Day Eighteen: A Time I Felt Passionate and Alive

When was a time that I felt passionate and alive?

Division IV MSTCA State Relays 2009

As you may know, I used to be a track athlete, and although I wasn't very good at what I ran, I had a lot of determination and love for the sport. I loved the team bonding and constant encouragement from my teammates. Throughout my track career, I always asked myself why I decided to put myself through the pain -- i.e. running in a hailstorm, stairs workout on the bleachers at the football field, hill workouts, SIX 400ms circuits, ladders (2x500m, 2x100m, 200m, 300m, 400m and back down again -- the absolute worst!), etc. -- but on this day, I knew exactly why I ran track and why I kept coming back year after year.

Last year, my high school had the honor of hosting the Div. IV State Relays at our beautiful track. This was always my favorite meet, as over 45 schools in Massachusetts came to compete. This was my first (and unfortunately last) year running the open 400m and the 4x400m, and my coach had put together a 4x400m relay to run at this specific meet. I think there were over 1,000 people present at the meet and my parents even decided to show up (they never liked going to meets because they were always three to four hours long) to cheer me on. I was the first leg of the race and was first place for half of the race (which is only 200m -- not a big distance at all). That day, my 4x400m team ran a 4:38:84, which was only ONE second off of qualifying for the Div.IV States meet. I was so jacked up after hearing this and felt as though I could run another 400m.

We never actually qualified for States, but the fact that we were so close to qualifying was enough for me. It
was such a memorable day for me and I celebrated by going out for ice cream with my closest teammates afterwards... perfect end to the perfect day!

Day Seventeen: An Art Piece

What is an art piece that I like?

This was drawn by my friend L for her Drawing II final at MassArt. I love the blues and purples, the strokes, and the white lines crossing back and forth throughout the drawing.

"Mapping Eyes"

Day Sixteen: A Song That Makes Me Cry

What is a song that makes me cry?

John Mayer's "Slow Dancing in a Burning Room"

I would marry this song if I could, that's how serious I am about it. This is my favorite version of this song of all-time. I have about four versions on my iTunes, but this one trumps all. The first three chords that John plays at 0:53 are enough to tug at my heartstrings. The guitar riffs, the rawness in his voice, and the meaning behind the lyrics... *sigh*. "Slow Dancing" has gotten me through the toughest of tough times and I'm able to listen to this on repeat for hours upon hours.


Seeing John perform this very song is definitely on my bucket list. Once this happens, I will cry like a baby until my tear ducts are all dried up... and then die a happy camper.

It's not a silly little moment,
It's not the storm before the calm.
This is the deep and dying breath of
This love that we've been working on.

Can't seem to hold you like I want to
So I can feel you in my arms.
Nobody's gonna come and save you,
We pulled too many false alarms.

We're going down, and you can see it too.
We're going down, and you know that we're doomed.
My dear, we're slow dancing in a burning room.

I was the one you always dreamed of,
You were the one I tried to draw.
How dare you say it's nothing to me?
Baby, you're the only light I ever saw.

I'll make the most of all the sadness,
You'll be a bitch because you can.
You try to hit me just to hurt me
So you leave me feeling dirty
Because you can't understand.

We're going down, and you can see it too.
We're going down, and you know that we're doomed.
My dear, we're slow dancing in a burning room.

Go cry about it - why don't you?

My dear, we're slow dancing in a burning room,

Don't you think we oughta know by now?
Don't you think we shoulda learned somehow?

Wordless Wednesday

Day Fifteen: A Person I Admire

Who is someone that I admire?

My auntie Tima.

I met my auntie Tima when she married my uncle (really my mom's uncle) Dean in 1999-2000. She is one of the most caring and friendliest people I have ever met. Whenever I visit her in D.C., she treats me as though I was her own daughter and always makes sure that my family and I are comfortable in her home. Her Korean nationality in our Vietnamese family only makes our annual visits more interesting as she teaches us different traditions and introduces us to different dishes. She owns two smoothie/bakery shops in Tysons Corner (the sixth biggest shopping center in the country) and raises two busy children, and yet, always maintaining poise and class. Auntie Tima is humble, classy, genuine, and fierce all at the same time. I admire her for her strength, her ability to put others before herself, and her high spirits. She's my favorite relative and although we only get to see each other once a year, I enjoy every moment spent with her.

We Interrupt This Program...

...for a Bachelorette update!

1) I LOVE ALI FEDETOWSKY. Obviously she was my favorite other than Tenley Molzahn -- I still believe, to this day, that Jake should've picked her. (I clearly need a reality check)

2) I'm so happy that I'll be home for at least a month so I can catch some episodes during this season because it looks like it's filled with lots of drama... I love it.

