Hey readers ❤

hope you’re all doing well

It’s been a while since I’ve blogged but here’s a quick update: I’ve done a lot of self reflecting over the past few months and I’ve come to realize that nothing stays forever but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Whether that’s friendships, relationships or situations out of your control, as much as we want to hold onto the past, life does continue. We’ll meet more people, learn more about the world around us but it’s always important to stay true to who you are. So I wanted to start this new chapter by working on myself more and what better way than to travel to Europe for a soul searching trip while continuing my studies abroad. I’ve also just re-branded my blog and I’m so excited to announce that I’m in the progress of working on more passion projects and collaborations that will be launched in the upcoming years!!! ( can’t waitttt)

Content

• living alone & blogger style tips
• How to style yourself
• How to develop your own lifestyle 
• How to travel lightly

Moving & LIVING ALONE

A quick story: a couple of years ago, codependency and perfectionism were quite a struggle for me when it came to my mental health. I needed to be around people all the time, I had this fear of being alone and I always sought approval from others as I was never confident or content with who I was. At times I still slip, but I’ve been on a journey that has helped me discovered what were the little acts that can bring happiness to my life. As a 19 year old study abroad student, I realized my family and culture are significant parts of my life and as someone who truly believes that you should take risks in life while being authentic to who you are, I wanted to give living alone a try (which I enjoy quite a bit)

TIPS

Moving to a new country and living alone for a short time has been quite an insightful yet challenging experience for me as it’s definitely out of my comfort zone. I’ve always been used to living in a vibrant household but over this past month, I’ve learned how to enjoy my own company, to be more independent and I’ve explored various hobbies .So here are some of my tips on how you can tackle the loneliness that can come with living alone 

. Listen to something: whether that’s music, a podcast, this helps you feel less alone and motivates you to move around the house

. What sentimental items can you put in your room to make you feel at ease? 

. Add candles, add posters, add lights

. Learn a new hobby: learn a new recipe, learn how to play the guitar, write a song, draw, paint 

. Keep a calendar: making plans is one of the best motivators as it helps you have something to look forward to

. Journal: it’s a great self care act and practice for you to understand and embrace your emotions

.Grocery Shopping: shop around with yourself and look into the scrumptious fruits and

. Notion: give notion, an organizational toolkit a try that helps you find “your zone”

. Movie night with yourself: treat yourself to some good ice-cream and have a sunset lamp by your side to switch up the mood

. Go on walks with yourself: this has started to become one of my favourite things to do in the city! I’ve discovered so many new hidden areas and new fun things to do.

. Keep track of your finance: Part of living alone comes with understanding the importance of understanding your finance, so make a spreadsheet of how much you spend each day to learn more about yourself.

~and eventually develop a peaceful routine that makes you feel at ease…

HOW TO STYLE & BECOME CONFIDENT IN YOURSELF 

Feeling comfortable with yourself works differently for everyone. I’ll get into more detail about this in another post but whether it’s writing, art, singing, dancing, mediating, cooking etc. I do believe that everyone has their own version that gives them comfort when it comes to expressing themselves. Some tips that have helped me when it comes to exploring and finding your fashion/ skin care or style that can help you express yourself as a person.

If you want to find your fashion style: head to IG, Pinterest to look for inspiration or create a mood board. Personally, the beauty of fashion for me lies behind the power and how the simplicity of clothing texture can create such drastic identity change for me that now serves as my own confidence booster. 2 years ago, I’ve explored into a variety of aesthetics, taking note about the effects of each aesthetic’s story and what about this type of fashion style that drew me in. Learning about this not only helped me feel more confident about myself but it was a great practice for me to understand the importance of being selective and doing things that genuinely make me feel good.

If you want to get into cooking: Cooking was one of the hobbies that I’ve developed over these past few months and I do think it’s something everyone should be able to do. Moving to a new country made me realize the importance of knowing how to take good and proper care of yourself and cooking was something that grounded me and allowed me to have “control of” when things were out of my control. And there are plenty of ways to learn how to cook. Youtube and masterclass were my best friends when I first started and now I want to get into making healthier meals for myself. This is all an act of self care and if you continue down this road, you’ll learn more about how to take good care of yourself while improving as a person.

If you want to get into sports: Sports has always been my hobby for as long as I can remember. Every year, my family and I head to Japan to snowboard and ski and on top of that hitting the track has always helped me managed my stress. I’m currently still suffering from post pandemic symptoms so it has been rather difficult for me to get back into my gym routine but my tip is take risks when it comes to sport as feeling confident also comes with feeling comfortable with your skin and body.

If you want to find your Skin care routine: Learn about your skin. There are plenty of sources out there that explain the different skin types ranging between oily and dry and what you should do to hydrate it. I try my best to go with my morning and night skin care routine but at times I do get tired so I also have an alternative routine that’s quicker.

TIPS ON HOW TO TRAVEL LIGHTLY 

As I continue my European exploration, I also want to note how much uncertainty there has been as this pandemic continues to unfold. so don’t forget to mask up if you can, stay safe and wash your hands!

• Have a travel bag that is large enough
• Keep a self care kit when you hit the road
• Digital detox: it’s always good to have a detox so keep a book or a notepad 
• Stay hydrated: always keep a water bottle in your bag 
• Hygiene: the pandemic is still going so don’t forget a mask and 
• These are important factors as when things are under my control, I feel more mental clarity and at ease

“Sometimes plan change and that’s ok. At the end of the day, It’s no one’s journey but your own, so focus on the present and do what makes you happy”

Quote of the day