I'm a rider on the 2018 Texas 4000 team, and I'll be biking from Austin, TX to Anchorage, Alaska in Summer 2018. Check out my rider page here to learn more about why I ride, and please consider making a donation if you are able to. Thank you!

  • Became obsessed with Kimi no Na wa after watching it two times within a week in April - still listening to the soundtrack as I type out this post. I'm in love.
  • Got sunburned for the first time since middle school (I think?) while volunteering at MS 150 to fulfill Texas 4000 volunteer requirements. Please don't be like me - and actually remember to wear sunscreen to prevent skin cancer.
  • Volunteered at my first triathlon, also for Texas 4000 volunteer requirements, and had a nice conversation with a fellow volunteer who was about my father's age. (He had a daughter a year younger than me.) He told me that he usually participated in this triathlon but had somehow missed the registration this year. When I expressed my fitness concerns for Texas 4000, he gave me a lot of encouragement! He mentioned potentially signing up for ATLAS - which, by the way, you all should go to.


    Beautiful sunrise over Walter E. Long Lake, where the Rookie Triathlon took place.

  • Satisfied dim sum cravings at New Fortune for Mother's Day.
  • Tried out Pho Dan and realized that I am incapable of finishing their XL bowl, even though I was incredibly hungry after a busy Tuesday morning consisting of a physio final and meetings.
  • Tried out Go Go Gourmet in North Campus - on the same day as Pho Dan. I had salmon with grapefruit topping, deviled eggs, and asparagus. The deviled eggs were sooo delicious, and I had cravings for them for a few days afterward.
  • Ate at North Italia in the Domain with my mom and Vincent for lunch last Wednesday. I had their chicken parmesan, which was overly cheesy. (Surprise.)


    Also pictured: my mom's chicken pesto and my brother's bolognese.

  • Bought cards and gifts at Hallmark for some graduating friends. I also saw three adorable Mulan figurines! My mom offered to buy me the one with Mulan in her green dress, but the one on display had some minor damages and was also the only one left.
  • Attended engineering commencement - and completely missed the moment when my boyfriend and his two friends walked across the stage because I was sitting too far back. Oops.
  • Attended the Natural Sciences commencement (the session with CS majors).
    Austin!

    Stephanie!

    Jack!

  • Tried out Titaya's Thai Cuisine and ordered their pad see eiw with fried tofu. I'm usually not too big a fan of this dish, as it is usually too oily for my taste, but I enjoyed this one.
  • Went to see the Austin Symphony Orchestra, featuring Gabriela Montero playing Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2, with my boyfriend. We were relying on student rush tickets, but there weren't even two normal seats next to each other since the show was basically sold out. Luckily, two really nice people overheard our conversation and offered to give us the tickets of a couple of friends who had bailed on them - I'm so grateful! I was very impressed with Gabriela Montero's improv of a Baroque version of a song called "Besame Mucho", which a tenor audience member sang, without the aid of a mic, as a suggestion.

    I also enjoyed an amazing view of the Austin skyline!

    After the concert. The photo doesn't do it justice!
     
  • Ate out at Pok-e-Jo's this past Monday with my mom and Viennie. (We traded Vincent for Viennie because Viennie didn't have school today while Vincent had his first day of his internship at Indeed.)
  • Felt old at Vista Ridge's senior awards ceremony. Incredibly proud of my little sister for graduating as class valedictorian!
  • Ate lunch at Osaka Mansun with my mom and Viennie to celebrate. I had their tempura udon, but I probably won't order it anymore because I didn't think it was satisfying enough for the price. (I'm still mourning over the loss of Daito.)
  • Marathon-ed through The Wall of Storms by Ken Liu in three days. I Iiked it better than the first book of the trilogy, though it had the same slow start. I definitely will be reading the third book once it comes out.
  • Started and finished Ninefox Gambit by Yoon Ha Lee yesterday. It was a bit of a bore at times, but I think it does a good job of laying the groundwork for the next two books in the trilogy, which I will also definitely read once they come out.
  • Currently kinda marathon-ing the 2015 kdrama Six Flying Dragons, on the request of my boyfriend. It's good so far, featuring enjoyable appropriately-timed comedic relief. However, I'm majorly cringing as the romance slowly dials up, and I may never stop cringing because I'm just really not feeling it so far. Thankfully, the drama has been described as romance-light, so maybe I'll be okay.