This week, I am going to turn 28. I don’t really know what to say about it that I haven’t said before when it comes to my birthday. I don’t know if I can claim to dread it, but I’m not necessarily excited about it either. It seems to be another day on the calendar, which leads me to wondering if this is what transitioning into adulthood is?
Maybe this is what it is like to feel like I’m coasting? I’m not sure, but in an attempt to focus on the positive things, I thought I would share some of my favorite things today. Since I am turning 28, that is the length of this list, so if this is your first time here, this is a good opportunity to get to know me.
28. Tony Moly
At some point, having a skin care routine became a part of my personality, and I want to say that it all started when I was introduced to Tony Moly. It started with a honey face mask, and now I get excited whenever I see a new product of theirs on the shelves. I’m always excited to try their new things, but you can bet your bottom dollar that they’re a part of my regular skin care routine.
27. Flowers: Tulips, Peonies, and Lilies
I don’t know if I understood having a favorite flower until I developed my own. I think the favorite flower develops as a result of a mental connection that is made. Tulips typically sprout around this time of year, which is around the time I was born. Peonies make me think of Blair Waldorf and how I used to feel so connected to her. And lilies are the flowers that my boyfriend got me when we started dating, which became my favorite because it was the first time a boy bought me a bouquet of flowers.
26. Sugar and Sweets
One semester in graduate school, I focused on the fact that I might have a sugar obsession. The hardest part was a day where I had an immersion activity, and I spent the day avoiding sugar. My sister likes to note that I was visibly having a bad day. Whether it is in the form of ice cream or cake, I love to indulge in a sprinkle of sugar throughout my day. And I would argue that there are worse things to be addicted to.
25. Gudetama
Of all the Sanrio characters, he is my favorite. At least, he became my favorite as I got to know him more. Seeing him always brings a smile to my face. Who knew a lazy egg could be so beloved?
24. The Holiday Season
I’ve said before on this blog that I could never decide on whether or not fall or winter was my favorite season, and I came up with this answer because it encapsulates both. In my mind, the holiday season starts the day after Labor Day and goes until the New Year. My answer highlights all of my favorite things when it comes to a season: beautiful weather, delicious food, and amazing people.
23. The Mountains
If you ask me the worst part about living in Florida, the answer you would get it that it is so long and flat. I love the atmosphere that comes from being in an area with mountains. I don’t know if the heat and humidity here in Florida has a tendency to keep people on their toes a bit more, but I find that people in the mountains are so relaxed. It makes me mountain life a retirement goal of mine.
22. Bookstores
My boyfriend says I get visibly happier when I walk into a bookstore. My whole demeanor changes, and there is no stopping the feeling of peace that washes over me as I take in shelves and shelves of books, pages full of new places to make into a new home. Whether it is an independent bookstore or a chain like Barnes and Noble, you cannot go wrong with taking me to a bookstore.
21. Bellzi
As a lover of things cute and cuddly, I love stuffed animals. While I was in graduate school, I discovered and became obsessed with the Bellzi brand. I don’t know if this coincides with the fact that I currently have a love of dinosaurs and dragons and they have several. However, my ever-growing collection is starting to take up more space than Asanti believes is necessary…
20. My People
Instead of putting a bunch of names in a bunch of different places, I am just going to say that if you’re one of my people, I’m so grateful and blessed to have you. Thank you for choosing to have me in your life, because I’m glad to have you in mine.
19. Winged Eyeliner
Since I started playing with makeup, my favorite look on myself is winged eyeliner. It has become a staple in my routine, and you won’t catch me wearing makeup without it.
18. Cassandra Clare
One of my favorite writers, and probably the reason that I renewed my library card recently (a story for another time). My cousin bought me one of her books when I was in middle school, and I have been obsessed ever since. I know that there is some controversy to her because her Mortal Instruments series started out as Harry Potter fanfiction, but how cool is it to have your fanfiction become so popular that you’re able to develop it into a whole new world? I admire her for it, and will continue to support because of how much I end up immersed in the worlds that she develops.
17. Grandma Sau
16. Vietnamese Coffee
If the question is Starbucks or Dunkin, I can go either way because I would rather have a Vietnamese Iced Coffee that I make in my own home. Honestly, I don’t even like to go out to order a Vietnamese Coffee from places, because I’m the only one who knows how to make it like I like it.
15. Being Self-Assured
There were so many times in young adulthood that I spiraled because I was insecure, feeling lost and disconnected, or just feeling like life hasn’t gone according to plan. It took a lot of time and work before I became sure in myself and what I wanted, and once I had that sense of self-assurance, there is a peace in my life that I am grateful to have.
14. Lazing and Being Cozy
My initial thought was to put “rest and relaxation” here, but I don’t relax easy, nor do I think that resting covers what I mean. Lazing is a better word, because it means to “spend time in a relaxed, lazy manner.” Whereas resting means to “cease work or movement in order to relax, refresh oneself, or recover strength.” As someone who is a busybody, resting kind of gives me a feeling of uneasiness, so lazing gives a better impression of what I need.
