Leftovers: January 2015

Tuesday, February 3, 2015 / 2:52 PM

One month down, 11 to go!

I don't have a diagnosis yet for 2015, but it's been a mixture of highs and lows. My new philosophy when things hit "low" is to treat it like water off a duck's back. The way I see it, it's so easy to complain, complain, complain...I'm trying to approach all of the frustrations and anxieties with a better attitude and approach. It boggles my mind when people complain non-stop, but don't do anything about the thing that's causing them so much anger. I've been that person before--and can still be that person, in many ways--but I'd like to be different now, if I can help it.

Anyways, that's all another blog for another time... here are some January photos that never made it onto social media (with the exception of the picstitch on the right! Those are photos from my trip to Orange County near the end of the month, where I was one of the keynote speakers at the Asian Pacific American Awareness Conference at UC Irvine...more on that below...)


Yin returned to New York City! We met up the first night she was back for sushi and to catch up, and it was so great seeing her. She inspires me a lot to be more outgoing and adventurous, and I love that we can learn so much from each other.


Until next year, 30 Rock Tree! This was taken on the morning of the last day the tree was up. I get to work before the sun rises, so it was nice being able to snap some shots without the crowds around. 


Team picture from our AMR post-holiday lunch! It's always great to see (most of) the team together in one place, and the food was delicious.


I needed a mental health break and a quiet weekend to myself to work on my keynote address and also to get away from Manhattan for just a moment. So off I went to DC and stayed in a lovely Airbnb in the northwest area that was quiet and cozy. 


At the end of my quiet DC weekend, I caught up with Laura and we went to brunch in Petworth at this awesome Scandinavian restaurant. It's so crazy to realize that Laura and I have known each for about a decade! I'm glad we got closer in DC when we were both living there, and it's so great to visit with her when I go back. Plus, her boyfriend--I mean, fiancee is awesome and I'd like them to secretly adopt me someday.  


I posted one of these photos online already, but just wanted to make sure I got it in this post too: my friend Morgan recently launched the #HELLAKIND anti-bullying campaign! $10 from every shirt purchased will go toward anti-bullying efforts nationwide, and the goal is to raise $100,000 by October. Morgan is such an inspiration to me (check out more of her story here) and I love this campaign. It's reminding me to be a hella kind person--something that I need to work on when I snap and let the little things in life bring me down! 


I had a mini-dinner party at my place with some lovely UCI ladies. It was great getting to try out new recipes (I'm actually dedicating time to buy groceries and cook!) and spend time with my amazing--but busy!--friends. 


One of the hardest things about New York can be making time for others. We get so wrapped up in the daily grind of life and fighting through our commutes, and then at the end of the day, we just want to go home and fall onto the couch or in bed. (The brutal winter weather doesn't help either!) It's always nice to make time for others, and to spend an evening with people who've made time to see you--and also who've made time to come up to Harlem to hang out!


Here's a shot of me speaking at the Asian Pacific American Awareness Conference! I spoke about the need to increase newsroom diversity in order to accurately tell the stories of the Asian American community that haven't always gotten the opportunity to be told.

(Look at my face floating behind me like the Wizard of Oz!)


Thank you, APSA!


I loved being back in Orange County and seeing friends I hadn't seen in years. These are the kinds of friends who have always been like family, and it was so overwhelming to have people from all corners of my life (old roommates, New U family, NPR friends) come together and hang out. It made me miss California even more than usual.


The above photo, by the way, is from the final moments we spent inside Cha, where we'd been sitting for about three hours before the power suddenly out.


Final shot of the night: American Gothic style. Charles actually got up and went inside to the bar to get that fork. That's dedication.

Share This Story

Tags: ,

You Might Also Like

0 comments