28 in 2019.

It's officially a new year for me as I turn 28 in 2019. It was a meaningful 2018. It was tough, but I needed it. I don't want to celebrate my birthday today. Or this week. Or this weekend.

I want to celebrate my birthday for the whole year.

How do I want to celebrate? 

I want to feel free as I navigate through life. I want to find hope in my relationships and myself. I want to laugh and dance and create and appreciate and cry and grow. 

I want to be myself but who am I? 

I want to trust. 

I want to relinquish expectations and live back in the present (←that's an oxymoron). 

I want to want less but do more. I will want less and do more. 

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.

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Why?  How? What?

Sleep with more consistency.

Eat with more consciousness.

Love with less attachment. Love with less rules.

Dance with more emotion. Dance with more happiness. 

Sing with your heart.

Think less. Sit less. Do.

Get to work between 8am and 10am.

More frequent and small meals. Drink more water. Have fun cooking healthy. Less meat to no meat.

I love them as them. I accept them and I give them space. I don't control what they do or say or feel.

Straw hat man at Silver Room Block Party. Orange shirt teen at Pitchfork. Young, tall Hapa at Chicago SummerDance House at the Taste. That'll be me in 5 years. Markus pe Benito. 

Metric. Joe Purdy. 

Talk to friends. Hangout with friends. Exercise. Yoga with Karen. African dance. Steezy. 3 dance playlist. Blogger. Bike. Run. Walk. Speedwalk. Jog. Stretch. Strengthen. Journal. Read. Write. Draw. Make videos. Chill. Stranger Things 3. Vongo vs. Hoka One. Organize files. CEUs. Glasses.
Ukelele play & sing. Recycle. Compost. Donate clothes. 

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Henry, thank you for helping me get this far. I know it's still a long road ahead. It's okay to feel lonely. You are not alone. It's okay to have insecurities. It's okay to be far less than perfect. It's okay because you are human. Thank you for trying to understand me. Thank you for helping me understand myself more. Thank you for your persistence and drive. Thank you for your patience. Thank you for being brave. Thank you for taking care of me -- for taking care of yourself. You are a priority. You've come so far and I recognize your struggles and your sacrifices. You care about me. You care about others. You have a big heart. Listen for it. Listen to it. Your past self is part of you, but you are not bound by him. He is not the present-you. The present-you is different and that's OK. 

I listen to you.

I care about you.

I love you.

Happy birthday, Henry. 

30 Day Picture Challenge II - Day 8

Day Eight

A picture of your favorite musician/band

This is a repeat from the last picture challenge. In the first one, I chose Chiodos so I guess I can choose like a second favorite.

So good. So good. So clever. So romantic. But soo goood. They on another level. 

30 Day Picture Challenge II - Day 7

Day Seven

A picture of someone you love

Introducing my little cousin, Jerry. 

I definitely love this tall ass man-boy-derp here. He's someone I grew up with and we've been really close for a long time. As we both got older, I realized how comfortable I am being open and honest with him... no matter if I'm being selfish or selfless, ugly or beautiful, irrational or rational. 

Jerry's one of the most inspirational figures in my life --- even though he's still figuring things out himself. But together, we nurture each other and help each other grow. 

Aside from all this real talk, we can also just dick around for ages laughing at our own jokes, making up stupid puns, and hitting each other. 

30 Day Picture Challenge II - Day 6

Day Six

A photo that makes you laugh

I was just browsing around through my photos to see which would make me laugh and for some reason, this one really made me laugh. Soo.... here ya go... A photo that makes you laugh.

30 Day Picture Challenge II - Day 5

Day Five

A photo of you

I just chose the most recent solo picture on Facebook. Here's me... just dancing (and pointing) at a club in Champaign called Chester Street Bar. I think that night, there was no one there so my friends and I got to enjoy the whole dance floor by ourselves. Nothing more fun than good music, an empty dance floor, and friends.

30 Day Picture Challenge II - Day 4

Day Four

A photo of the last place you went on holiday

My family and cousins and fam friends all went to Great Wolf Lodge in Wisconsin Dells in August 2013. This doesn't give you a good sense of how the indoor water park looks but I figured a photo of a water slide inside is more exciting than the room we stayed at. 

30 Day Picture Challenge II - Day 3

Day Three

A photo that makes you happy

Hehehehehehehehehe.... this picture makes me pretty darn happy! This was waaay back from August 2009. We had a giant water balloon fight and afterwards, Jason was wearing some hair clips so we were just pretending he was a pretty girl. I think Jason's pretty cute with clips and some random glasses on. LOL. Overall, it was a very memorable day, and I just love this photo. Smiles!

