Rules: it’s time to love yourselves! choose your 5 (ish) favorite works you created in the past year (fics, art, edits, etc.) and post or link them below to reflect on the amazing things you brought into the world in 2020. tag as many writers/artists/etc. as you want (fan or original) so we can spread the love and link each other to awesome works! Rainbows Over Salineas has been my favorite work so far this year, though it probably won’t be finished until next year. I’ve done so much research for it and dug so deep into Mermista’s psyche, it’s been a load of fun. 

Smash Into You has been my very self-indulgent project of the year, and it has been an absolute blast to write, and those of you who comment and talk to me about it regularly just make my whole day! I can’t believe I wrote over 111K words on this fic this year! 

I know this is a sily one, but I feel like this Sea Hawk as a dad piece in general is one that has shown so much growth for me over time. 

You ever look at something and think, damn i can’t believe my hands made that? that’s how i feel about this glimbow christmas piece. like damn 

Finally, arguably the piece that both frustrated and amazes me the most, my Fire/Water piece from Seamista September. This was a labor of love and one of my favorite pieces to date. Procreate said it took 20 hours (vs 6 & 8 hours for the other two) and damn, it was 20 hours well spent. 

2020 Recap / 2021 Goals

Hello everyone~ Last year, Louise tagged me in a 2020 Sims Goals post to share my sim-related goals for the year. Likely shocking no one, I accomplished a big fat zero of them, hehe 😅

I only posted a measly 7 chapters of Sight, and didn’t catchup on 90% of the stories I’ve been reading. The only slight accomplishment was that I did experiment a bit with my styles/photo taking - largely because I was bit active on here, and did a few tags/challenges I really enjoyed - like this Lookbook One of Aislyn I’ve attached above, which I had a blast doing~

Since it’s very possible this year turns out the like the last - though I certainly hope not - I don’t want to concretely set myself up for failure by listing a whole bunch of things I want to do. Instead, I shall just attempt to work through the same things I wanted to get done last year (finish Sight, do some catchup reading, fix my game, etc...) at my own pace, and hope that eventually they get done. 

This was the year of global tragedy, racial injustice,

Video game controversies, toilet paper heists,  

Virtual concerts, and everyone having to deal  

And suffer with change day by day with uncertainty

Of the future being the only aspect that remained

The same. We lost Black Mamba, Black Panther

And even the original James Bond as well as

Pop Smoke who was only the beginning of young

Rappers losing their lives in this world this year,

But you didn’t have to be a celebrity to be the

Next destined for death and I feel fear and

Paranoia as well as confusion was trying to

Spiral our mentality into crashing down

Faster than the rate this virus spreads yet

I couldn’t let my talent go to waste and

I tried to shape words into blades of hope

That can help people endure this indefinite

Period and while all didn’t go as planned,

I put up a lyrical assault to help lift spirits

As well as to maintain my mental health,

Which I feel is as essential as your physical

State. This assault was made up of reminders

Of what we need to cherish and to not stray

From the path we’re on, highlighting who and

What I look to for strength and inspiration, stories  

With wacky wordplay, tales of how vital communication

Is and staying true to oneself, advice to young writers

And personal poems of how I cope with threats

To my mindset, which even after this display of my

Creativity and volcanic soul wasn’t enough to spare

Me from an arc of grappling with doubt and who

Should I follow to lead me out of this life where

My places of solitude were shut down, contact

With others is no longer limitless, and I constantly

See people I have gotten used to making transitions

Out of my life and saying goodbye to them until

The world feels safe again. However it wasn’t

Until realizing my purpose on a deeper level,

Making steps to organize my thoughts, and  

Listening to myself rather than others that

I began to slowly build my mindset into one

Of confidence and momentum that I actually

Somehow made fewer original posts than last year, oops :( I still feel like I made more content though! Maybe I made less chatting posts and more actual content posts? Who knows. Also the formatting got a bit scuffed with the posts containing external links, not sure how to fix that.

1). 501 notes - Nov 2 2020 - Yay! Glad this one’s on here!

2). 106 notes - Nov 10 2020 - *gasp* I’m honestly really surprised that this got #2 but VERY happy about that because I felt like I learned a lot from it :) It didn’t get much attention on Twitter but I’m glad to see people liked it here <3

3). 90 notes - Nov 7 2020 - Happy that people liked this one too, it was fun to make.

4). 64 notes - Oct 9 2020 - omg omg my fanfiction actually got on here? Thank you guys <3

Dusty Beds (mcyt Whumptober)

5). 50 notes - Oct 16 2020 - yes, glad to see it!

6). 35 notes - Oct 5 2020 - um this was a question post how did it get #6?

7). 30 notes - Oct 11 2020 - Fundy! Yay <3

8). 19 notes - Jan 10 2020 - I forgot about this! My shiny Durant Squore <3

9). 18 notes - Apr 2 2020 - my April Fools video! Glad to see people on tumblr found it too.

