Click here to read about My 2016 and My 2015.
Click here to read about Favorite purchases
- Liz Lisa sweet latte OP in pink, Liz Lisa sweet latte cardigan in white: This is somewhat of another set but from the autumn season! I love how these two items complement each other without being in-your-face matchy matchy from a distance. The sweet latte OP has a fantastic print and has so many wonderful details. Like the red cardigan, I thought this sweet latte one might be too specific because of the chocolate buttons, but they're really just a cute addition to whatever I wear with the cardigan! This is the first year I've paid full price for cardigans like this but I have no regrets.
- Liz Lisa 3-strap pumps in pink and bordeaux: I couldn't pick just one and both of these have been very useful to me this autumn/winter and match with so much of my wardrobe. The design is simple but still really cute which makes them extremely versatile. It doesn't hurt that they're also pretty comfortable as well.
- Knot (custom) rose gold watch: Purchased in January this year during my trip, and I haven't stopped wearing it since. It's much more lightweight compared to my previous daily watch and simpler as well but I don't mind that at all. It's reliable and great for just letting me know what time it is which is really all I need lol. It's essentially on my wrist almost every time I leave the house!
Favorite OOTDs
Travel
I was very fortunate to be able to travel quite a bit this year. If you're interested in any of my trips, I would highly encourage you to check out each blog post series yourself! I put the most effort of any type of post into these trip ones, and I hope they will be useful to others. The first post in each series is linked below.
- Japan trip Spring: March 2017, Hiroshima Peace Museum, Itsukushima shrine, MariCAR go-cart tour, Nagoya Aquarium, Strawberry picking & more
- East Coast trip: May 2017 (personal family trip)
- Japan trip Summer: July 2017, Hiking Mt.Fuji overnight & various shopping
Blogging
I managed to hit my (at minimum) 6 posts per month quota for the second year in a row! In fact, more than half of the months in this year had 7 or more posts for which I kind of want to pat myself on the back. As I've mentioned time and time again, blogging is a just hobby for me (one in which I basically invest all my free time towards) but I do enjoy producing different kinds of content. I hope you enjoyed reading it! There were some small things I felt stood out a little differently this year than in the past that I want to mention in this 2017 wrap up ~
Personal life
- Work: I've been at my current job (at this current position) for over a year now, and I really enjoy it. The work isn't super rewarding or exciting, but I have fantastic coworkers and a great work environment. I was writing an email to an old friend the other day and I remarked to him, "I laugh and smile at work every day". I've always been very realistic about work (knowing that it was a necessity and that it was more important to always have a job and be making money rather than only taking positions that are 1000% fantastic) but I think I've really hit a happy medium in this case. Although there isn't a TON of room for growth in terms of upward mobility, I'm in a comfortable position here, and there are so many things to learn and ways for me to grow in other ways.
- Japanese class: Based on a recommendation, I signed up for a weekend (Saturday only) Japanese language class through the Outreach branch of a local university. It was a 10-week course with 10-2.75 hour classes focused mainly on communicating in Japanese. I've always been self-conscious about my Japanese language skills as someone who is yonsei (4th generation Japanese-American) when I visit Japan and given the opportunity, I was certainly interested in trying it. However, I didn't enjoy it. Not because of the subject matter (which I really enjoyed while I was actually a college student), but it ended up not being a learning environment conducive to the kind of learner I am. I'm glad I tried it, and even though I was uncomfortable at times and really didn't want to for various reasons, I stuck it out & went to each class session. Although it's a great opportunity for those who can thrive in that kind of environment and are motivated enough, I decided not to enroll for the next semester.
- Friends: I'm very thankful for my friends who have been there for me when I needed them and even when I didn't. I'm also lucky to have met and become closer to some people who I didn't even know existed before 2017! Although I may be distant at times and sometimes have a hard time putting myself out there and prioritizing my time properly, I really appreciate anyone who has made the effort to reach out to me and even just have a small chat. It's great to be surrounded by so many loyal, determined and hard-working people who inspire me every day.
Thoughts for 2018
- 2017 goals achieved? To an extent. I would not call 2017 a "success" per se, but I have some accomplishments I'm proud of and family and friends who unfailingly support me. I cannot ask for more.
Wishing you all health and happiness in the new year! May 2018 be filled with new experiences, opportunities for enrichment and lots and lots of laughter.