 

30 Day Picture Challenge II - Day 2

Day Two

A photo of yourself a year ago

This picture of Dan and I was taken exactly a year ago, though it was released at a later time to promote the AAA Fashion Show 2013. This picture was Dan and I's representing Business Casual / Biz Caz Scene.  

30 Day Picture Challenge II - Day 1

I wanted to just try continuing this 30DPC stuff. 

Here's a different one I found.

There is some overlap, but that's okay.
Here we go!

Day One

Your Facebook profile photo

Left: Henry....Right: Beeckity
Photo credits: Cindy Mui

30 Day Picture Challenge - Day 30

Day Thirty

A picture of someone you miss

CARMS!
Not going into it because she reads my blog. 

Hi, Carms! 

I miss you.
Okay.
Bye, Carms!

30 Day Picture Challenge - Day 29

Day Twenty Nine

A picture that can always make you smile

I love this picture!!!!! Such a memorable night at bdubs. Tried mango habanero, ate like 20+ wings each with Jeff, saturated my hands with chicken grease and sauce.... lastly, played with Play-Doh while others were finishing their foods.

This is a picture of our Play-Doh bow-tie and tie.

30 Day Picture Challenge - Day 28

Day Twenty Eight

A picture of something you're afraid of

Why the heck would I post up a picture of something I'm afraid of if I'm afraid of it. Silly ass!

Well.. yeah... I'm scared of birds. This is a little of a repeat of Day One, but yeah.... I'm scared of birds. Not much else to say. Ooh ooh!! Except for sparrows. 

30 Day Picture Challenge - Day 27

Day Twenty Seven

A picture of a letter

I took letter to be synonymous with card, and this is the last letter/card I received. My cousins Judy and Lisa made this card to congratulate me for graduating University. They and other family wrote nice little notes in it too. They are tooooooo sweet! 

30 Day Picture Challenge - Day 26

Day Twenty Six

A picture of something that means a lot to you

This is my duct tape wallet that my mom won't let me use anymore. Hell, she would throw it away in a heartbeat if I'd let her. Bridget made it for me waaay back in high school, and it's just awesome. It's served me so well for like six or seven years. This wallet and I have been through a lot, and it means a lot to me. 

30 Day Picture Challenge - Day 25

Day Twenty Five

A picture of your day

Philippine Student Association's Filipino Cultural Night (PSA's FCN) show is coming up on the 1st of February, so we've been practicing everyday -- today was no exception. Today, I was teaching and cleaning and doing formations with everyone. 

30 Day Picture Challenge - Day 24

Day Twenty Four

A picture of something you wish you could change

I wish I could change the way people love themselves and love others. Imperfections are imperfections and flaws are flaws but as the image says, you are still beautiful. I wish I could change how much we judge persons as worthy vs. unworthy, good vs. bad; we're all human after all.

30 Day Picture Challenge - Day 23

Day Twenty Three

A picture of your favorite book

Stargirl

This is my favorite book. I even stole this book in 7th grade or something to re-read it. Even though I was not a book-reader whatsoever, I read this book three times... I'm considering reading it again after this post.

30 Day Picture Challenge - Day 22

Day Twenty Two

A picture of something you wish you were better at

I wish I had a better memory for details. It kinda sucks being with friends and talking about past events or past conversations and really not remembering any of it. Sometimes I can remember if someone happens to mention one trigger detail (usually sensory information), and it all just comes rushing back to me. However, that requires someone to really go over it thoroughly and annoyingly.

Anyways, while I don't know always remember details that well, I usually recall sensations and feelings very well. I'm grateful for that. And since I don't remember so much about the past, it helps me live in the present. I'm grateful for that too. Smiles.

30 Day Picture Challenge - Day 21

Day Twenty One

A picture of something you wish you could forget

The Hills Have Eyes is one of the most terrifying and haunting movies I've ever watched. Everything about this experience was awful. I was peer pressured into staying to watch this movie, I was lied to about watching this movie, I was made fun of by some of my best friends, and the movie scared me into a trembling, bumbling state. Yeah.... everything about this experience was awful. 

But on the bright side, without this experience, I wouldn't be like "EFF PEER PRESSURE! EFF YOU, PEER PRESSURER!" 

30 Day Picture Challenge - Day 20

Day Twenty

A picture of somewhere you'd love to travel

I would love to travel to China or Hong Kong one day. I had a wonderful opportunity to go over winter break as a personal assistant (PA), but I couldn't go. My body was not ready. My knees would not have been able to handle pushing a wheechair and walking around so much for 2 weeks. Darn weak knees!

Hopefully, I will have an opportunity to go with my mom and sister in the future. FOOOOD!