It seems that every time I start a new blog post, it goes along the lines of, “it’s been a while since my last blog post and I’m going to try to be more consistent”. The truth is, I do want to write more on my blog, but sharing publicly is what makes it hard. With social media nowadays, it feels like if you don’t agree with someone, they can blast you on the internet with little-to-no-context and you’ll have random strangers siding with the voices that are the loudest. For me, it feels best if I just keep quiet and stay out of trouble, ha. I suppose it’s time to get rid of that fear and write what I want to write. Those who want to read will read so if you’re here right now, I appreciate you! 

While I try to get back into writing more consistently (and intentionally), I’d like to share a few new life updates since my last blog post and a year after leaving corporate and moving to New York. Looking back, a lot has changed and I figured writing about it would be a nice way to reflect on the past year.

Becoming a Full-Time Pilates Instructor

When I first left my corporate job, I thought I’d return to the advertising world after I got settled in New York, but life has changed along with my priorities. The corporate ladder I once dreamed of climbing became a bit… meaningless.

I once had a private Pilates client who owned a business, and he told me, “You can chase the big titles but at the end of the day, the same company that gave you that title can just as easily take it away. There’s no better title than the one you give yourself.” That advice has really stuck with me since then.

While I work towards my future and what title I want to give myself, I know that I’m going to be a future wife and a future mother someday.

Dating and Relationships

As my priorities have shifted, so has my approach to dating and relationships.

In recent years, I’ve shied away from sharing much of my love life. Out of embarrassment over my failed relationships, I didn’t want to share yet another relationship that wasn’t going to last. I suppose that’s the journey of life and self-discovery.

After a while, dating became exhausting and draining. The idea of being vulnerable with someone, or even placing so much trust in a person for them to not hurt you, was too much for me to even fathom. On top of all that, you’re also looking for someone who you could share a similar lifestyle with. Someone who shares my values and goals.

I knew my future husband wasn’t going to be on the dating apps. I knew deep down that I wanted to meet organically and nothing was going to be forced. That’s exactly how I met my boyfriend! The moment I trusted in God and His plans for me, my boyfriend and I started dating a few days later. 

Building a Relationship with God

Trusting in God not only led me to the relationship I once prayed for, but it has also slowly changed the way I look at life.

I found myself praying to God before my move to New York. I’m fortunate to have friends around me, especially my best friend Lydia, who’s like an older sister and someone I can always ask questions about God and the Bible. When I moved to New York, I found myself depending on God more during the quiet moments in life before it got filled with work.

I’m glad that my boyfriend is a man of God because understanding the Bible can be overwhelming at times, but he’s able to break it down for me in a digestible way. Learning more about the Bible has been changing my perspective on the world and life, for the better of course. 

Traveling to New Places

Aside from all these new changes, I was also able to travel more this year (and to new places too)!

Going back to wishing I kept up with my blog more often this past year, one of the things I wished I blogged about was my three-week trip to Vietnam back in December! It was my first time in Vietnam as an adult (my first visit was when I was three years old). Meeting all of my extended family, practicing my Vietnamese every day, and eating all the Vietnamese food was amazing. Three weeks flew by and I didn’t want to go back to America at the end of the trip! I’m already planning on going back to Vietnam next year and bringing my boyfriend with me, haha.

That trip opened my eyes to life, priorities, and family.

Another new place I’m looking forward to traveling to is my annual cruise with my dad in the upcoming weeks. This year, we are going to Europe! The cruise ship will depart from Rome and arrive in Athens. I’ve never been to Europe before so this will be exciting. In previous years, my dad and I have gone to Cabo San Lucas and Alaska. 

Later this year, my boyfriend and I are planning on going to Trinidad! My boyfriend is from Trinidad and Tobago, so we’re aiming on going in the fall for his mom’s birthday. We’re still working out all the details but I’m excited to go since I’ve never been. 

Besides traveling to new places this year, I’ve also been dabbling in a few new hobbies!

New Hobbies

Continuing My Singing Journey

I’ve been taking singing lessons on and off for the past six years now but I recently found a teacher in New York that I enjoy learning from. She’s quite precise when it comes to vocal lessons, but I really appreciate it because that’s what I want in a teacher. Singing is quite challenging for me and I know I’m not the best. I’ll hear one thing but when I try to replicate the sound or note, while it sounds accurate to me, my singing teacher tells me I’m off. For some reason, my brain doesn’t register intonations and pitch that well. I’m still determined to get better!

Rebuilding My Coffee Setup

Another hobby I’m excited to revisit is coffee.

One of the things I’m looking forward to is rebuilding my coffee station! I used to work as a barista for a few months (mostly to learn about coffee) and I miss pulling my own espresso shots. I also find it interesting that before moving to New York, I used to drink an iced decaf mocha every single day, but now I’m more of a cappuccino person. Perhaps it might have to do with Arizona’s weather being so warm that an iced mocha seems to hit the spot, ha. 

Looking back, I wish I did a blog post about my coffee setup (I did take photos of my equipment, but I never wrote about it). It would have been nice to have all the links shared in the blog post so I can easily repurchase my accessories again, but it’ll be fun to research new accessories on the market. Perhaps I might get an upgraded espresso machine!

Comedy Classes

Also on the topic of trying new things… I decided to sign up for an 8-week comedy course! There’s a comedy club in my neighborhood that was offering comedy classes and after contemplating whether or not to take it, I decided, why not? I’ll share more about that journey in another post soon. I’m not planning on being a comedian but I figured it would be fun to learn new things and see what goes into doing stand-up. It’s also a nice change of space to meet people outside of Pilates and fitness!

Since being a Pilates teacher full-time, I’m always surrounded by people who are in the fitness world. Sometimes I miss the corporate world and having a separate part-time job in a different field – it allowed me to meet different people that I wouldn’t normally meet.

My Life in New York

All of these experiences have made me feel like I’m starting to build a life in New York for myself.

After a year of living in New York City, I have finally updated my entire website to reflect that. It took a long time for me to change it because I think a part of me was still grieving my previous life – even though I was the one that made the decision to leave it all behind and move across the country. I was still getting inquiries for privates, bachelorette parties, and other inquiries in Arizona and that was serving me no purpose, yet I still held on to it. It was my way of holding on in case I decided to move back to Arizona.

I’m still figuring out this new life in New York City. While I’m not exactly where I want to be yet, I have trust in myself and in God that I’m on the right path. A year ago, I wasn’t sure what this new chapter would look like. I’m not quite where I want to be, but I’m learning to take it one day at a time!

Photos by Andrew of Tipikel LLC (edited by me!)