favorite medium is hard molding paste which imparts a raised texture to acrylics and quite literally elevates the piece, in my opinion. I recently ordered a new watercolor pen set and I cannot wait to try out some floral pieces with them.

Year Round Beach Rat

For me, I always find my way back to the sea. Forget suboptimal conditions, like rain, snow, or frigid temperatures, if I have the opportunity, I will most certainly be taking it. I am so fortunate that I have been able to visit many different beaches throughout the year and to live in a location conducive to this lifestyle. The ocean is very special to my heart and where I find my peace.

Home Brewing

Connor and I learned how to home brew this year which is sort of his equivalent to my love of cooking. We have completed a stout, IPA, and a variety of ciders so far, but will definitely explore more recipes once we are settled in the new apartment.

Nordic and Downhill Ski

Though I have cross country skied recreationally before, I joined my first Wellesley sports team to try out nordic skiing. I assumed that I would prefer nordic ski over downhill but 2018 was when I learned that this was not true. With a new winter activity under my belt, I cannot wait to hit the slopes (at a downward angle) this winter.

Levitate Music Festival

This summer, my friends and I attended a music festival that started out as just an anniversary present for Connor + I. The main attraction was Lake Street Dive for us, but it was so fun to share my first music festival experience with a lot of people that I love. From this festival, we all obtained tomato plants, which finally fruited at the end of this year, and balsam firs (my favorite type of Christmas tree!) which is where I buried my dear fish Oswald under on November 2, 2018.

Museum Events

I love Boston for all the events it has to offer to its young professional population, one being the multitude of museum events to take advantage of. Between Late Nites at the MFA and Third Thursdays at Isabella Stewart Garden, and of course, the famous annual Art in Bloom, I love taking the time to check out new exhibits and make a date out of it.

The Culmination of My MIT Work

For almost two years now, I have been working on a project that is finally up for review in a journal, and I am so excited! Throughout the process, I have gained so much experience in in-vivo research and it has aided my thought process for choosing clinical work. Pictures not included for obvious reasons.

Sunsets + Picnics

Likely two of my favorite summer indulgences, I love rolling out my circle towel for my friends and I to enjoy a spread of fruits, lemonade, baguette, and pesto while basking in golden hour. Though small, I find these experiences to be important for relaxing and taking time out to appreciate the people and world around us.

Katherine (from a bird’s eye view looks alarmingly similar to me) and I at the Esplanade where we witnessed an elopement.

A wonderfully staged picnic when Danica briefly came to Boston to view apartments

Sailing

If we don’t talk about the part where I have yet to complete my PE requirement to graduate, I learned how to sail this year. Best of all, I got to do it alongside one of my best friends, Kate.

Oswald + the Crabbos

Through my animal behavior lab, I acquired 13 fiddler crabs and a beta fish this year. I was never allowed to have a pet when I was younger, so this was a new experience that Connor embraced with me. Though both passed by the end of the year, we now have an aquarium of aquatic plants which are extremely easy to care for because they never have to be fed.

These fiddler crabs eventually lived out their days in a comfortable ten gallon tank outfitted with rocks, shells, and sand that we collected from the beach.

Hometowns

I think that you can learn a lot about a person by going to the place where they grew up. This year, I was fortunate to spend an unusually large amount of time in the homes and towns that my friends grew up in. It is certainly a special memory that you share with them and I love when worlds collide.

Madeline, Anna + I visiting Taylor’s hometown (Utica, NY)

Getting in a diner experience halfway between Rockaway and Chatham (Morristown, NJ)

Launched blogabel

Creating a blog for myself has undoubtedly been the catalyst to encouraging creativity and I have found myself more motivated than ever to try out new recipes or crafts because I know that I have a place to document it all. Though I write on this blog mostly for myself, it has been so rewarding to receive feedback from people I know to people that I do not and it makes my day every single time. I love you all!!

2019.

I am always looking for ways to better myself and I think that 2018 has set the foundation for a lot of things I will pursue in 2019. In all honesty, this is just a confessional in the ways that I feel like I can improve myself, but the excuse of a “fresh start” with the new year never hurts!

Make more of the things that I want to buy.
Be good to myself. I am a very empathetic person, but I also love to ruminate. There are many levels to this, but I am hoping to be less stressed and invest in what is good for me (including being less high strung!)
Drink a loooot more water. This is always true but I am so bad at it! Armed with my new hydroflask and an ice cube tray, I am determined to help my kidneys flush out toxins.
Get back in my cardio kick. For heaven’s sake, I used to be able to run 7 miles for fun and now I dread the idea of 2. I want to be stronger for many reasons, but also so that I can properly stop at the bottom of a hill when I ski.
Studies show a correlation between breast cancer and sleep, but I should just sleep more in general. This means go to bed earlier and wake up sooner for optimal productivity.
Establish a 10 step skin care routine and get rid of my tech neck. Skincare is so important to me and overall is a reflection of health, but I am still on a journey to learning what it needs. Last year, I learned to feed my skin almost daily with face masks, up my daily SPF usage + strength, and differentiate between morning/nightly treatment. This year, I want to work on properly cleansing my skin to rid it of impurities because I am so good at picking at my pores. I also want to combat fine lines to avoid more intensive treatment in the future.
Streamline my closet. Vicky Tsai, fellow Wellesley alum and creator of Tatcha skincare, emphasizes monochrome dressing to simplify outfits and I would like to cleanse my wardrobe of a lot of extra noise and work on a streamlined look.
8. Work more with truffles.

With 2018 in the books, I cannot believe how much everyone around me has accomplished this year! I am thankful for everyone who has grown with me this year and know that 2019 will only bring us all closer together. Here’s to all that and making time for the ones you love (: