Happy Thanksgiving!

heyyoooo,

ugh it makes me so sad that we haven't been blogging much....

i mean..

1. we're extremely busy with school and work

2. quarantine and now being thousands of miles away makes it hard to really hang out (and yes, we can facetime..but...^ #1 listed above is clearly in the way of that)

That doesn't mean we haven't been chatting though! I still miss jackie sooo much and just spam her all day like an annoying person becauseeee dats what best friends do amirighttttt??

For the past two months, we've been snapping each other what we are grateful for each day...or at least we try to do everyday. 

I think that finding the simple, and happy things in life among all the stress and chaotic-ness in our lives, helps us to have a more positive attitude. It also makes me realize how lucky I am compared to so many people. By realizing at least one thing that I'm grateful for each day, makes me appreciate what I have more.  It makes me feel present. That's a lesson I think we all learned in 2020. We all took for granted of our everyday lifestyle and didn't really "stop to smell the roses." 

I'm so glad that Jackie and I have been sharing what we are grateful for each day. I'm actually going to start a gratitude journal and write down what i'm grateful for.  :) It acts as a journal, but also keeps me grounded and appreciate everything I have in my life. 

In the spirit of Thanksgiving and being thankful, I will list some of the things I've been thankful for recently.

-ironically, quarantine. Lockdown has made our family closer than ever because we're literally stuck with each other lol. We've developed new hobbies. My family got into gardening. I've become a plant hoarder/mom. I learned to embroider. I also want to start reading, exercising, and cooking..but we shall see. LOL Lockdown has also made us utilize the things we already have. We don't need to keep buying things. During lockdown, I saw so many people buy so much clothes and items online because of sale. For me, I realized that I don't need much. I look at my closet everyday..and realize I don't even wear half of what is in my closet because I literally have nowhere to go and wear the same clothes like 3 days straight.... 😬 I hope that none of you go out for black friday shopping..or at least stay safe, Also, don't buy things unless you really need them...Anyways..I digress. I think I benefited pretty well from quarantine and love my new lifestyle. Alsoo...being in the class in the comfort of my home is AMAZING. soo...pretty thankful for this new lifestyle that quarantine has led me to LOL

-obviously thankful for my health. As an essential worker, I have a pretty high risk of contracting the virus. I'm grateful that my facility dealt with the virus and took precautious procedures in keeping everyone safe. I'm grateful that my family and I are all good and healthy.

-speaking of work, I feel grateful that I work with (for the most part) caring coworkers who look out for each other. That is pretty important, and I know not all working environment is like this.

-thankful for being financially stable

-state the obvious, but friends and family. They make me happy. I don't know what I would do without them. I love them. I miss them. The more I realize how big of an impact they have on me, the more I realize how much I need and rely on them. <3

hey jackie. I'm thankful for you!! I feel so comfortable talking to you about anything. and whenever I look back at our friendship and realize how friggen annoying and ew I was, I just feel so lucky that you still accepted me and are still around as my best friend. I wish you were here :( 

-tofu. she gets her own bullet because i love her like crazy. she's my little fluffy pillow friend. :)

-plants. I didn't know how much joy plants could bring me. Giving my plants the love and nurture they need, and seeing them grow. Very satisfying. It's also cool to see their different personalties, shapes, and color. :)))

-nature. thinking about how nature is designed just amazes me. like how did it all just work out like that? like how trees give us oxygen and we give them carbon dioxide? or like how do all these plants and herbs have all these vitamins and health benefits to help us improve our bodies? I think about this a lot lol...like how did nature just work itself out?

-sunrises. Before I started working, I never really saw the sunrise unless Jackie and I planned to see it together. Now that I get to see it almost everyday, I have a whole new appreciation for them because the sunrise view is so pretty and different everyday. The sunrise symbolizing the beginning of a new and fresh day is also beautifullll  and i think it's cool that i get to see the sunrise at Sunrise Senior Living. LOLOL

-walks & fresh air. when the cold crisp air blows in my face, it really reminds me of how clean and good the wind feels and how I easily take advantage of clean air...cuz looking at the rate of all our CO2 emissions and deforestation....clean air is getting rarer by the second. Also, I know there are people who may not be able to walk or breathe functionally, and I think I let that pass over my head daily. I have to remind myself that I'm lucky that I am not in that situation and that breathing, walking, and simple tasks are easy for me, but may not be to others. 

okay clearly, i'm really into nature..I will move on that from now LOL

-productive days-ahh that feeling of being productive and checking off everything on the agenda.. such a nice, warm feeling, I wish I felt more often. LOLHGUIFJDK

-sleeping in. so cozy and warm and the feeling of never wanting to get out. maybe this is why i struggle with productive days, but ya knowwww i'm taking my slow morning routines literallyyyy. lol. When I have to wake up sooo early for work, I really appreciate my days off where I can sleep in XD

^..i mean....come on..this beauty. i want to practice latte art :) 

-making myself a warm cup of coffee or tea. i think knowing how coffee beans and tea leaves are grown, processed, and then making it at home and customizing it makes my drinking experience more yummy and homey.

