I used to be the person who didn’t like change. I only wanted what I knew and what I was used to.
I wanted what was safe.
I learned that I was merely afraid of change, and therefore limited myself and my experiences for a long time.
Moving to San Francisco and attending an art school was all done on a whim and the need for change.
Becoming a blogger was done on a whim and with the passion to make a change.
My current personal goals list is close to 100 pages long, and though not all of them are filled up, I’m hoping that by the time I reach 100 years old, I’d have 100+ pages all filled up with experiences I’ve done in my lifetime.
This year, I was fortunate to have experienced at least five new things that I can now add and cross off of my goals list. They’re not super wild, crazy, or massive, but they were still brand new to me and I’m grateful for all of them.
New Things I Tried in 2020
LIVING WITH A FRIEND
This year I was fortunate enough to live with a close friend. I wouldn’t know what I’d do if I continued living on my own with what’s been going on throughout the year. I’ve been friends with this person for about seven years, and so I was so excited to stay with her. Of course we have our ups and downs. We have arguments and go through things we never really went through before, but honestly, they’ve helped strengthen our friendship even more. We’ve both been learning and growing from and with each other, and we’ll always be in each other’s lives. I’m thankful for this experience and I can’t wait for other adventures we’ll be experiencing in the future.
PRINTING POLAROID PHOTOS
I’ve always loved polaroid photos. I love the aesthetic of having my memories printed out and hung on my wall or placed in my travel journal. I, unfortunately, did not print my photos directly from a polaroid camera. Instead, I’ve been using the (not sponsored) Zink Polaroid ZIP Wireless Mobile Photo Mini Printer and Polaroid 2×3” Premium Zink Paper to print my photos. I think it works great, just have to color correct the photos so they’re still in great quality once printed.
CONSUMING DIFFERENT RECIPES AND DRINKS
I love food. Granted, I may be picky when it comes to certain flavors, but I don’t mind trying various recipes from every city, state, culture, etc. This year, I was fortunate to try different recipes for the first time, but my favorites would have to be: Bonchon’s chicken wings, Tonkotsu Ramen, Bagoong Rice Medley, Ube Pandesal, and Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew. I’ve re-ordered all these at least twice this year, and I have no regrets. Also, there are no photos of most of these because I keep forgetting to take some since I’m always diving right in when we eat.
PURCHASING A K-POP ALBUM
I’m not a huge album collector. I think I’ve owned, at most, three physical albums in my life: Joseph Vincent’s Blue Skies album, the Pussycat Doll’s PCD album, and I forgot the last one (if I even have a third one). So, it took a lot of decision-making for me to actually get two versions of SuperM’s Super One album. But, I’m extremely glad I did. I think they’re an amazing group with unique and vibrant songs, and I’m glad to be supporting them and their respective groups. Once I finally settle down in one place and have a spot for albums, I might be able to actually collect a variety of albums.
Read More: My First K-Pop Albums
DRAWING
I know many of us, including myself, began drawing at a young age. However, this year was the first time I took drawing seriously because I never felt talented enough to practice drawing growing up, and I also took a drawing class without realizing it was a drawing class during my last semester. But, I ended up loving it. I always feel relaxed when I’m drawing and very at the moment. I know that I still have a lot of improving to do, especially with dogs, but I’m trying. I’ve always admired those who are naturally talented at drawing, painting, water-coloring, spray paint, graffiti, etc. I was surrounded by friends and colleagues who did at least one of those, and their work always looks incredible. Huge shoutout to anyone and everyone whose passion is in the creative field.
Trying new things is never easy for most people.
Many of us have this mindset of wanting to be sure about the outcome of not making a fool out of ourselves that we like to remain stagnant with what we’ve personally experienced and enjoyed because we are aware of the results they bring us.
What I’ve learned is that life is not meant to be stagnant. Life is all about discovery, growth, and change. We don’t know when our last breath will be. We don’t know what will happen tomorrow, later today, or probably even in the next hour. So why not use any moment we have to come out of our comfort zone and try something new? And it doesn’t have to be anything big. A simple change of your regular order at a restaurant or Starbucks makes a difference.
Changes may be good or bad. And they happen in order to help our lives expand and evolve into a world of infinite possibilities.
