annual check-in
at one point i thought i'd be writing one of these every week
Hello!
Checking in to say that I am well.
Since the last time I’ve been in your inbox, I have:
met my nephew.
gone to my first, second, and third music festival, and my first K-pop concert (fourth is this weekend and fifth is the first weekend of October).
decided to apply to graduate school next year.
started knitting and crocheting (sometimes without a pattern).
turned 24 (25).
committed to learning how to surf (failed, was distracted by knitting and music).
attended a graduation ceremony to celebrate my 3.5 years at Barnard.
gotten my first perm since childhood (it was a good project but I miss my straight hair).
taken the Korean language proficiency test and received the highest level. (Unhumble brag: I got 100% in the listening and reading sections of the test).
read more books than I did in the year before.
had my personal color tested (I’m a deep autumn).
gotten a second piercing in my right ear.
learned to make rattan baskets.
gotten better about having my picture taken.
become a fan of NCT and Seventeen.
started spending more time with other people than I do with myself. (It’s going well, I’m still an introvert.)
somehow stayed healthy including avoiding a positive COVID test. Entirely unsure how.
I’ve had a pretty good period of growing and learning since I last checked in here. There have been more ups than downs and the good times have been really really good. It was magical meeting my nephew and wild seeing in person that my brother and sister in law have a real human son that eats and smiles and cries and does other human things. Lovely to fall back in love with live music and seeing my favorite artists look so happy performing their songs. Validating to receive a strong score on my Korean test, because I question my ability almost daily. And despite the fomo, it was amazing seeing all of my friends in the city when I was back for graduation.
I had hard moments too and spend a lot of time in reflection and thought. I think a lot about how my past has informed who I am today, and how who I am today will shape who I am tomorrow. I’m really grateful for the past year, which has felt kind of like a break in having to practice resilience. I’m grateful to you too, for caring about me and my life and how I’m doing enough to have read to the bottom of this email.
How are you?
Soft messy collages & Spotify playlists
Top songs of the last six months
A bit of what I’m listening to this month
For when I drive by myself and need to stay awake