Unexpected, Nomadic, Summer Adventures (on a budget)How can I optimize my summer time to see new faces, participate in new adventures, and expose myself to new environments? Is a Phineas-and-Ferb, 104-days-of-summer-vacation type of summer feasible? I thought I was doomed to face yet another summer stuck at home. I dreaded the idea of having another quarantine summer. Don't get me wrong, I was beyond pumped for my remote internship! The opportunity to contribute and be a part of a Fortune 500 company brought me a strong sense of pride and an even greater one to my family, especially as a first-generation student of working-class immigrants.Yet a part of me still did not feel fulfilled. Having this summer be one of my last, I wanted to make up for the lost time. While it is a trivial problem, I was dedicated to making this fleeting time memorable. My goal was this: to immerse myself in new environments, surround myself with different people and learn to enjoy my own company. After brainstorming an approach, I decided on couch surfing and pet sitting. I figured it would be the most optimal use of my time because it provided flexibility for my internship and was also extremely accessible. I set forward with this plan in mind. I created a TrustedHouseSitters profile, and began applying and reaching out to friends. Stop 1, Jersey City, NJ: I stayed with a good friend for about a week. While I was there, my friend commuted to NYC for work. I got to take on some solo trips after office hours. As someone who struggled for some time to find sanctuary in solitude, I found my week there rather freeing but a bit daunting. I would oftentimes walk along the waterfront that borders New Jersey and Manhattan or sit with a book. Though minuscule, these moments served as a great reminder that spending all of my free time with others was not a necessity, which is something I had trouble realizing for a large chunk of my life. With that said, I still find plenty of value in meeting new people. Being that my internship was remote, meeting fellow interns in person was difficult. Still, since I was staying in Jersey City, a 10-minute commute to NYC, I was able to coordinate with an intern on the same team to meet up over a meal! We shared many laughs, ideas, and concerns over our projects, fortifying our first friendship at this internship![Transportation: PATH Trains- $2.75 x 2, Subways- $2.75 x 6][Entertainment: $0]Stop 2, Governors Island, NYC: I was working at a music festival! What an exciting plot for my storyline. The Chinese Student Organization at Rutgers had a partnership with Governors Ball. They coordinated a deal where volunteers were brought in to sell refreshments in return for free entry to the festival and a small portion of profits to be sent to the organization. Safe to say, I was having a blast volunteering with my friends while helping the Asian community at Rutgers! [Transportation: PATH Trains- $2.75 x 2, Subways- $2.75 x 2][Entertainment: Gov Ball- $0]Stop 3, New Brunswick, NJ: I returned to campus after the festival with my best friend, who was staying there over the summer. During my week back on campus, I was able to make use of her great lounge that collected dust over this break during office hours. After hours, I found myself wandering to places where some of my best memories were made with those who graduated. I also found myself rekindling friendships that got buried under papers, exams, and responsibilities during the school year. [Transportation: Gas- $20][Entertainment: $0]Stop 4, Washington, D.C.: It was my first pet-sitting gig! And my first time traveling entirely alone, I was nervous but excited, to say the least. I didn't want my fears to fester, so I took the leap of faith, hopped on a bus, and embarked on my journey. My adventure here lasted nearly 2 weeks, and it has to be easily one of my most rewarding experiences. Upon arrival, I downloaded BumbleBFF, an app dedicated to connecting different people for friendships. I was determined to meet new people from different backgrounds and was thankfully successful in that department. I met several people from all over D.C., including but not limited to Georgetown, National Mall, Adams Morgan, Dupont, and Logan Circle. I learned plenty about the experiences that have shaped them into who they are today. What excited me most about meeting new people was the alternative perspectives they offered. I loved exploring our contrasting thoughts, challenging my thought systems, and maybe even applying what I've learned from them to wherever applicable in my beliefs. I was blessed with the incredible opportunity to experience local eateries, visit historic destinations, and even see the 4th of July fireworks at the Washington Monument. Although I spent a lot of time exploring with new friends, I also continued my streak on my solo trips. When I wasn't working on my internship, walking the dog, or meeting new people, I spent much time venturing on my own. I visited various museums throughout D.C. I also found myself at a second-hand bookstore that carried a lot of vintage books. At Second Story