Looking Back at 2019

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2019 taught me that with hard work, determination, the desire to learn, and willingness to improve, I’m capable of reaching my goals and so much more

Snow boarding in Tahoe

Snowboarding is not as easy as it seems. This picture doesn’t show the countless time that I fell on my butt because I couldn’t figure out how to control my speed or how to get myself back up.

I was surprised but happy to get this award from our company. It’s great to know you’re appreciated and recognized. The prize is an all-inclusive photo class in Yosemite, but I asked if I could instead take a photo tour in Alaska. They approved. 😊

Pride in my craft award

Experimenting with videos

I’d given myself a new challenge to learn the basics of creating and editing videos. I’ve only made a few videos, but I had fun crafting them. Like and subscribe to my youtube channel. lol

One day, I lost my engagement ring in the gym. 😔 I was sad for weeks. It wasn’t an expensive ring. It was pretty minimal (no fancy diamonds), but it had a ton of memories tied with it. Thankfully, our friend Ana knew how to make custom, beautiful jewelry. So we asked her to make us a new one! This time designed by myself and Jeremie.

Re-engaged...sort of

Oahu, Hawaii

We love Hawaii so much that we had to come back, this time to Oahu. We spent most of our days lying on the beach and letting time slip by. Good vibes.

I learned Mandarin in school for 13 years, but unfortunately, I had no interest in it at that point in my life. Now that I’m older (maybe a little wiser), I’m picking up the pieces and re-learning them. Jeremie and I took a basic class, but we still have a long way to go!

Mandarin class

Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge

I’m not a huge fan of Star Wars, but I did enjoy the recent movies that came out. I also love make-believe worlds and that feeling of being transported to a different planet. So we checked out the new section in Disneyland. No regrets.

We got to ride in a seaplane, got up close with several bears in the wild, and explore the national parks near Anchorage. We didn’t see the northern lights (Again! Our last attempt was in Iceland) and air quality was bad due to a huge wildfire…but it was still a unique experience.

Alaska

Digiday awards in NYC

I’m honored to be part of this awarding event in New York. I helped create the short reel that we submitted for us to be considered for this event. And so we wined and dined, and surprise!!! Our entry won! It was incredibly surreal.

Since our work visas were expiring, we had to leave the country and process our new visas. Though unexpected and costly, we took it as an opportunity to enjoy the time off with family and spend time with our beloved Nacho!

Home for a few weeks

Permanent residency

The good news kept pouring in. A few weeks after coming back to San Francisco, we received a letter with our interview schedule for our green card application. A month later, we had our interview, then approval. The universe has been kind to us.

I admit that my cooking skills are not the best. I’m not good at following instructions, plus I tend to be very critical of my cooking. Well, I decided to give it another chance, and I think we’ve been successful so far. Or at least I think I’m getting better. 😉

Lots of cooking

Melody

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