3) Here are the guys that I am rooting for. Hopefully Ali won't let me down!

Jesse - 24 - general contractor from Missouri

Kasey - 27 - advertising account executive from Cali

Roberto - 26 - insurance agent from Florida

I'm excited to see what this season will bring!

Day Fourteen: A Vacation

What is a vacation that I would like to take?

My gut instinct is saying DISNEY! DISNEY! However, I'm giving myself a chance to actually be creative for and expand my horizons for once -- although I do admit that Disney would be first on the list.

I would love to just take a trip around
Western Europe
(last year, my fellow SGA members and I actually planned out our ideal trip there at a meeting).

 First, I would visit
Spain (Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia)

...then make my way to
Paris, France

I'd hit up the Eiffel Tower

the Louvre

the Chateau de Versailles

and even Disneyland Paris!

...then I'd travel east to

Italy

I would visit Sicily

Rome

Vatican City

Venice

Florence

Milan

...make my way over to
Germany (Berlin, Munich)

...fly all the way to
Ireland (Dublin, Cork, Galway)

... and come full circle to
London, England

To be completely honest,  I basically would want to be Mandy Moore's character in Chasing Liberty, who runs away from her father (the President of the United States) by backpacking across Europe.

Yup, that's exactly what I would want to do.

Day Thirteen: A Guilty Pleasure

What is my guilty pleasure?

reading Perez Hilton

Hands down, without a doubt. A lot of people don't agree with his views, his behavior, or his work, but I absolutely adore him. I overlook his additional "touch-ups" on celebs' pictures (which are extremely crude) and I religiously read his blog every day. I even wrote an essay in my AP Language class about him and received an A. It's a very bad habit and I sometimes ask myself why I do it, but I liiiiiive for celebrity gossip and not a day goes by when I don't stop by perezhilton.com to see the latest news on my "Zacquisha" <3

Day Twelve: A Song I Want Played At My Wedding

What is a song that I want played at my wedding?
Correction: What are THREE songs that I want played at my wedding?

I don't have the one song that I want for the first dance at my wedding, but here are some songs that I would want played, regardless.

1) Matt Nathanson's "All We Are"
This song was actually my prom song and we had chosen it right before Matt Nathanson was entering the mainstream. I love this song though and I think it would be perfect for a wedding.

"Cause all we are, we are, all we are, we are
Every day's the start of something beautiful, something that's real"

2) Chris Brown's "Forever"

This is one of my favorite songs in the entire world. Every time it comes on, I drop everything and just start belting out the lyrics and dance. In no way, shape, or form do I condone Chris Brown and his behavior, but I can't overlook the fact that this is an amazing song and it would be the best song to get everyone on the dance floor! (and I completely, totally LOVED this song way before the JK wedding dance video popped up on YouTube -- although you have to admit Jim & Pam's wedding scene is just as wonderful!)

"It's like I waited my whole life for this one night
It's gonna be me, you, and the dance floor
'Cause we've only got one night
Double your pleasure, double your fun
And dance forever... forever on the dance floor"

3) Michael Buble's "Some Kind of Wonderful"
I have always been a big fan of Michael Buble since his first album. This song on his latest album is so fun. It reminds me of the '50s/'60s. It's very upbeat and always puts a smile on my face when it comes on my iTunes shuffle. I think this would be a great song for all the couples at my wedding to dance to.

"I only know when I'm in your embrace
Then this world seems a better place
And something happens to me
You know it's some kind of wonderful"

Day Eleven: A Photo Taken of Me Recently

One of my future roomies & me at the bottom of the Forty Steps on the Cliff Walk!

(taken in April 2010 after a beach day)

Day Ten: A Photo Taken Over Ten Years Ago

I only had baby pictures on my computer, so here you go :)

Day Nine: A Photo I Took

What is a photo that I have taken?

I took this photo on my music trip to New York City in April 2008. I know it's not a high-quality photo by any means and it's not even anything special, but I just enjoy all the colors in the photo and the memories behind it.