10). 18 notes - Feb 28 2020 - another chatting post.

WoF Dragonslayer

It’s been a year since the pandesal pandemic began, so I just wanted to reflect back on it. Funny how I started wearing a mask in December 2019. I would always get sick while traveling so the last time I traveled via plane, I wore one and ended up not getting sick! So yes, they do work to a certain extent. What I mean by that, is that you have a little more protection + reduction of transmission when double masking and using cloth masks with filters compared to using a single cloth or surgical mask.

The first official U.S. case of COVID-19 was in my state (Washington) in January 2020, and the first U.S. death was confirmed in February, also here in WA. Later after doing some research, they believe it either started in California or New York. To be honest, I didn’t think it would escalate to this point b/c we never had to "quarantine” or “lockdown”, wear masks and social distance with the SARS outbreak in the 2000s. I was still really young so I don’t remember how it was handled.. but it definitely wasn’t like this. 

I was so excited when spring came around because that’s when I had so many plans. 2020 was supposed to be an eventful fucking year for me, but no.. Miss Rona had to come and ruin everything. I was so disappointed. 

MARCH My cousin Ari and her friend Jessa planned to come up from Maui to visit for their spring break. It was supposed to be their first time here. The AirBnB and flights were booked two weeks before their arrival date (it was a last minute thing), and we had a rough itinerary created. We were so excited. I love showing people around my city! They ended up not coming for safety reasons and because the week they were supposed to come is when Seattle started to go into lockdown. I miss when there was no traffic during my morning commute. I also wanted to take my dad to the Crab Pot (b/c he loves crab sm) and then we’d go on an attraction whether it was Wings Over Washington or the Seattle Great Wheel for his birthday. So I was like “Okay.. maybe Ari can still visit in the summer and we can postpone these plans to my mom’s birthday (as well as Father’s Day & their anniversary) in June.” But nooooooope.

APRIL In the beginning, I was supposed to go on a weekend trip to Oregon with my cousin Gloria. We had plans of going to the tulip festival and exploring Portland, and we also intended on driving down the Columbia River Gorge to chase waterfalls and admire other sceneries. My godson Mugen turned 1 and we planned to throw a birthday party for him. I had a chance to spontaneously go to Maui that month too. But again, everything got canceled because of COVID. I thought this would only last for a couple more months at most. Had a virtual cousin reunion via Zoom which warmed my heart :) 

MAY I planned to go to a lantern/light festival with Janice and Alvin (and a quick trip to Portland for food) but it got postponed. We still have our tickets though and hopefully we’ll be able to go this year since it will be outdoors. I was supposed to see Justin Bieber and Kehlani perform at CenturyLink (now called Lumen) Field with Connie, but we got refunded b/c he postponed his tour and changed the venue. Finally felt more comfortable with the “new normal” and wearing masks in public. Made it a thing to grab boba and takeout with my mom every 1-2 weeks. 

JUNE I luckily copped tickets to see Jhene Aiko (it sold out within the first few minutes!!) and Queen Naija with Abby and it was supposed to be my first outdoor concert! But it got canceled recently :’( I was hoping for it to be postponed.. sigh. Wanted to take my mom to Palisade for her birthday, but it obviously didn’t happen. And what a significant month it was in Black history. BLACK LIVES MATTER. 

JULY Ended up going on that Oregon road trip with my cousin Gloria anyways, but we tweaked our original plan so that we could social distance and be in nature, away from people. We drove down the entire Oregon Coast, and in order to get back up to I-5 (instead of driving back up the 101), we had to pass through the northernmost part of California but it was at night. I did a challenging hike, had some good food, saw some beautiful sights, revisited Crater Lake National Park, and made a quick stop to see my Vancouver family on the way back to Seattle. Not gonna lie, I was pretty anxious because it was my first time being out and about since the pandemic started. But I had a blast. My cousin and I got even closer and strengthened our bond. I also appreciate nature even more now. I can’t wait to go on more hikes this summer!! Got back into working out (a mix of cardio + pilates) and I’ve been consistent since then :) 

AUGUST I was supposed to see The Weeknd and Sabrina Claudio with Francis but it got postponed to next year. Crossing my fingers that I can make it to one of his shows! Don’t wanna get my hopes up yet. Had plans of going to Chicago with Connie either in late August or early September. I just wanted to travel away from the West Coast for once. But COVID was still around, damn it. 

SEPTEMBER Went on another road trip within Washington with my cousin Gloria and her best friend Isabel to celebrate Glo’s birthday + Labor Day weekend! We spent time in both cities and nature. Day 1 was in Seattle, Day 2 was driving around the Olympic Peninsula + WA Coast, Day 3 was in Olympia and Tacoma, and Day 4 was at Mt. Rainier and Seattle again. Got to revisit some places I went to when I was younger and explore new ones that were more local. My original plan was to go to Denver for my cousin JR’s wedding. I had never been there and I value family reunions so I was stoked about it. He went through with the wedding as scheduled, COVID-friendly. 