13. Stationery and Stickers
When I first moved to Florida, I went to a Michaels Arts and Craft store for the first time, and they had sticker books. Not the books with pages and pages of stickers, but books with pages that were made with a paper that allowed you to remove and reuse stickers without damaging their quality. That started my love of stickers, which has since evolved into a love of stationary today.
12. Connecting with People
It was hard for me to put into words why I love things like Taylor Swift and the Ladygang podcast, which I didn’t put into their own category because the reason I love them falls under this one. I love feeling connected to people, or like other people might understand me. It’s one of the things that draws me to social media, and why I love writing. It’s an opportunity to bridge a gap and make people feel less alone, so I wanted to share that as this list item. It’s something I recommend to everyone: take the time to connect with people.
11. Travel
There are people who would like to stay in their comfort and routine, and to those people I say that there is so much to see. I love travelling, to the point where I once considered being a flight attendant so that I could see the world as a part of my career. While I never did, I would argue that when I get to travel now, it makes it all the more special because I don’t do it as often. Some of my favorite places include Colorado, Seattle, Japan, and New York City.
10. Nintendo
There is probably a memory in my brain that stands out with each of the Nintendo devices I had growing up, because I grew up with Nintendo as the company was growing and expanding. From inheriting my cousin’s Game Boy Color in elementary school to using Overcooked to unwind with my sister today, Nintendo has been a constant presence in my life.
9. Disney
While I don’t think I can claim the title of being a Disney adult anymore, I still find myself loving Disney. I don’t know if I would be if I didn’t grow up in the Golden Age of Disney Channel, but Disney movies are very comforting to me. Tangled is one of my favorite stories, especially when you consider the television series.
8. Hating on Tom Brady
I know this is a controversial take, but I have found that, since he came out of retirement and got the divorce from Gisele, I am not a fan of Tom Brady. And recently, I have found a sense of satisfaction when I hear that he has made a choice he is unhappy about. And while I would say that I am generally a positive person who hopes for the best for everyone, I have found myself to be a Tom Brady hater.
7. Pop Culture
If I had to pick something that would encapsulate a majority of what I’m interested in, I would say that the phrase “pop culture” covers it. It’s fun for me to hear about how Brianna “Chickenfry” Lapaglia is overcoming her breakup with Zach Bryan, or the It Ends with Us drama. I also think that the phrase “pop culture” covers my interests in Asian culture as well, which was going to go on this list until I really thought about the aspects of Asian culture that I don’t appreciate. So, I love pop culture and how wide ranging and diverse the umbrella term can cover.
6. Girlhood
Recently, I wrote a blog post about how I was obsessed with girlhood. I still am, but I wonder if I’m still someone who holds membership in that club. Am I feeling stagnant? Am I still in my girlhood? Or have I been removed now? I don’t know.
5. Reading
Reading is something that allowed me to travel when I couldn’t, and gave me a sense of peace when I didn’t have much of it. To this day, it is an activity that grounds me. Recently, I’ve started to get invested in reading digital works, which has been an interesting transition. Since it allows me to read in the dark, it’s probably a better way to spend my screen time.
4. Food
3. My MFA Experience
This will probably be my Roman Empire, the way that my MFA experience ended up being everything that I wanted and happened at exactly the right time. I took a year off of school before I got into the MFA program at UCF, and an MFA was something I wanted to experience since I fell in love with writing. And I think I got in at the right time. I found that the students who were a year ahead of me were so brilliant I probably would’ve been insecure, and the students who got in a year after me were so experimental that I would’ve wondered if I was doing the right thing. So I maintain that I loved my MFA experience and that those years were some of the best of my life.
2. Damian the Wigglebutt
Like Grandma Sau, Damian is a person outside of my list of people. He is the first pet I have had, and I share him with my sister. I would say that he is the one that really opened me up to the idea of loving someone outside of my family, so without him, my love would probably look a little more lonely.
1. Asanti
The person who continues to love me and want me even as he’s seen all my faults as time has progressed. He’s become my rock, my person, my home. He’s the reason that I would say those sorority dues were worth it, because who knows if we ever would’ve met without our Greek experiences. One of my favorite things, because he’s my person.
Those are all of my 28 things, and I’m kind of shocked that I was able to pull together this list. What do you think? Am I missing any good favorites that you’re curious about? Or should I have dug for some deeper things? Let me know in the comments below!
As always, thank you so much for taking the time to read this blog! If you enjoyed what you read, please let me know by liking this post, commenting your thoughts below, and sharing it with your friends. And of course, you have the ability to make my day by subscribing to this blog, which means that you’ll get a notification every time I put out more content like this one.
Love Always,
Kristi My
Kristi My Dao 