..this also deserves some appreciation lol. i'm thirsty now. :P

moving on.....

-netflix, youtube, and instagram. I spend way too much time on these platforms, but I learn a lot about people and their lives. There are so many different communities with similar aspirations and interests. Holy cow. Learning about people's personal lives is soo cooll and inspiring, It makes me want to do and be better. Social media can be addicting and toxic, but you can also learn so much from them. It all depends on your outlook and I guess the people you follow. I also just love that it acts as an easy way to get my mind off of things. 

-podcasts. like i said, i like learning about other people and i learn a lot from people's experiences and lessons. It changes my views on things and makes me more educated on things I never really cared to learn about. right now, I am listening to "Adulting like a Mother Father."  XD If you know any good podcasts, recommend me some plz! i love listening to them while walking tofu :)

-compassionate people. i love seeing people doing kind deeds for others. it gives me warm fuzzy feelings and makes me cry lol. i'm to soft help. lol. knowing that there's so much goodness in the world is UGH MY HEART. i love kindness and romancey stuff hehehe

-finding so-well deserved talented people and giving them the recognition they deserve. I feel like we give all the attention to like superstars and big business and they kinda just monopolize the whole stage that we don't recognize the people who are just as well deserving as the famous ones. I love finding small artists and businesses and supporting them. I feel like it's hard to find them at times, but once you find that connection..it ahhh..such a good feeling. 

^^hehe see...me snapping jackie what we're thankful for XD

-well, i actually didn't mention this on the blog yet..but I GOT INTO NURSING SCHOOLL!!! AHHH!! I still can't believe I got in lol, but I'm so grateful that I did. I'm grateful that I kept bothering the nursing department...and they're probably grateful that now I don't have to keep bugging them. LOL

love. hmm..i think being in love is really special. I fell in love with tofu, my friends and family, hsm, hsmtmts, and taylor swift...umm probably so much more.  But ya know, when you're just soo happy and in love with the things that you love and you get those happy warm feeling in your guts that just make you smile? I love that feeling. I literally just finished watching taylor swift's new music session thingy on disney plus, so this is where this love feeling is coming from rn LOL

wow, i realized that a lot of the things I'm grateful for is based on my feelings LOL. 

^my two favorite people. also, to have gotten this opportunity. forever grateful and lucky. 

-music....because like i said, i just finished watching taylor. Seeing the passion and emotion taylor and her cowriter and producer exert when playing is just magic. learning about their songwriting process, their inspiration, makes me appreciate their music even more. I am in just awe and envious of their talent and creativity. I love hearing Taylor's backstory but I know every musician has a backstory behind their pieces, and that is just super cool to me. Music transports people into a different world and open to interpretation. so yes, i love taylor and her music, but i also appreciate music in general because it connects people together in a different language. it's art. 

I can keep going! There is literally so much to be grateful for. I tried not to make it so cliche lol...did i? I realized that when you realize what you are grateful for each day, it sometimes only really applies on what happened on that day, ya know? But it's still good to notice and document these things in a notebook or as a way of keeping yourself grounded. 

I like to think that the major holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas/Hannukah,  New Year's, Earth day is a simple reminder to practice these behaviors if that make sense. Thanksgiving is about being thankful. Christmas/Hannukah is about giving. New Year's is a fresh start. Earth day is about taking care of the environment. I'm sure I'm missing a lot of other holidays, but you get the point. These holidays shouldn't just be a one day event for us to practice our good deeds because this should be part of our everyday routine, so these holidays remind us to be a good human being. XD

I know the holidays may look a little different for all of you... :\ But I'm wishing you a very happy thanksgiving. I'm thankful for all of you reading this. It keeps me motivated to write...which i don't really like to do lol. This blog also acts as another diary of personal growth and it lets me be my true self publicly..which I feel is kinda hard for me. Thank you for being interested in reading about our crazy, fun lives. We appreciate it <3

This Thanksgiving, I will be working..lol. I will also be spending time with my family after work. We're going to bake a homemade apple pie and I'm going to be making an all vegan dinner for myself. :) 

However way you are spending yours, I hope you have a lovely thanksgiving! <3