Day Eight: A Thank You Letter

To my high school vice-principal,

At the beginning of my sophomore year in high school, we introduced ourselves to each other since I was the liaison between the students and administrators. At that moment, I knew we were going to be working closely together on school issues, but I never knew how much I would learn from you. Over the past three years that I have known you, you have been nothing less than a personal motivator and mentor to me. After realizing that I was an extreme pushover and too timid to face confrontations, you always encouraged me to be a "shark" or a "tiger", challenging me to find that inner "fierceness". You taught me that it was okay to say no to people every once in a while. You taught me that it was okay to accept outside help whenever needed, instead of trying to take on every task that was handed to me. You taught me that it was okay to be my own person, without worrying what others would think. I realize that you were only trying to help me whenever you stole my note cards during lunch when my classmates and I were frantically studying before another big anatomy test. You encouraged me to be brave and to have confidence in myself. Without any of that, I wouldn't be the student that I am today.

With gratitude and growls,
Short, Sweet, and Petite :)

Day Seven: Five Things I Couldn't Live Without

What are five things I could not possibly live without?

1. Burt's Bees Lip Balm
I only started using Burt's Bees after this past year because it was the only lip balm in my school bookstore. Boy was I missing out on a little slice of heaven!

2. Family/Friends

3. Memories

4. Music

5. Sunshine

Day Six: A Moment to Relive

What is one moment I wish I could relive?

Disney World 2007

During my sophomore year, the music department went on a four-day trip to Disney World, where the concert band and chorus got to perform in the Epcot showcase. This was a special moment for me since I had a flute solo in one of our songs.

However, the entire trip was the one moment that I wish I could relive over and over and over again. I got to go with a lot of my friends and it was the first time I got to travel without my family. I loved every second of it, since I probably won't ever get the opportunity to travel with my best friend again. The rides, the inside jokes, and of course, being absent from school for two days (something that I rarely do) were all things that I enjoyed and the trip is a memory that I will always cherish.

Day Five: Favorite Quote

What is my favorite quote?

(I am a big fan of quotes. I collect quotes like no other. Since the beginning of sophomore year, I have been collecting quotes and I currently have 110 pages of quotes in a Word document. Ridiculous, I know.)

"The grand essentials to happiness are:

something to do,

 something to love,

and something to hope for."

-- Allan K. Chalmers

Day Four: Favorite TV Show

What is my favorite TV show?

I usually only watch three shows religiously: Grey's Anatomy, The Office, and One Tree Hill. Of course, this causes a problem when Grey's and The Office are on at the same time every Thursday. This is where nbc.com comes in and I thank the genius who decided it would be a great idea to post full episodes online (Mr. or Ms. Genius, you saved my life).

I have been an avid fan of One Tree Hill since the very day the series began in September 2003. I was barely 13 years old and my parents didn't think it was very appropriate for me, but I simply didn't care. Ever since, I have watched every episode when it airs on television and I still get that excited feeling every time it's 8PM on a Monday evening.  However, now that I'm a little bit older, I find that another show has more... "substance", I suppose. Every Thursday, I tune in to watch

Grey's Anatomy

The romance, the drama, the sarcasm... oh I cannot get enough of it. Just yesterday, after I watched two reruns on Lifetime and then the new episode on ABC (yes, I'm aware I have no life), my mom asked me what I liked about Grey's because she always catches me watching it. I have two words for you, Mom: McDreamy & McSteamy. *swooooon*

Although I find complete humor in the characters' conversations, which are usually full of sarcastic and snappy remarks, there are two things that I enjoy the most about this show:

1) Derek Shepherd and Meredith Grey's relationship

They exchanged wedding vows on a Post-It note for goodness sakes. They so do not meet the standards for the typical couple but together, they are something beyond what words can describe. And PLEASE just watch how Derek proposed to Meredith and try to tell me that does not melt your heart in any way.

I would kill someone to marry a man like Derek Shepherd. He may be stubborn at times, but he is the epitome of the perfect man in my eyes. He's romantic, caring, and of course, sexy as hell. (Patrick Dempsey, in general, is also the epitome of the perfect man for me. He acts and race cars and has a foundation for cancer? How versatile... how perfect. But I digress.)

2) Meredith's monologues at the beginning/end of each episode

Personally, they are little life lessons for me. For some reason, Meredith Grey explains life better than I ever could. For that reason, I can probably relate every life experience I've ever had to a Grey's quote... that's normal.... right? .... RIGHT!?

"We spend our whole lives worrying about the future, planning for the future, trying to predict the future. As if somehow figuring it out will somehow cushion the blow. But the future is always changing, the future is the home of our deepest fears and our wildest hopes. But one thing is certain: when it finally reveals itself, the future is never the way we imagined it."

"At the end of the day, when it comes down to it, all we really want is to be close to somebody. So this thing where we all keep our distance and pretend not to care about each other, it's usually a load of bull. So we pick and choose who we want to remain close to, and once we've chosen those people, we tend to stick close by. No matter how much we hurt them. The people that are still with you at the end of the day, those are the ones worth keeping. And sure, sometimes close can be too close. But sometimes, that invasion of personal space, it can be exactly what you need."

