Hello Panda Festival

December 5, 2019

Hello Panda Festival is a winter lantern festival held in Queens, NY in the Citi Field parking lot. There are currently three different light festivals going on right now for the winter season (Lumino City on Randall’s Island and NYC Winter Lantern Festival on Staten Island).

Hello Panda was the easiest to access, honestly, being right in Queens, easy to get to and on-site parking adjacent to the event. I haven’t been to the other two festivals but when I researched them both, there were a lot of cons with their parking issues and extra fees and having to walk a substantial distance before even entering the event. With Hello Panda, I drove to the Citi Field parking lot, parked up front, and walked over to the ticket booth to check-in and then walked right through the gates to the display entrance right next to it. If you’re not driving, it’s also easily accessible via the 7 train. It’s literally right outside the Mets-Willets Point stop. Easy peazy. Which was a blessing because it’s winter and well, it’s brick out. Let’s be real, it’s no secret I hate the cold, it DOES bother me anyway, but I braved it tonight for the gram. BUT! I can attest that Hello Panda is pretty awesome in the fact that they take this into consideration that duh, their festival is in the winter and provide giant heated igloo tents for guests to come in, rest their feet between walking through displays, grab a bite to eat, watch performances and warm up before heading back out. They have food vendors on site for dumplings, baos, shrimp, donuts and burritos. I attended the press event so there was a limited amount of vendors this night but the event officially opens to the public tomorrow so I suppose there will be more vendors and a marketplace for you to shop and buy gifts and unique souvenirs from all over the world. There were live performances with a DJ, violinist and a drumline for tonight’s festivities to open up the event. I was also able to try a little bit of everything and all the food was hot, fresh and delicious.

But let’s get to the main attraction! The actual lanterns and lights! From the entrance, it didn’t look like a lot. But upon entering, I found that everything is really well spaced out and it’s bigger than it looks and it goes farther back. There are a LOT of displays and I didn’t even get to capture them all (due to coldness and time constraints). There were ferris wheels and lit up swings that I forgot to make my rounds back to see and gram, unfortunately. But I saw a majority of what the ground had to offer! And there is a lot. There’s plenty of tunnels spaced all around so there’s no need to crowd around any particular one. There are different themed displays so there’s something for everyone. There’s a dinosaur land, a safari zone, underwater theme with mermaids and Nemo and friends, angel wings for the Instagram hoes like me, Christmas displays, a castle channeling that of Sleeping Beauty’s castle, complete with fairy tale figures and horse drawn carriages, giant forest creatures as if you’re living through A Bug’s Life, and of course, pandas! This was my first light festival but I do have to say they had a nice eclectic assortment of displays all around and there was no shortage of wondrous color. This is a festival for the eyes.

I do have to note that I was worried that the photos wouldn’t come out as nice because the festival is at night and night photos are a hit or miss usually. But with this being in the parking lot, there is actually a lot of light available from parking lot lights all around. I would still recommend bringing your own portable selfie/ring light to light up your face/body if you’re there for the gram and want to take photos of yourself keeping the background lit as well as yourself. Otherwise, you run the risk of not showing up in your photos because you’re darker than the lanterns.

Overall, would I recommend this event? Absolutely. Tickets on Groupon are pretty reasonably priced right now at about $19, compared to some garbage pop-ups I’ve attended in the city that charge more and only have 4-5 dinky rooms to photograph, with their displays showing wear and tear and not even providing food or any extra entertainment. I also hate when pop-ups describe their experience as “immersive” when there’s really nothing to it other than taking a photo, not anything interactive, honestly. But at Hello Panda, you can touch some of the exhibits(but not all); there are 20 or so lantern sets you can touch and walk though and 10 of them are interactive for you to play on. There’s a cute light up dance board, swing sets, maze and some of the dinosaurs even move and make sounds. I think there’s also an indoor panda playground that’s going to available for kids, as I saw it getting set up but didn’t have access to view what it looked like inside.

This would be a cute event for a family to explore or even a date night. I do recommend to go on a warmer night if you’re lucky during the winter season so that you’re not freezing for a pic for the gram, but remember, warm weather means more people and crowds so you might have a harder time getting that shot for the gram. So pick your poison.

