We’re more than halfway through 2021! Wow, I haven’t updated since last December. I thought I’d take some time to catch up on what’s been going on.
But first, look at this beautiful rose garden I stumbled across earlier this year. This is Bon Air Park in Arlington, VA, which features a rose garden of over 120 different varieties.
Highlights
- Work, per usual. The last few months have been especially busy for me. I have a little breather right now, but things will pick up in the next few weeks.
- Home improvement and decorating. This will likely never end, right? I feel like most people are always thinking about how to improve and/or (re)decorate their homes. Nonetheless, it takes time, effort, and resources.
- Fitness. I’ve been a lot more consistent with working out. At first, I was doing cardio and strength training sessions via YouTube. Then, I tried jump roping. After that got a bit tiring, I’ve been going back to a tried and true favorite of mine – dancing. However, my new favorite fitness routine is to play tennis. I have been playing 5-6 times a week on average. Despite the humidity and heat, I’ve really been enjoying tennis and practicing my swings.
- Photography and videography. I have a new camera (Canon EOS R5) and have been experimenting with it for awhile. Still also have my awesome Fujifilm X100V too. I also (finally!) edited both of my New Zealand travel vlogs: Christchurch and Kaikoura and Queenstown and Milford Sound.
- Getting vaccinated! I got my COVID-19 vaccination in April/May. It felt so great to get the two doses, and thankfully my symptoms were minor.
- Spent my birthday weekend at Canaan Valley in West Virginia. Played tennis, golf, swam, biked, and hiked Blackwater Falls. Such a relaxing and fun-filled weekend!
- Surprised my best friend and her fiancé with a wedding shower, complete with a balloon arch fully assembled by myself, BBQ lunch, a Paris Baguette cake, custom-drawn watercolor illustration of their first house, and a visit from two alpacas and a goat courtesy of My Pet Alpaca.
Current Favorite Eateries
- Gopchang Story: if you never tried intestines, this is the place to try.
- The Stone Tofu House: they make their own tofu in-house!
- Sweet Science Coffee: their Illicitrius (espresso soda) is the best I’ve had in the area.
- Yi Fang: so far, the best fruit tea in the D.C. metropolitan area!
- Bôn Tea House: the successor of Bôn Matcha, I love their matcha offerings.
- China Wok: their Peking duck rivals that of Peking Gourmet Inn and is $15 cheaper.
- Lil City Creamery: all ice cream is made from Woodside Farm Creamery in Delaware.
- Farmbird: the kind of lunches I wish I had in school. All chicken is from regional farms.
Thanks for catching up with me! How’s your summer going?
alice from va 