"I've heard that it’s possible to grow up, I've just never met anyone who’s actually done it. Without parents to defy, we break the rules we make for ourselves. We throw tantrums when things don’t go our way. We whisper secrets with our best friend, in the dark. We look for comfort where we can find it. And we hope against all logic, against all experience, like children, we never give up hope."

"Maybe we accept the dream has become a nightmare. We tell ourselves that reality is better. We convince ourselves it's better that we never dream at all. But, the strongest of us, the most determined of us, holds on to the dream or we find ourselves faced with a fresh dream we never considered. We wake to find ourselves, against all odds, feeling hopeful. And, if we're lucky, we realize in the face of everything, in the face of life the true dream is being able to dream at all."

"Everyday we get to give the gift of life, it can be painful, it can be terrifying, but in the end it’s worth it. Every time. We all have the opportunity to give. Maybe the gifts are not as dramatic as what happens in the operating room, maybe the gift is to try and make a simple apology, maybe it’s to understand another person’s point of view, maybe it’s to hold a secret for a friend. The joy supposedly is in the giving, so when the joy is gone, when the giving starts to feel more like a burden, that’s when you stop. But if you’re like most people I know, you give till it hurts, and then you give some more."

"At the end of the day, faith is a funny thing. It turns up when you don't really expect it. It's like one day you realize that the fairy tale is slightly different than your dream. The castle, well it may not be a castle. And it's not so important that it's happily ever after -- just that it's happy right now. See, once in a while, once in a blue moon, people will surprise you. And once in a while, people may even take your breath away."

 (all photos found here)

Day Three: Favorite Book

What is my favorite book?

I loveloveLOVE to read, especially chick lit. I love Emily Giffin, Sarah Dessen, Nicholas Sparks, Jodi Picoult, etc. Currently, I'm reading Alphabet Weekends by Elizabeth Noble.

However, my favorite book of all-time would have to be:

The Last Summer (of You and Me) by Ann Brashares

"You know you've read a good book when you turn the
last page and feel a little as if you have lost a friend."
- Paul Sweeney

I certainly felt like that when I finished this! When I first purchased this book, I was very excited to read it solely because of who wrote the book. As you may know, Ann Brashares is the author of the Sisterhood series (which I adore), so I knew that she wasn't going to disappoint me with this one. Trust me, she didn't. The book was a tearjerker from start to finish. I was bawling like a baby once I reached the end. I recommend this to everyone who is looking for a book to read this summer. It's a quick read and I can guarantee you that it will make you feel warm and fuzzy inside. :)

"Love is a tough road to navigate. Finding a way for two people's heads, hearts, feelings, and emotions to not drive each other insane can be a tricky affair. Throw another person into the mix, and you have an even path to forge. Such a path is at the heart of Ann Brashares's novel The Last Summer (of You and Me). But this isn't your typical tawdry love triangle. It is a beautiful tapestry woven out of love so deep that it involves self-sacrifice." - Associated Content

Some of my favorite quotes:

"Sometimes you couldn't face the sadness of being forgotten until you felt the comfort of being remembered again."

 "He wanted to take his love back from her so badly. The old techniques didn’t work anymore. In fact, they’d never worked. How do you stop loving someone? It was one of the world’s more brutal mysteries. The more you tried, the less it worked."

"There was a moment in between, a moment flung free in the midst of the transition, when he made contact. That was the moment she would dwell on."

"Healing wasn’t always the best thing. Sometimes a hole was better left open. Sometimes it healed too thick and too well and left separate pieces fused and incompetent. And it was harder to reopen after that."

I'm pretty sure it's going to be a movie in 2011 so keep your eyes out for that!

Day Two: Favorite Movie

What is my favorite movie?

I love all kinds of movies. Chick flicks, romantic comedies, action movies, historical films - you name it, I'll watch it. I am a sucker for World War II movies; Saving Private Ryan, Pearl Harbor, Inglourious Basterds, The Pianist = loooove. I will watch corny Lifetime movies and serious documentaries. I can count the number of times that I've seen Titanic, A Cinderella Story, and What a Girl Wants on both my hands and toes. In fact, I can say I went to see Titanic in the theaters when it came out in 1997 (I don't know who else my age has). However, there is one movie that always gets me. Whenever it's on television, I stop whatever I'm doing and proceed to watch the rest of the movie.

