Caffe Bene

Last weekend I spent some time trying out a new cafe with a friend called Caffe Bene. I'd say their strawberry waffle was really yummy, especially their chocolate syrup. It was delectable with every bite. I didn't personally try any thing else on their menu yet except for this waffle. But the cafe had a good assortment of different kinds of coffees, smoothies, bubble tea, desserts, and Korean desserts. The atmosphere of the cafe was great and made me feel like I walked onto the set of a Korean drama.

Catching up with a good friend always rejuvenates me in a way. It reminds me that sometimes I can easily forget how blessed I am to have what I have when I get caught up in the things I don't have. I think it's important to have valuable friends that you know are worth keeping. The ones that keep you grounded and that you know you'll never get tired of.

S/O to you Alex because I know you'll be reading this. You're the best. :)

During this tete-a-tete, I realized there's something great about the act of spontaneity. Sometimes the most random of acts are worth doing especially if it means it'll make someone's night.

Always Tomorrow.

Hello August!

I've made a couple posts before on my Asian snack hauls and here's another one. These are some really popular snacks that I've seen a couple people buy and decided to try some for myself. The panda cookies are a little too sweet for my liking but then again I don't exactly have a sweet tooth. I did like the matcha flavored Pocky. But then who doesn't love Pocky?! 

This past week, I was able to attend a free Moroccan food festival where I tried Moroccan food for the first time! I wish I took a picture of the things I tried but it was absolutely delicious! They had some really yummy drinks too which included this mint green tea that was really refreshing before it quickly got that watered down flavor when the ice melted. I also got into the Moroccan spirit as picture above haha. 

Right now there's this huge trend where Birkenstocks are becoming the "IT" sandal of the summer. I do like the visual concept of the Birkenstocks but not so much the actual shoe. They're too wide and although they may be quite the comfortable shoe, I think it can easily make a dressy outfit look too casual. So I opted for these brand new sandals I happened upon at a local Nordstrom Rack. I got it for the unbeatable price of $24.95 when they're still being sold at Nordstrom! They're around $44 I believe but they're discounted to around $30 because of the Anniversary Sale that they currently have going on. I like these sandals a lot more than the Birkenstock because these still have those thick straps but it's a dressier variation which I think suits my style. 

Catching up

Here is my past couple weeks in pictures!

 Since early March/April, I've been growing sunflower seeds in my small dorm room in a tiny pot. When I got home from the summer I planted them in my front yard and they just began to sprout into beautiful baby sunflowers! 

 As mentioned before, in an earlier blog, I was incredibly overwhelmed with juggling my summer activities and finding time for myself and people I wanted to spend time with. Mark took me out on a spontaneous kayaking adventure that was super fun and a great way for me to de-stress.

 This was our view as we kayaked around. It was really cool and something I have never done before that day!

 I enjoyed some CPK pizza!

 This is the transformation picture of my sunflowers! They started off as little sprouts of green stems and grew into these beautiful sunflowers! Although the seeds I planted was of the Sunflower Dwarf species, they only grew to about 4 feet tall. Which isn't that impressive for the regular sunflower because they can easily grow up to 6 feet. But they were incredible to watch and it gave me a gratifying feeling that I know how to plant and grow beautiful living things. :)

Some delicious shrimp scampi, white rice, and platanos that I ate at a colombian restaurant. 

Newly

This week I had two experiences that only solidified how sometimes we truly never know how we can truly impact each other's lives.

I recently started volunteering regularly at a hospital near me. During my stay, I had built a friendship with one of the patients there. She told me stories from her past, her family, and her experiences. Earlier this week, she was all better and ready to go home. When she was on her way out, she hugged me and told me thanks and that she hoped to see me again. It wasn't until that moment that I realized how much we had become friends. Sometimes I have doubts about my career choice much like anyone else around my age. But it's experiences like this that make me glad I chose what I chose and that I might have chosen correctly.

Yesterday, I came across a customer at work that I just clicked with. She told me how she ballroom dances, about one of her past hardships, and she gave me some advice about my career as well. We ended up exchanging numbers and hope to reconnect soon. I honestly didn't know she would tell me such useful information and end up becoming a good networking tool.

I feel like at this point I can easily feel lost and unsure about myself. But I'm glad these moments happened so I can feel sure about myself a little longer.

Lovely surprise

Lately, I've been more overwhelmed than I have ever experienced in a long time. I haven't been this stress probably since my first arrival at college my freshman year. I've been busy balancing multiple things and it's been tough on me physically and mentally. Last night, it took a toll on me and I sort of lost it. I broke down, my thoughts began to snowball, and basically catastrophe happened.

I typically like to isolate myself and calm myself down whenever something like this happens. I push others away until I'm alone with my thoughts. Which usually, isn't the best thing. I begin to think that I'm left to deal with my problems alone and that's usually where I reach a dead end.

But today I was reminded that I don't have to do anything alone and I'm very grateful that I was.