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I always talk about how fast these months go by and how unreal it feels. However, this one feels extra crazy because it’s already the end of the year. I can’t believe we have already entered 2022, even though my life feels like it’s been stuck in 2020. With that being said, I still have a lot of memories from 2021 that I have to thank and I can’t forget about the memories that were created in December. Let’s get into it!
Lifestyle: Personal to Professional
Job Interviews
Like I mentioned last month, I have been in search of new opportunities and have been going on a lot of interviews. This continued into December and it helped me open my eyes to how to approach interviews. I used to get so anxious with interviews, but with everything, the practice soon became a skill. After fully preparing all the questions and having to repeat a lot of the same answers, soon enough some of the statements just became a muscle memory where I didn’t have to think so hard to come up with an answer. Although I still get nervous and still tense up when I get questions in interviews that I didn’t expect, I think I have a better mindset going into them now. The key is that you have to recognize that the interviews should be a two-way street so as much as they’re interviewing you, you should be interviewing them!
I also have good news in regards to interviewing, which is that I landed a new role! I got a few offers and that was also a dilemma that I went through this month. It was so hard to weigh out everything and figure out what the best option was for me. It’s also hard when you’re an overthinker like me and get scared that I’ll regret my decision. However, I realized that I won’t know how things will go until I officially start the job so I decided to leap into it and see how things go. Who knows, maybe I’ll love the job and stay long-term or end up hating it and look for a new one in a few weeks. Either way, I’m excited for new opportunities and growth for myself in my career.
Hanging Out with Friends
This month taught me how valuable friendships are. My friends, Mish and Kelsey, and I got to enjoy a nice dinner at Catch LA. We have been talking about it for a few weeks and I was so glad that we were able to coordinate the days and times that worked for all of us. Adulting makes you realize how hard it is to meet up with your friends and how much you miss living so close to each other in college. I loved catching up with these girls and reminiscing about our college days as always.
I also got to hang out with Kelsey a lot during this month and even got to watch Spider-man: No Way Home, which everyone was talking about. We surprisingly didn’t cry but it was an emotional and well-produced movie. I also really appreciated hanging out with Kelsey a lot more this month because we figured out how similar we were to each other. Maybe it’s a placebo effect after finding out that we were both ENFJs (lol), but we do have a lot of the same perspectives in life as well as friendships.
Last but not least, I got to see Stav, who is my middle-school friend that I haven’t seen in so long. We went to go get boba and talk about the most random things, just like old times. It was nice hanging out with her because it would be the last time before she moved to Israel. I’m excited for her to start a new chapter in her life.
Reunion with Stephanie
Last but not least, I got to finally (though it hasn’t been that long considering our NorCal to SoCal friendship) meet up with Stephanie. We spent a few days in Los Angeles and then made our trip to Las Vegas to start off the new year. I’ll save Las Vegas for the next month since the majority was in January but let’s just say there were flight cancellations last minutes and lots of stressful times. However, our trip to Los Angeles was so much fun and filled with lots of good food as always. The best part of our reunion is also the never-ending conversations about our thoughts. I find it crazy how we never run out of things to talk about no matter how many conversations we have in a day.
Lows: Car Accident
This month I got in my very first car accident after 7 years of driving. Luckily (and the most important part), no one was hurt during the accident. At first, I was in shock because I had never been in a car accident and then I had to go into the survival mode of making sure I get all the information I needed. The accident was also not caused by me so that was the most frustrating part of the whole situation and having to cancel all of my plans that I had for the day. However, I can say that now I know what I need to do if I were to ever get in another car accident (though I wish I never have to be anymore). Shoutout to Ding Ding Pai (a.k.a. my dash cam that always says hello ding ding pai every time I start my engine) for capturing the moment in case I need it for proof. To anyone reading this, please please be careful, cautious, and aware while on the road!
Lessons: Confidence
While I say goodbye to 2021, I also had to say goodbye to some people in my life. This month, I had to make the hard decision to cut someone out of my life. Luckily, it was not due to a negative situation or drama but because we both needed space to grow and be independent. From the whole situation, I learned that I needed to prioritize myself and make hard decisions I know will benefit me in the long run. I also learned that you can always appreciate the old memories and be thankful for them while learning to let them go.
I'll leave this section with this image:
Songs on Repeat:
Crisis - Joshua BassettWolves - Selena Gomez, MarshmelloHeather - Conan GrayMy Pick of the Month: Spotify Wrapped
I love watching these every year and getting to listen to all my favorite songs, some that I even forgot about. I love how big these have gotten and it becomes a time to mingle with your friends as well and learn more about everyone's taste in music. I was quite surprised by some of my top artists and songs for this year but I do think it's a reflection of how my life went down in 2021.
And that is the end of my 2021. I can’t believe how fast this year went by yet when I look back, I think I definitely grew and learned a lot from this year. I really don’t know what 2022 has in store for me but I am excited to find out. I hope everyone says goodbye to all their negative energy in 2021 and hello to 2022 that is only filled with positivity! Happy New Year everyone and please be happy, healthy, and prosperous.
Talk to you in the new year,
-- Jin
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