Hi guys, Happy New Year!
As always, I wanted to give a blog outlook for this year and what you can expect. This past year for me was full of a lot of change, especially moving to Pasadena, finishing another year of graduate school and starting not one but TWO jobs (I lost the first one due to lack of funding)!
When I was planning 2022, I realized that I have a lot that I am going to be tackling and it doesn’t look like I will be slowing down anytime soon, LOL! I am going to start with my goals (three of which tie into the blog) along with other adventures I will be pursuing.
Graduating with a Master’s Degree
This is my biggest goal of 2022! I will be graduating from Arizona State University (Online) in May with a Master of Arts in Communication. You all know I started this adventure in August 2020 and it is finally coming to an end and paying off. I will let you know if it is worth getting an M.A. in Communication and my overall thoughts of graduate school. I also want to make it clear that I didn’t get it for the typical reasons most people go to obtain one. What I can say it is has definitely been a rollercoaster ride!
I will be traveling back to Phoenix to attend the graduation ceremony in May. I can’t wait!
Reviving Freelance Journalism
As you know, I put my freelance journalism side hustle on hold in the summer of 2020 due to me pursuing my master’s degree. I have not written for a publication in almost 2 years (by the time I graduate) and I plan on writing for about 1 to 2 local publications in the San Gabriel Valley (or will try to, depending on the publication’s needs and budget).
I know that journalism has changed significantly since COVID-19 and Assembly Bill 5 that was passed in California in 2019 (basically there are more restrictions to freelancing), so I am hopeful and excited to get back into reporting again!
Purchasing a New SUV
As you saw last November, I went to the LA Auto Show to get ideas of what type of small or mid-size SUV I would like to purchase and trade in my Chevy Malibu sedan. I am hoping to do this at the earliest during the summertime but no later than the end of 2023. This area is definitely TBD. I know I want to do it but I just don’t know when! I also want to test drive some more SUVs before I make a final decision.
Stay tuned!
Traveling
This is always the best part of my outlook: where am I aiming to travel to in 2022?! I decided that I will not be going international this year (originally I thought about going to Italy and Greece). It’s not just because of COVID-19 but because of the other three areas I mentioned above. I really think staying in the states one more year would be the best move. There are still a few more spots I want to check out and I think it will be worth it!
Glacier National Park
I enjoyed visiting Montana when I traveled to Yellowstone National Park last October and I want to go back, but not in an off season where I’m scrounging for food, LOL! Glacier National Park is near the border of Canada and it looks so beautiful that I decided to check it out in either the June or July timeframe.
New England
I have always wanted to visit New England, so I will definitely be taking about 1 1/2 weeks off to travel to the East Coast in October. I can’t wait to get some colorful fall shots!
Pasadena + Surrounding Events
Rose Bowl Parade
Since I live in Pasadena, this is the first time I will be attending the Rose Bowl Parade on New Year’s Day. I live one block from where the main route will be and I am excited to see it in person!
Santa Anita Horse Race Track
I am not much of a gambler, but I always wanted to try attending a horse race! Santa Anita Horse Track is just 15 minutes east of me and also used to be a WWII spot where my grandpa and grandma were stationed (dad’s side)!
I am very much well aware of the controversy this track has caused with the many horses that have died over the last few years (there is a saying it is cursed), but it still continues to operate even after an investigation that found no criminal wrongdoing by any of the trainers or track operators. The main goal of the blog is to see what the hype is all about and not to shed a negative light of what has occurred.
I also want to check out The Derby Steakhouse when I am done to see how the food is!
The Langham Hotel
The Langham is a 5-star hotel that I am considering staying at for one night only due to it being, well, a 5-star hotel. After examining prices of 5-star hotels throughout the LA area, amazingly, this one had the best deal. Coincidentally, it is also in the same area I live in, so it’s a very convenient drive!
Journaling
Something I want to start doing is journaling in 2022. I bought three different journal books and I will let you know after 2 or 3 months how my progress has been. I think journaling is going to be an amazing outlet to learn more about myself!
One Year Body Contouring Post-Treatment
Some emails I have received since I did my red light fat cell reduction therapy early last year was how it is still holding up. I can tell you that the areas of my body that took it the best are still in tact! However, the areas that didn’t take it well are so-so. I wouldn’t say I gained weight, but it comes and goes if that makes any sense? I also recently bought a small device for quick touch-ups on the problem spots and I will report if it helps!
Holiday Bars
Something I didn’t have time to do over the holiday season was visit a couple of holiday pop-up bars in LA and try some yummy drinks, let alone try a few other festive drinks I found on LAist. This is something that would have to be done over a 2-3 month period as I want to drink responsibly and also not spend a ton of money!
These are all of the ideas I have for now and I am sure I will have more as the months go on! If there is something you would like to see me blog about, let me know!
Here’s to 2022! 🙂
