August update: I moved to SF!
Btw, did you know that the fog's name is Karl? 🌁
Dear friends,
It’s been a month since I left the lone star state of Texas and packed my bags for the sunny state of California. (It turns out that in California, “sunny” has a pleasant connotation. In Texas, “sunny” in the summer will get you a “how hot will it be today,” followed by looks of agony and despair.)
Lately, I’ve been incredibly busy both by choice and necessity. It turns out that moving to another state 1700 miles away is TIME-CONSUMING. I can confirm that living in an empty apartment equipped with just an air mattress is depressing and not at all sustainable for mental well-being. Buying furniture is a must. Priority #1.
It took a couple of weeks for all of the essential furniture to arrive and find its place at home. In the meantime, as much as I wanted to lounge on my beaten-up cardboard box furniture, I spent time outside exploring as much of the city as I could.
My favorite places this month:
Tartine for baked goods 🥐 (Mission)
Boba Guys for boba 🧋 (Mission)
Dinosaurs for banh mi sandwiches 🥖 (Castro)
El Castilito for al pastor 🌯 (Duboce Triangle)
Urban Putt for fun ⛳️ (Mission)
The Korner Store for nightlife 🥃 (Mission)
Farmer’s Market for fresh goods 🍅 (Embarcadero)
Dolores Park for chilling 🧺 (Mission)
Mission Bay for kayaking 🚣♀️ (Mission Bay)
Dumpling Time & Dumpling House for dim sum 🥟 (Design District / Castro – These are two different places but ten is such a nice and even number)
I wish I was able to explore more of the city. SF is actually much bigger than I thought, and there is just too much to see and do in each neighborhood. It’d take at least a weekend to fully explore the charms and personality that each neighborhood had to offer.
a new lifestyle
Towards the end of this month, I found my time eaten up by work. Scratch that, devoured by work. It’d only been two weeks but I was already thrown into my training and programming as a rotational product manager. A typical day looked like this: wake up at 6 am to catch the shuttle, make coffee and breakfast, arrive at the office at 8 am, train from 9 am - 3 pm, socialize from 3 - 4 pm, and come home at 6 pm. Don’t get me wrong, I loved learning about the tools and craft of the trade and getting to know fellow RPMs in the same program. It’s exciting! But coming home at 6 pm gave me only about 3 hours of free time before I had to sleep and wake up at 6 am to do it again. (Yes, despite the recommended 7 hours of sleep daily, I need at least 9 hours of sleep to function 😄)
I’ve been trying to figure out how to restructure my life so that I can do everything I want to do: work out, cook, read, write, try out new hobbies, hang out with friends and meet new people, explore the city… to name… a few. Ideally, I do it all :) But of course, I only have so much time in a day so I have to prioritize. How do people do it? HOW DO YOU DO IT, PEOPLE?
my vision
Writing out my vision for the next year seemed like a good place to start. Normally, I’d write out some goals like “Be healthy”. Something that gives the essence of New Year’s resolutions. But sometimes writing out what I want to become as if I’m already it makes me feel more motivated to get there. Maybe because it makes it feel more possible to manifest. So in the hopes of manifesting, here’s the ideal future me:
✔️ I’m active and getting stronger every week. 💪 I go to the gym at least 3 times a week and work on my upper body, lower body, and core strength.
✔️ I eat healthily. 🥬 I make time to cook at least 2 meals a week. I use locally grown fruits and vegetables at the local farmer’s market. I balance my meals with essential grains, protein, fruits, vegetables, and dairy products.
✔️ I keep my brain sharp. 🧠 I read at least one book a month, even better would be two. My Spanish vocabulary grows after learning more words and grammar on Duolingo on a daily basis. I write a reflection post at the end of each month to check in with myself on how I’m doing mentally, physically, and emotionally. I’m a better writer, thinker, and communicator.
✔️ I maintain, strengthen, and develop my relationships. 😄 I stay in touch with my college friends through weekly calls and texts. I hang out with my SF friends on the weekends. I do hobbies with S and deepen our bond. I get out of my comfort zone to put myself in new situations and meet new people.
✔️ I explore SF. 🗺 I eat at new restaurants, bakeries, and cafes on the weekend. I explore new places and things to do on the weekend too: places to hike, picnic, walk around, shop, relax, and have fun. And maybe I’ll take some day trips out of the city too.
Let’s see how much I live up to this vision next month. See ya in September! 🍂
~ Kaci