Tickets are available on their website, as well as updates in case of inclement weather, but I also saw Groupon selling discounted tickets as well. You can check their Instagram from time to time for discount codes. Tickets are also conveniently sold at the door which is nice since a lot of pop-ups and event nowadays do not and only sell tickets online. I also found my own experience communicating with them via email very efficient and responsive, compared to the other light festivals. From emails to even the staff and vendors working tonight, everyone was friendly and welcoming and eager to help you have a fun night! Hello Panda officially opens to the public Dec. 6 in time for the holiday season. If you’re looking for something away from the Rockefeller and Times Square crowds, this is definitely something.

Rosé Mansion 2.0

July 18, 2019

If you’re a frequent NYC pop-up attendee, the wildly popular Rosé Mansion from last summer is back and with brand new rooms as well as some newly upgraded fan favorites like the floral bathtub room (there’s now 3 to keep line congestion down!) and an even bigger and fuller champagne ball pit. At first I hesitated when I heard it was coming back because I didn’t want to repeat the same pop-up and walk through. But I was invited back by the pop-up itself so I figured why not? Let’s have some fun and see the difference. (You can read about last year’s experience and photos here.)

So. Let’s cut to the chase, I can honestly say they did a beautiful job with the second rendition. I would definitely say this pop-up is worth the price. A lot of quality work was put into it, they collaborated with many different artists to put the rooms together, and you get your money’s worth with all the tastings as well as plenty of photo ops. I’ve been to a lot of pop-ups that are flops looking like someone’s dorm room decoration and rip-offs for what they charge for admission and this is definitely not one of them. The entire exhibit is actually pretty educational, teaching you about the history and process of making rose wine and all the different kinds around the world. Another con of pop-ups that make me wary of them is the lack of good lighting for optimal photo taking. But again, Rosé actually paid attention to this and placed spotlights in a lot of photo areas, which I noticed and appreciated very much as a big pop-up goer.

So where do we start? You mysteriously enter from the side of the building of the Manhattan mall and queue up for an elevator that transports you to the second floor where your adventure awaits. You walk through a neon tunnel which drops you into the “boarding area.” Here you can seamlessly “check your bag” aka drop off any bags you have so you can walk through the exhibit with just your phone and camera, not having to worry about throwing your belongings off the side to snap a photo at every location. I loved this as this was a nice touch to the flight theme. This room was even modeled like a cute pink boarding area with airport seats, luggage, a boarding gate, old school telephones, and a big sign showing arrivals and departures. There was so many photo opportunities before even signing in to the actual pop-up itself.

Signing in was also easy and seamless. You get scanned in, sign a waiver and then wait about 2-3 minutes before you enter a room with quick instructions on how to move about the pop-up via a cute “in-flight” video, just like you would before taking off. After, you move down two cute tunnels (again, two to help with traffic congestion before moving forward) through a forest of huge purple bouncy balls (to mimic grapes) before arriving at a table where you are given your Rosé Mansion wine glass, which you’re to bring with you through the entire exhibit to receive your rosé samples. There are 8 different wines to try from and each pour is a pretty generous helping, in my opinion. But if you’re a lightweight like me and can’t finish your wine before the next tasting, fear not, every station has a small bucket for you to pour your wine into before getting a new pour. And oh yes, full disclosure, I’m not a big drinker so I was here totally for the Instagrammable experience of the pop-up, not the actual drinking part, but I did partake in sips for actual tasting and my favorite rose would have to be the Cleopatra room.

After given your glass (it’s actually just plastic so don’t worry about dropping and breaking it), you’ll move through a series of different themed rooms with a lab, chairs, painted walls, vanities, a garden, painted optical illusion floor, a floor quiz helping you select what rosé you’ll like best to try, a giant cake to boomerang the perfect confetti pop-up and of course, the ball pit that completes every pop-up. At the end, it drops you into “Roséland” where you can relax for as long as you want before leaving. There’s a rosé bar as well as a taco bar if you’re still thirsty or hungry or both, a picnic area for doing exactly that, and even more Instagrammable opportunities. This is also the “baggage claim” area where you can retrieve any bags you checked in earlier. There are also ample amount of bathrooms located around here and in 2019 fashion, gender neutral and cutely decorated.