Bookstore, I realized I seemed to have forgotten how much I enjoyed poetry. [Transportation: OurBus- $45, Lyft- $10 x 4][Entertainment: Museums- $0, Fireworks- $0, Others- $0]Stop 5, Lower East Side, NYC: Another pet-sitting gig, hooray!! I had a lovely week with a Frenchie. While I would still meet with new faces for thrilling escapades, the emphasis was more so on myself and the pup. We would venture off to nearby neighborhoods, and I would treat myself to restaurants I've dreamt of eating at but always put off because I couldn't find the "right company," despite the "right company" being my own all along. I learned that I have always shied away from participating in activities by myself. This was not from fear of judgment, but more so out of a lack of self-worth. I strongly disliked that. I recognized I have always subconsciously found participating in activities with others to be more worthwhile than doing them by myself. So I decided to do the exact opposite. I went to pop-up shops alone, explored new villages with no one else, ate at tables for 2, and I've learned to love it. [Transportation: NJ Transit- $13.5 x 2, Subway- $2.75 x 8][Entertainment: $0]Stop 6, Midtown, NYC: We did the unexpected. Our internship group had made it to the finalist round of our company's Innovation Challenge - no short of changing our project idea 4 times and restless nights. That victory came with the opportunity to visit the office in person, pitch our projects to the executives, and, most importantly, meet the group in person after 8 weeks of Webex calls. We behaved like your typical NYC tourists around Times Square. We watched street performers, took lots of pictures, made tiktoks, and reflected on our time together throughout the internship and the progress we made during it.[Transportation: N.J. Transit- $0, Subway- $0][Entertainment: $0]Final Stop, Home: It was early August by now, and my expedition had slowed to an end. I returned home with my one duffle bag that carried all my clothes, along with the experiences and lessons I've collected on this adventure. This has been by far my most memorable and rewarding summer, and dare I call it a Phineas-and-Ferb type of summer. Cheers to learning/ unlearning, building, exploring, loving, finding new joys/ rekindling old ones, and most importantly, living.
First Time CraftsJewelryContext: My ears were recently pierced, I wanted a specific earring but it was not made with hypoallergenic metals so I decided to make it. I measured an inch in length for the chain, cut it, attached it to the ear wire, then opened the jump ring, looped in the star charm along with the other end of the ear wire, closed it off, and its complete!Cost: $23.18Learning:https://www.gnduniquedesigns.com/blogs/blog/biggest-differences-between-solid-gold-gold-filled-and-gold-plated-jewelry Materials Used: Star Charms - Etsy / Ear Wires - Etsy / Jump Rings - Etsy / Chain –Etsy Painting SkateboardContext: I found an old skateboard from high school during quarantine and I wanted to pick it up again but I’ve had a change of heart for art on the back of it. I first removed the trucks of the skateboard so the only component I was working with was the board itself. Then I found some old sandpaper from my shed and sanded away at the current design. After sanding off all the paint, I primed the board with a white coat of acrylic paint I had left over from a previous project. Then I looked through my drafted designs and painted it using acrylic paint. After completing my design, I glossed it with a Polycrylic Seal!Cost: $55Learning:https://www.boardcoast.com/skateboarding/how-to-repaint-a-skateboard-the-definitive-guide/ Materials Used: Skateboard, Dark Star - Walmart / Acrylic Paint, Artist Loft - Michaels / Minwax Polycrylic Seal - Lowes, Hobby LobbyEmbroidering Context: I was inspired by https://knockthrice.ca/products/silly-goose-bucket-hat , the hat was a bit out of my budget so I decided to recreate it on my own. I first sketched out my design on my hat using a pencil, then I watched the tutorials below and applied the methods I learned to my design. Cost: $11.20Learning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWv6Ypzn9dg&t=311s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbgSZxyEyL4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ATJuHN-C9A Materials Used: Embroidery Floss - Michaels / Embroidery Needle - Michaels Embroidery Hoop - Michaels / Bucket Hat - Shein Thrift flipContext: After a couple weeks of searching for the perfect dress that matched my aesthetic for my 21st birthday with no luck, I went thrifting and found a potential dress. It was the right color scheme and material I wanted so I decided to work with it. Altered neckline from a basic, loose, round neck to a scalloped sweetheart. Adjusted the straps from a basic, thick strap to queen anne and tightened the back.Cost: $9Learning: N/A, felt around for what looked right. I used hair clips and pins to map out any potential adjustments and sewn accordingly. Materials Used: Ribbon- Michaels / Dress - Unique Thrift
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.