life updates: grad edition!
It has been a hot minute since we last chatted!
I’m on spring break now and I finally got around to sitting down, aggregating my photos from the past couple of weeks, and writing this “I’m back” post.
First of the updates… I’m done with my undergraduate degree! Sadly, the final grade for one of my classes still isn’t out yet, but I have no doubt that I passed the class 😂 It’s a surreal experience to be done with college, and I’m so relieved. I was definitely feeling burn-out towards the end there; now, I get to relax for six whole months before I start school again! Whew.
Second of the updates: I got into the second grad school I applied to! For those who don’t know, I’m pursuing the Master of Science in Taxation degree (file yo taxes, friends), and I’m 90% sure I’m committing to one but can’t quite bite the bullet yet until next week.
For the rest of my updates, I’m happy to share via my photo diary:
After the weird snowpocalypse that was completely #fakenews, my good friend Kaitlin and I went to try The Fat Hen in Ballard! It’s a renowned brunch spot that we both hadn’t been to yet. It’s a super tiny spot, so either go with less friends or get there early and be prepared to wait. If you know me, you know I love eggs in any shape/form, so I was more than ready to order their baked eggs. Verdict: did not disappoint!
I was excited and surprised around this time to have been selected to participate and represent my university’s team for a case competition in Atlanta, Georgia. A learning experience + free trip to the south? Yes, please! The case dropped a week before we flew out, which meant I was preparing for my final exams while trying to crank out a global health case on hurricane management. I love meeting new people and working in teams though, which made it so fun and entertaining.
We were only in Atlanta for 3.5 days, but we made the most of it as we could. Since I had been to Atlanta earlier last year, I made an effort to visit the Ponce City Market, which I had missed last time! It was lovely – so many good eats! We also stopped by Two Urban Licks for dinner.
The day before the competition was a full case work-day, so my team and I grinded all day. We joked that our team was hit with the worst fatigue because of spring forward, dead week (the week before final exams), and a three-hour coastal time difference.
Wearing business professional means lots of photoshoots! We presented on a Friday and while we felt really great about the presentation and Q&A portion, we didn’t make it to the final round. Nevertheless, we went out as a group later that night to celebrate at The Ivy Buckhead with some dancing. Highly recommend!
As our last meal in Atlanta, we went to Home grown GA – a cozy little brunch diner. If you’ve been to Beth’s Cafe in Seattle, I got the same vibes here. It was a long wait, but there is an adorable wall on the outside of the diner and you can sip on coffee while you wait. I always need to get Southern grits now whenever I visit Georgia – a classic!
One of my teammates in my classes had reflected and shared that “laughing builds trust”, and it’s so, so true. I had never pinpointed that sentiment before, but now I’m cognizant to integrate that into every new team I work with. I had the best laughs with this case competition team! One of the saddest realizations for me was making new friends right before I graduate; it’ll be on me to maintain contact!
Final exams came and went. I only had one exam I had to take after my trip back from Atlanta (thank goodness, because I really did not have time to study), so that was a relief. I’m back home now, occupying my time by packing/spring cleaning, binge-watching shows on Netflix, and reading! Is anyone else obsessed with the Elizabeth Holmes Theranos story? I devoured Bad Blood and have already listened to The Dropout podcast as well. Next up: the documentaries!
I’ve come to the conclusion that spring will be a lot of slowing down and self-reflecting. I read an article the other day about being addicted to being busy and it totally freaked me out because I strongly identify with this. I’m trying not to pack my Google Calendar with plans and learn how to be content with gaps in my schedule. It’ll be an adjustment, but I’m willing to try in order to start tackling the tougher questions in my life.
In terms of what to expect from me with the frequency of blog posts, I’ve been putting a lot of pressure on myself to post often. However, the reality is that I’m way more excited to post about something when I have actual content, and that may mean a week to a few weeks of silence on the blog. My spring isn’t looking too eventful as of right now, but who knows? You’ll have to stay tuned 😉