Highlights of 2020 for Forever-Hibernating

 A worldwide pandemic? Couldn't have predicted that!

There's no escaping covid-19 news. The new norm of face masks, social distancing and an abundance of hand sanitisers has made 2020 a year of practicing strict levels of hygiene. It would be a strange and memorable time to reflect back on in 20 years time- unless we are hit by another pandemic.

Lockdown has presented itself as a challenge for various aspects of life from wellbeing to mental health, from careers to education. Yet- there are a couple of things that deserve a notable mention. I feel like the dynamic of society has unconsciously shifted where people have become more caring and making that extra effort. The transition to working from home has pushed the concept of flexible working a reality. It has built a society more resilient to change, adapt and mindful of others. 

 1st Class graduate

A personal success of 2020 is that I have graduated with a 1st class Marketing Management degree from the University of Lincoln. It's weird, I cannot pinpoint when my education journey ended- it was a random Wednesday. Graduation ceremony still pending. 

The bus journey.

It's been rough. 

The exhaust of the bus shakily breathes. 

In unison, I shakily breathe. 

It was approaching midnight,

the darkness drowned out the noise where my crystal clear reflection stared back.

A single tear- slowly traced the length of my face. 

Eyes swelled, face hardened and the reflection distorted

I cannot recognise the sad girl who entered 2019. 

It was 1am in Hong Kong- walking and taking in the foreign country where no one knows who I am,

yet a place so familiar

The tears broke, the hard steel wall broke. 

LIFE | Happy Belated 20th Birthday to Carmen

I may be more than a couple of weeks late to my birthday post which should have been posted on the 28th September but let's just pretend I did.

It's weird to think I have already reached another milestone in life. The vehicle of life that I am riding is accelerating at rates unfathomable to myself with times of gentle lulling, unexpected traffic jams and uncontrollable diverted roads. 

Recently, a cauldron of emotions have been brewing inside my head. A sprinkle of stress, a dashing of university and a whole lot of growing up. I have a feeling you will be seeing me more on here.

Entering my 20's was very intimidating and daunting. This is the phase in life where things can change the most drastically. Big changes occur and transitions will cement the paths that will be taken and decisions upon whether the you actually progress on that road is a mystery. The lifestyle stage between being in your early 20s where your are in education and trying to find a job would progress to the expectation, that you would be in a stable job, saving up to buy a house and that you are somewhat in control of your life. 

I am still trying to find what is truly me. Some individuals have settled into themselves as soon as they start university, but i'm still struggling to determine who 'Carmen' is. There are still many moments where the awkward teen with no social skills peek out into the world; would I miss her if she goes completely? 

I guess... I am scared. 

Korean Travel 2016 | A few hours at Seoraksan National Park

Guess who's back after a mini hiatus after each post which seems to be a trend on this blog but I recently transferred my holiday photos onto the computer and I'm getting reminiscent of this trip already.

When you think of Korea, people often think about the hustle and bustle of Seoul with it's booming beauty and fashion trends where a shopping-lover would mistake it for paradise or a foodie may get overwhelmed with all the different streetfoods and eating culture where everything is instagram-worthy but I often think the natural face of Korea is neglected. Through this small snippet of my trip, I was able to appreciate nature and where my tour guide said it would be a 'cleansing experiencing'.

Dear Series | An Introduction

Happy Friday!

This is a short post to introduce you to a new series which I will occasionally be write about which is the 'Dear' series.

To tell you where this idea had come from, I would say I got inspired by the author Jenny Han who writes captivating books like the 'summer' series, despite reading it years ago, it still remains as one of my favourite books. I would definitely recommend this anyone who is looking for a good summer romance where the author makes you fall in love effortlessly as well as any of her other books as her writing does not disappoint.

However, to be specifically clear where the inspiration sparked its the 2 book series 'To All The Boys I Loved Before'. The idea of writing letters to people, recording all your thoughts and feelings where things may have been left unsaid attracted me to it and here I am, writing this post lol.

As a person, I wouldn't say I'm vocal about my feelings and thoughts but since writing this blog, I've started to realise that I enjoy expressing myself through the medium of words moreover than voicing my own as I feel awkward and embarrassed. Hopefully through this series I would be able to convey my inner thoughts which clouds my mind at night and write some letters to them.

I hope you enjoyed my little introduction to this series and I'm looking forward to writing these letters in the future:)

Life Update #1 | Work, work, work...

The plague of exams are spreading and there are countless victims of teens and young adults trying to cram as much information into their brain possible and trying not to combust whilst inhaling caffeine like there's no tomorrow. 

Over the last few months I've pushed blogging to the back of my mind as the onslaught of exams are coming at full force and sadly, I'm not immune to them. As a result, I've been spending a lot of time procrastinating revising in hopes that I would have a longer memory span than a goldfish. 

The Not So Little Pimples of Insecurity

Even the most confident of people have bundles of insecurity wedged deep deep inside themselves. It's just that they don't show it to the world.

At school, I'm probably the most smiley person you would meet and I rarely let anything get to me aside from the usual Monday blues. But during the more quieter times like the morning, when I'm brushing my teeth and when I look in the mirror, I just want to hide.

My Old Friend Nostalgia

    Nostalgia. It's a funny thing.

Little Year 4 me at Cuffley Camp 

It's a sensation that many have felt before. It's a tricky little thing, isn't it? Anything can trigger a sudden memory-objects, words, places and more. The thing that really fascinates me is that each individual would have a different trigger and memory. Some good, some bad.

Recently I was tagged by somebody on Facebook showing the picture above, it brought back so many 'first' memories. First trip away from home, first time going camping, first time exploring the woods, collapsing tents, camp duties, disgusting showers and the last trip as a class before going to our wide scary futures in middle school...It is a dear memory that I hold, and wish to hold for the many years to come.

You sometimes get overwhelmed with a sudden rush through your body, and then the memories start to flood your vision. Momentarily, leaving you speechless. One moment i'm watching a thrilling episode of Teen Wolf and the next, I remember being starstruck and speechless when I met Arden Cho at Comic Con.

Whereas some memories will leave you cringing for eternity like embarrassing statuses which float around on your Facebook profile from years ago. Well, unfortunately I am frequent victim for these cringe-worthy statuses and it get's you thinking -Did I type that? Is that me or my long lost evil twin?

5 years ago my social life ended because my MSN had gone funny-99 problems. 

The confusing thing regarding theses statuses and photos is 'Do I delete them?' and i'm screaming through your computer 'NO!!!' Why would you want to delete these gems of your youth, they may want to make you scream but let's be honest-you kind of like them.  

What are some fond or embarrassing memories that you have?