The iconic chandelier swing is located near the exit, as well as a similar giant throne chair from last year. There’s also a cute lawn chair photo op and a “Hollywood” Rosé Mansion sign. The space is huge and there’s plenty to do. The only con I really found was the chandelier swing at the end wasn’t being monitored by staff like the rooms in the exhibit were. Everything near the exit after the ball pit is at your leisure and not timed. This was both good and bad. The good is you can possibly take longer to get the right photo/boomerang. The con is so can everyone else. So the line for this can take up to an hour even with just 6 girls in front of you. Of course, everyone is entitled to their own time, but some people take longer than others and some people do get a little rude about it, which is exactly the same problem I had the first year at Rosé Mansion at the bathtub room. I did notice a security guy nearby but his job wasn’t really to facilitate the line. The only thing he would probably do is step in, were an altercation were to occur as tensions arose. Unfortunately due to the line problem during my visit, the chandelier did get quite congested and so I wasn’t able to get a good shot by the chandelier swing, which is probably one of the most coveted money shots of the entire exhibit, hence why there was a line here and not so much at all the other spots around the exit.

Overall though I wouldn’t let missing the chandelier affect my experience. The pop-up alone is huge with much to do so take your time as you walk through. Give yourself two hours if you want optimal gramming, I would say and practice a lot of patience. And definitely come with a friend who has a good eye for photos and knows how to work that boomerang. I love that the space is much bigger than last year’s so you never feel like someone is on top of you. It’s also very well conditioned and comfortable. I take note of this because Candytopia was held here and it was a sauna walking through that pop-up so it got uncomfortable at a certain point, causing you to walk through it pretty quick just to get out of the heat.

So the final verdict. It’s definitely a different experience than last years, which is nice because it doesn’t feel like a carbon copy but an actual sequel to it’s predecessor. Like I didn’t feel like I was walking through the exact same pop-up again is my point. So if you enjoyed the mansion last year, then you’ll love this one too.

For those new to Rosé, or pop-ups in general, my advice would be to bring a friend or two, and encourage your group to dress up! You’ll have a blast. Like all pop-ups, tickets are required to purchase ahead of time and are time-slotted. Prices differ according to the time and day you choose to visit, and range from $35 to $45. I went on a weekend so it was busier so that’s probably my own downfall so I would definitely recommend visiting on a weekday if you can to save money and for optimal photo time when it’s less crowded so you won’t feel rushed. Your photos will come out much nicer this way and your boomerangs will be bomb. And oh yes, you have to be 21+ to enter. Everyone in your party included, whether or not they choose to drink. The new Rose Mansion is located at 111 W32nd St, New York, New York 10001 and you can purchase tickets here.

Goals for 2018 & 2019

December 31, 2018

Goals for 2018

̶̶T̶r̶a̶v̶e̶l̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶P̶a̶r̶i̶s̶,̶ ̶P̶a̶r̶i̶s̶ ̶D̶i̶s̶n̶e̶y̶l̶a̶n̶d̶.̶ ̶D̶i̶s̶n̶e̶y̶ ̶a̶g̶a̶i̶n̶.̶ ̶H̶a̶l̶l̶o̶w̶e̶e̶n̶, Christmas or NYE.
̶S̶e̶e̶ ̶a̶ ̶B̶r̶o̶a̶d̶w̶a̶y̶ ̶s̶h̶o̶w̶, opera, ̶b̶a̶l̶l̶e̶t̶.
Furnish and complete the spare room into a full guest room.
I never got around to doing this. But I did finally clear out the room last month and got rid of a lot of stuff. Hopefully next year I can finally get a bedframe and complete this project.
Clean out the garage.
This was pure laziness. I never even opened the garage all year, honestly.
̶ ̶G̶o̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶g̶y̶m̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ ̶a̶ ̶f̶u̶l̶l̶ ̶y̶e̶a̶r̶!̶
̶R̶u̶n̶ ̶a̶ ̶5̶k̶,̶ ̶w̶o̶r̶k̶ ̶t̶o̶w̶a̶r̶d̶s̶ ̶a̶ ̶1̶0̶k̶.
Launch floating lanterns into the sky - Lantern Fest.
This was not my fault. We drove all the way there to have them cancel it hours before on account of rain. The raindate wasn’t worth it either.
Learn to sew again and make my own skirts.
I just never got around to buying a sewing machine and starting this project. Although now I’m getting rather lazy and would just buy everything or ask my mom to make it, given enough time.
Read one book a month.
I actually did this half way. I read only half the year. After the summer I got lazy. So I read 6 books this year instead of 12. Does this count? Better than last year.
Get rid of all personal debts and dig myself out of my credit card debt so I can pay my card off in full again every month.
I screwed up this goal through my birthday vacation YOLO-ing. I probably could’ve completed this if I wasn’t so reckless. But YOLO. No regrets. My birthday was awesome. Hopefully in 2019 I can get this under control if I discipline myself enough.