The Parent Trap (1998)

I can't tell you how many times I have seen this movie. I basically have every scene memorized and can quote a lot of lines. This is one of my favorite scenes. To this day, I still get a little creeped out by the little iguana...

I always thought Elizabeth James (R.I.P. Natasha Richardson) was the classiest woman, from the way she dressed to her British accent. I envied Hallie Parker as she got to participate in the photo shoot with the bride and try on all those dresses... *sigh* This is making me want to pop in my VHS and watch it right now.

Let's get together, yeah-yeah-yeah
Why don't you and I combine...

Wordless Wednesday

Day One: Favorite Song

What is my favorite song?

Music plays an important role in my life as a musician and a simple lover for music. I do believe that a certain melody can touch my heart and a certain lyric can and will heal my heart. It can get me through a tough day or help me celebrate a good day. It is difficult for me to choose just one song that would be a favorite, but if I had to choose, it would be:

Jason Mraz - "A Beautiful Mess"

I listen to this song when I am feeling down and need a good cry. I listen to this when I am reflecting on my day. I listen to this when I need inspiration and encouragement. I have been lucky enough to have seen this song performed live (acoustically, my favorite) as the finale to his encore - perfect ending to a perfect night.

I have spent a great deal of time trying to figure out the meaning behind every lyric of this song, but I don't think I ever will. I just think it's inspiring how this person finds beauty in the mess of it all ("it" being love and life in general). It's an oxymoron, indeed, but the most beautiful and truthful one I've seen. It is certainly important to recognize and accept one's flaws and imperfections as it is to accept one's beauty and, in my opinion, it is ideal to have the best of both worlds. Life will always be chaotic and disorganized, but with the right people, it will always turn it into something beautiful and positive.

"With timeless words and priceless pictures
We'll fly like birds not of this earth
And tides they turn and hearts they disfigure
But that's no concern when we're wounded together
And we tore our dresses and stained our shirts
But it's nice today, oh the wait was so worth it"

Wisdom-less and 30-Day Challenge... times 2!

Just spent my first summer weekend lying on the couch drugged up on penicillin with two bags of ice on my cheeks. I moved out of my dorm on Thursday and got my wisdom teeth removed early Friday morning. Before my surgery, I talked to numerous people about their own experiences and they varied from "eh, not too bad" to "most traumatizing experience of my life." Believe me, I was ready to experience the worst too. I didn't do too bad though. The whole surgical procedure only took about ten minutes and I was out of there within 45 minutes. It's been two days and I barely swelled up so I am thankful for that, even though I did get extremely sick on the day I got them out. However, my stitches painfully hurt and I haven't been able to eat anything besides: applesauce, smoothies, soup broth, and italian ice. It was extremely painful since I couldn't participate in our annual Mother's Day dinner (Mom made lobster this year. I'm only hoping that I will be able to open my mouth more than halfway tomorrow so I can be able to eat all my favorite foods... especially since I will be spoiled with Mom's home-cooking again! (speaking of my mother, Happy Mother's Day to my very own and to all the mothers out there!)

Tomorrow not only marks the first day of my 30-Day Challenge with Jillian Michaels, but also the first day of my 30-Day Blog Challenge! Miss Elizabeth over at In the Pink posted this today and I couldn't help but be inspired by the topics (and also be motivated to blog more often!). I'm looking forward to getting my butt kicked by Jillian and thinking about all my favorite things and memories.

[Elizabeth's version of the 30-Day Blog Challenge]

 Day 1 — A favorite song

Day 2 — A favorite movie

Day 3 — A favorite book

Day 4 — A favorite television program

Day 5 — A favorite quote

Day 6 — A moment you wish you could relive

Day 7 — 5 things you could not possibly live without

Day 8 — A thank you letter to someone who has changed your life

Day 9 — A photo you took

Day 10 — A photo of you taken over ten years ago

Day 11 — A photo of you taken recently

Day 12 — A song that you want played at your wedding (or was played)

Day 13 — A guilty pleasure

Day 14 — A vacation you would like to take

Day 15 — A person you admire

Day 16 — A song that makes you cry

Day 17 — An art piece

Day 18 — A time when you felt passionate and alive

Day 19 — A talent of yours

Day 20 — A hobby of yours

Day 21 — Something you know you do differently than most people

Day 22 — A website

Day 23 — A way in which you want to be remembered

Day 24 — A movie no one would expect you to love

Day 25 — A recipe

Day 26 — A childhood memory

Day 27 — A physical feature you love

Day 28 — A scar you have, and its story

Day 29 — Hopes, dreams and plans for the next 365 days

Day 30 — A motto or philosophy