Being in New York City again felt good. It was my first time back since Jan 1, 2020. I was struck by the deja vu moments and full circle-ness of it all.

But mostly, I am thankful for getting the vaccine. I told myself that I would not post, but the circumstances were full of luck and awe. In short, I am thankful to have gotten J&J and given up my old Pfizer spot to someone else.

Here are the thoughts that circled my mind while getting that precious shot.

Yesterday, I stumbled on a prompt that told me to include a particular word in my writing.

It fit easily into this poem. Any guesses?

The impact from people can be felt years later in sometimes the smallest of ways. I find that to be quite beautiful. The poem is inspired by this notion. Enjoy :)

Image via Instagram.

Hate against Asians is not a new thing. However, there has been a recent rise in hate crimes against Asian Americans.

I am grateful for my walks. Before the pandemic, walks with no destination were a treat. Now, they have become routine.

This week, I tried a guided walking meditation from "This Difficult Thing of Being Human." I enjoyed the experience immensely.

Here is a thought from a walk.

So I’m really attempting to be positive. But we all know it is March, and it has been about a year since our lives have turned upside down.

I am not going to give too much context to this poem, but it’s a product of my late-night thoughts, as is this photo.

This week was a nice change of pace. I had the opportunity to be outdoors. But I was also stuck inside (on a nice day) writing a paper. The thing is: I was not as bitter about it.

I think that I am making the best out of most situations. My mindset is changing. The grief is still there. However, I am feeling more like the girl that laughed and meant it.

One thing that I have noticed is that I am studying the world around me more. Noticing the world can take on many shapes and forms, such as analyzing that paper or feeling the snow against my body. Overthinking can be a good or bad thing. But, I have seen the good in it this week.

Swans have weirdly influenced my life. I grew up watching the Swan Princess movies, which was a reminder to be elegant all the time.

There’s also a quote, something along the lines of: “learn to be a swan… graceful and calm above water, frantically paddling underneath.”

That’s not realistic so, I have decided to abandon my idea of holding it together all the time.

I am not in a pre-pandemic headspace, and that’s okay. It’s not like all is gone. I am only shifting my focus.

Besides school, my main priority is my health: physical and mental.

Fortunately, I have taken some measures and am feeling more like my normal self! Slowly, but surely, I will get there if I keep listening to my body.

This week, I have been spending some time with children on Zoom. The way their minds work is unbelievable. They see the magic in the mundane, and it is heartwarming.

I always joke that I’ll never try to be a mother. But certain moments make me think otherwise. Here is a thought that tries to put these feelings into words.

My time management skills have taken a hit. But, this week has taught me the importance of being there.

I know sometimes, I overdo it. I overextend. I throw everything into someone who may not even see it. And people have told me it is not your job to take on their problems. It is not your job to lose your time.

What is the point of thinking like that? This is me. Yes, I get frustrated. Yes, I get exhausted. But at the end of the day, people will always remember how you made them feel. And in my opinion, I have maintained plenty of connections; but have also burned many bridges.

I hope that I do not burn too many more. Here is "Be there."

School started up again, and it’s been hard to get back into a routine (which is good and bad).

In one of my classes, we talked about brand positioning in a corporate and personal sense.

While brainstorming, someone called me outgoing. While this isn’t the first time I have heard this, I don’t see myself that way. Today’s poem is about how my “brand” may not be who I am.

Amanda Gorman via The New York Times

Why aren’t inaugural poems more of a thing!?

Amanda Gorman was the inaugural poet for this year’s inauguration, and wow. She tied together so many thoughts and feelings into excellent prose. And that ending, icing on the cake.

Have you ever felt like you have been kinda floating through life? That’s a big mood for me right now. I’m on autopilot. There’s a task, done. Another task, done.

I’m not usually like this. I tend to create energy somehow and can’t sit still.

Thinking about floating, treading, and swimming helped me create the poem for this week.

A visual representation of my brain after this week.

I am at a loss for words. So, here is a poem about history and democracy.

Happy new year! It’s strange to compare this new year to last year’s. So much has changed. I remember writing my first blog post of 2020 inside a Boston coffee shop before prayer. Sigh such a normal day.

The pandemic isn’t over, but the start of a new year feels like a glimmer of hope. This borderline cheesy poem reminds us to live. If that’s what you accomplished in 2020, I am proud of you. Living is beautiful. Life is beautiful. Sending you lots of love ❤️

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays! I hope you are taking this time to truly connect with family and friends.

The holidays have got me thinking about connection. I have never really liked texting, phone calls, and video calls. Obviously, nothing beats in-person conversations.

But now we are in a time where these tech-based methods are my only means of contacting many people, and I dislike it even more. Every few days, I want to chuck my phone in the water and drive away.

With texting, there are problems with tone, and it feels fake. I’m so brutally honest, and it’s hard to change that through text. Video calls are too close to being real, but not. If I want to reach out, I’m constantly reminded that I can’t, and it makes me miss the person even more.

If I had to choose a form of communication, I think I would choose to call someone. Here is a poem about the beauty of a phone call.

There is nothing like a beautiful snowy day. Despite the quiet that a snow day brings, many things did not allow my brain to shut off and relax after a long semester.

To make myself feel more optimistic, here is the subtle beauty of winter in a poem.

For a brown person, I am light and it’s hard for me to be fine with it. I despise how people see it as a good quality and even resent it when people mention it as one of my defining characteristics.

Besides the usual Seasonal Affective Disorder atmosphere, I really notice the color of my skin this time of year and I dislike it. I hate the privilege that comes with being light. I hate my privilege. My summer tan is obviously gone and with little sun exposure, my skin gets even lighter. It doesn’t make me feel like a true person of color.

If you're a writer, you know that sometimes the strangest things inspire you. The song "Monster" by Shawn Mendes & Justin Bieber inspired me to write a short thought.

I have been experiencing a recurring nightmare. It's not entirely the same every time, but there seem to be consistent themes.

The poem today is inspired by dreams & nightmares.