Reflection on 2018

Travel - I didn’t expect Paris to actually happen. I was scared of doing this and being in a foreign country with a language barrier but it ended up being not an issue at all. And I did almost everything I wanted to do while I was there! I fell in love with this city and I can’t wait to go back one day. The people, the lights, the sights, the old history. And my Eiffel Tower photos! Everything was so magical. I’m glad I devoted a week to this city instead of trying to rush through it. I was able to soak it all in. And my Disney World birthday was absolutely amazing. And oh yeah! I checked off yet another Disneyland off my list in Paris. The last one left is now Hong Kong. Hopefully I get to visit that in the next few years. I also went on my first family vacation in years! It was actually a lot of fun and I really do want to go on more with my family and spend more time with them as I get older. I also visited Chicago for a hot minute this summer on a spontaneous trip. I do like planning itineraries, as stressful as they can be, and I like being able to check everything off as I go. Or watch myself do as much as I set out to do.
Weddings - I went to so many weddings this year! I went to 3 weddings from my college friends and 1 from family on my husband’s side. And on top of that, a lot of people had babies this year. Something in the water. But I’m still not ready to drink from it. But I did love watching all my friends get married. Something about weddings are so magical. I love watching ceremonies and the wedding traditions. And I love celebrating my loved ones, being in love! I love the food, dressing up, the dancing, everything. It’s always a good time with great memories. I also love that a lot of them are like mini reunions so I get to see all my friends again. It’s hard now that we’re all adulting on different schedules in different zip codes. It’s interesting to see all the lives and paths we’ve set ourselves on post-college. We’re all growing up in different ways and at different paces.
Cons - I actually only attended 2 comic cons this year and 2 beauty conventions. I made absolutely no new cosplays this year and just re-wore all my old ones with my revamped body so everything looked so much better than it ever did before. I’m not sure if any cons are in the cards for next year but I will probably continue with rewearing old costumes at this point if I do attend. I have no desire or motivation to make anything new anymore. I enjoy cosplaying but I don’t enjoy pouring any more time and money into it. I also hate that the majority of my follower count on Instagram is due to cosplay, making it hard for me to grow organically on my account. Sometimes I wonder if I should start over so that my acquired following is more genuine to the content I’m posting. I also hate that audience is 81% male. Males don’t tend to actively engage with your content as much (unless the intent is to troll, 90% of the time), which hurts how well my content is seen. It makes beating the Instagram algorithm very hard. I don’t care about getting famous or a lot of followers - I just wish that the people who actually wanted to see my content could actually see it and know of it.
Exercise - If there was a theme for my 2018, this would be it. This was my main focus all year round. I worked on making this a reality, after years of so much trial and error and disappointment. I was determined to succeed this year and I’m really glad I pushed through and conquered this goal. The funny thing is if you look at the list I had set out for myself for 2018, I didn’t really accomplish much at all. In 2016, I made my weight loss goal a target of 115 lbs but I never reached it. I kept gaining weight instead of losing it. So it discouraged me from setting a target goal for 2018 when I made this list. I simply said I wanted to try going to the gym for a full year. Baby steps. And this ended up being the year I not only reached that target weight of 115 lbs but I dipped 10 lbs further than that! That alone and my results gave me such a high that made my entire year. I feel so accomplished from this alone that only fulfilling 4 of my 10 goals can’t get me down. This was such a big obstacle for me and I’m really proud of myself for finally pushing through and exceeding my own expectations. Within this one goal, I achieved so many little “wins” to help bring me to this place and I’m really just in awe of everything I achieved with my own two hands. In January, I was intimidated AF and never had done a deadlift or anything involving weights. Now I lift 3-5x a week and I absolutely love it. I never thought I would love lifting so much and find a new love for fitness. I’m excited to see if I can keep this up for 2019 and make it a true lifestyle change.
Diet - This goes hand in hand with my exercise goal but I wanted to speak on this separately because I struggled with this more than actual exercising. I have no problem with working out as I really do enjoy it. But the diet part is the hardest part, and the actual 90% of the work to really see the results. So the commitment to this is a real challenge. I did it twice this year, in the winter-spring and then later in the fall to lose from 130 to 110 and then 115 to 105 respectively. Both times were equally hard even if the weight was less to lose the second time around. I can’t commit to the diet as a lifestyle change completely as the foodie in me misses food and bigger portions. So I made a compromise to myself. During my maintenance phase, I allow myself cheat meals and cheat days more often, so long as I watch the scale and know when to dial back. I try to eat healthy during the week 5 out of 7 days. I did make some diet lifestyle changes permanent though. I do make a conscious effort to eat more protein and less sugar and carbs. I’m also more conscious of watching my portion sizes.
Pop-ups - This was the year of the pop-ups. It seems I traded in my cosplay life for exploring pop-ups instead for photo ops. I found that not all pop-ups are created equal and that a lot of places can do a lot with very little space, and vice versa - some places could be a big warehouse full of potential and be a flop if not done properly and creatively. I enjoyed visiting all of them and experiencing them for myself firsthand. I found them a great creative outlet for me to play with. I hope to find more great quality pop-ups to explore in 2019. Oh yes, I even had the opportunity of meeting my number one favorite supermodel of all time, the beautiful and gracious Adriana Lima herself due to these pop-ups!
Photoshoots - In 2017, I had set a goal of doing at least one shoot a month and in 2018, I kept the same goal and fulfilled it. I want to keep shooting to keep building my portfolio and feed my creative nature, as well as fulfill the fashion bug in me. I have to tone down my style for work so my days off are my opportunities to let it all out. In 2019, I want to continue this, but hopefully build upon it even more and step up my game as well. Originally, the boy and I weren’t going to do Christmas gifts this year as we didn’t have any “wants” or “needs.” We’re at that age where we just don’t want random knick-knacks or tchotchkes anymore. But then he surprised me with a beautiful new camera for me to play with and finally get into learning some photography skills to be able to take better photos and on my own when I’m not able to schedule a photographer to shoot with. I’m always with my sister and we’re always gramming on our phones but now I’m excited to upgrade our IG game for the next year. I’m always on the search for beautiful places as well as ordinary places that photograph beautifully to show that you can turn any place into something magical through photos. You can take beautiful photos anywhere as long as you have a good eye. I’m also really happy because this gift shows how supportive he is towards my passions and love for photos. He’s also willing to learn and has been looking into it as well to take better photos for me when we travel. You don’t know how much this means to me and how something so little like this excites me. Somehow I still am finding ways to fall in love with this boy more and more every day.
Adventures/Time Spent With Friends - A few years ago, I also made it a goal to spend less time on work and focus on spending more time with friends and family. And as time went on, I did. I let go of retail and switched over to hospital pharmacy and although I had to let go of a comfortable paycheck, I learned to downsize and budget, in exchange for my sanity. My shift in fields allowed me to leave work at work and spend more time with my loved ones. This year was packed with a lot of dates with my sisters! I enjoyed this a lot and I really hope to continue this trend next year. This year was not as successful as I would’ve liked for my friends though. We vacationed separately this year, which I am disappointed and sad about it, but adulting happens. One day the stars will align again. I’m happy and grateful we’re still able to make time for each other for small dates though and saw each other about once a month this year. It’s just hard when we all are on different schedules, different area codes and it looks like we’re all on different paths lately. But I’m excited for everyone and their changes. I want nothing but amazing things to happen for them and I know one day we’ll make our amazing adventures happen again. You have to let each other grow - you don’t have to grow apart, but you do have to allow each other room to grow up. And it seems like we all are finally growing up in little ways. Letting go of all the silly little things we used to do back then in our 20s. We still make time to talk to each other pretty much daily even if we’re just sharing dumb memes and photos.
Bruno Mars Concert - This was my second big concert (my first being the Weeknd last year). Bruno really is the Michael Jackson of this generation with his energy and performances. He really puts on an amazing show and is over the top with all his effects - lights, glitter, fire everything! I also haven’t met a Bruno Mars song that I haven’t liked yet. Well, except for his collaboration with Cardi B because sorry not sorry, I just can’t stand her. But that song was out way before he added her onto it, so I still like it, just the version without her.
Started my blog - I finally sat down and figured how this thing works after years of privately blogging on Blogger. I got over the trolls and said fuck it, here we go. It’s still a bit filtered but I do enjoy sharing my world, my thoughts, and my adventures with you guys. I hope to be able to continue this for as long as I can without running out of topics, sounding repetitive or getting boring. I don’t have a central theme like fashion, makeup or travel or anything unfortunately. I didn’t want to limit myself to one niche because I personally like writing about everything and anything that’s on my mind. I hope you guys have enjoyed the past year since I’ve started. My goal is not to become a social media influencer or star from this. I simply want to share my adventures and see where it leads me. I also want a central place to document all my adventures with the written word. Instagram is simply a highlight of my life with one quick photo and a limitation of what I can write. Sometimes I want to share more than one photo from a shoot and write more than a paragraph. And sometimes followers get annoyed with seeing so many photos from one shoot or even reading a caption. This is where my blog comes in for those who want to learn more about me than a quick snapshot. Although I’m still selective about what I blog about, I promised myself that I will keep everything as raw and truthful as I can. I’ll always post my honest opinion while remaining tactful. If anything, my goal is for this blog to be genuinely ME. I’ve never been able to identify myself to fit in a box or one word, so I hope this blog is a good representation of the many different pieces of me as you guys sift through the disorganization. I enjoy reading everyone’s comments and thoughts and I’m glad there are avid returning readers and supporters. So thank you guys for sticking around!

Pop-ups of 2018

I went to a lot more than 12 but these were some of my favorite photos from the ones I did visit.

Top 9 of Instagram

It looks like fitness was a favorite on the gram, as well as my cosplays even though I rarely cosplayed this year.

Looking Back at 2018 Adventures

There are more than 12 photos I want to post but these are some of my favorite.

New Goals for 2019

Maintain a 105-110 lb weight range and a sustainable diet and exercise balance.
Run a half marathon.
- I really don’t want to embarrass myself in 2 months so I really need to be able to complete this.
Finish the spare room.
Italy in the spring? or Paris in the fall? Disneyland for Halloween, Disneyworld for NYE possibly.
Learn to drive stick.
- The boy’s new car is a manual. I need to learn this so I can move his car out of the driveway when necessary or just in case I need it for any emergencies.
Finally pick up photography. Learn the basics so I can take and edit my own photos.
- I’ve modeled for so many years and I realized how sad it is that I never took the time to learn. It would really help me take better photos when traveling and even when I’m just hanging out with friends and family. It’s an useful skill and good hobby to have and I’m excited to learn and start with my new camera.
Learn how to drive a motorcycle.
- It would just be nice to be able to ride with the boy one day. And have the skill and know-how just in case for traveling purposes. Although I’m terrified to drive one around in Vietnam, it would still be nice to know for late night rides if I ever make it back there. Or even cute Vespa rides in Paris.
Take more photos with the boy!
- I always look like I’m single or traveling solo but the truth is he hates photos. And it’s not that I don’t want him in my photos. I LOVE taking photos with him. I want to do more couple sessions and shoots.
Work with more creatives.
- I love working with my favorite reliable and trusted photographers! But I also want to meet new creatives with different styles and eyes for a great shot. Regardless of my bad and unprofessional experiences I’ve encountered, I still want to give new people a shot and create some beautiful work.
Finish my pharmacy CEs early.
- I have this terrible habit of waiting till last minute or letting it creep up on me. I’m trying to make a conscious effort to not let this happen this renewal time around.

Overall, my 2018 was about a lot of personal growth. This was a big theme for me in 2018. My fitness journey definitely opened my eyes up to a lot of things and made me realize the important things, and how in control I really am of my life. It helped me in a lot of ways, not just my weight loss. It activated a better level of happiness for me and I realized that I could do anything I wanted as long as I set my mind to it and worked at it. If I wanted to do something, I got up off my ass and hopped to it. I went to a lot of places this year, even if locally. I spent a lot of time being more positive than I’ve been previously, as I started to believe in myself a lot more. The high you get from working out is real. And it’s amazing how it snowballs into great things and allows you to not let the little things get to you. It actually helps you to let them bounce right off. I hope to take this attitude with me into 2019. It’s funny because 2018 actually started a little rough for me. January was really depressing and I was actually crying a lot. But as the year grew on, it got better and now that time when I was crying about my weight seems so far away. I’m actually worried at the same time about 2019. Did I peak in 2018? I mean, how much more can I do in 2019 to step up my game in everything? But you don’t know if you don’t go. I’m ready to jump into 2019 and see what great things lay ahead. Cheers to 2018 and it’s great gifts, and here’s to what the new year will bring us!