OCTOBER If the pandemic ended earlier, I would have gone to Coachella since it initially got postponed to the fall before getting canceled. Fuck. Around mid-October, I almost got exposed to COVID. I wasn’t in contact with my coworker while she was contagious/positive, but she was in contact with our patient that I worked with the day after she was with her. Obviously my coworker wore her mask but our patient didn’t. The risk of transmission is lower in that case, but it was still possible. I had to quarantine for at least 10 days and get tested. Fortunately, I tested negative and so did everyone else who was exposed, and my coworker had a very mild case (fatigue + shortness of breath) and recovered. At first, I was disappointed that I couldn’t get paid for the time I had to quarantine -- I was told to use PTO or apply for unemployment benefits but for something that’s out of my control? I felt that it wasn’t fair. But on the bright side, I finally got reimbursed last week!!

NOVEMBER A month later, I almost got exposed to COVID again through another coworker. She was a visiting physical therapist who worked with the elderly and the day she contracted COVID was the same day I was in direct contact with her. It had been 6-7 days later when I got notified of the potential exposure and I didn’t have any symptoms and neither did my other coworkers + my family, so I was less anxious. But I made plans to get tested and quarantine until we confirmed that she actually got exposed AFTER I was in contact with her. Her case was also mild and she recovered. What a scare. Things started to surge again and we were about to enter the deadliest wave yet + Washington “locked down” again. 

DECEMBER I had plans of visiting Maui or the Philippines for the holidays + to celebrate my birthday and to take part in my cousin Sheela’s wedding as her maid of honor. She too, went through with her marriage (in court) and she plans to have a church wedding in 2022 or 2023 that I’ll hopefully be able to attend. December was when everything started to hit me. It was the holidays, the pandemic was at its peak, and my birthday was around the corner. I didn’t think I’d have a pandemic birthday but it turned out to be a blessing and one of the best. But I was also at my lowest point and had mental breakdowns. I felt lonely, my heart was heavy, and I was angry at those who were not taking the pandemic seriously. People dined in at restaurants, had indoor gatherings, traveled out of the country for leisure.. lived their lives as if there’s no virus going around. After almost being exposed twice, I was scared to go anywhere or hang out with anyone. Paranoid that my dad would get exposed at work and my mom at the grocery store. But in the end, I was relieved to have made it through 2020.. what a mf year. It has definitely been eye-opening and while I’m sad that it wasn’t one of the best years of my life, I’m lowkey grateful because it made us realize a lot of things we often take for granted.

JANUARY 2021-PRESENT I know 7-9 people (one was probable, the other I’m not sure if she was just exposed or actually had it) who’ve contracted COVID. A family friend who helped babysit me had to go to the ICU as his case was more severe, but I haven’t heard anything about him in a month so I hope and pray that he’s recovering now. I’m hopeful that we’re nearing the end of the worst part of the pandemic, but still remaining cautious b/c of the variants circulating. I think COVID-19 will be around forever. I’ll continue to wear a mask as I travel and during the fall/winter months. COVID has existed for awhile but it didn’t mutate into a deadly strain until 2019. I’m relieved that millions of people are getting vaccinated every day. I’m fully vaccinated (#TeamModerna) as of 2 weeks ago and my dad just had his first dose of the Pfizer vaccine last week. All of my coworkers are vaccinated as well. I don’t have plans of traveling (domestically) until the end of 2021 other than potentially road tripping this summer again. I’m excited to be outside more once it gets warmer; like I said, I look forward to hiking and having picnics, and I’ll feel comfortable outdoor dining and seeing friends who’ve been vaccinated. Maybe even indoor dining once restaurant workers are eligible to get the vaccine as well! I have not dined indoors since February 2020.. :( But if I’m being honest, I sat in a coffee shop (I kept my mask on most of the time but took it off for quick sips and photo ops) and did outdoor dining once. Both instances were safe. Everyone in the coffee shop kept their masks on as well and their front door was open for adequate ventilation. As for the other situation, no one else was around our table and we were literally outside and not in a tent or enclosed space. I also kept my mask on while talking to our server. Last year, I kept myself occupied through work, watching kdramas, marathoning all of the Pixar movies, playing video games, and working out. Now I’ve also added yoga, journaling, praying, reading books, listening to podcasts, and watching anime to my routine! And I give myself words of affirmation almost daily. I’m always a work in progress but I can honestly say that I’m better than who I was in 2020. I’m loving myself more and even though not much has changed in my daily life, I feel lighter and a little happier. And that’s all that matters.

Blessed to still be alive, employed, and COVID-free for the past year.

Since the new moon is in Pisces, I manifest a much better year, happiness, good health, more self-love and growth, a productive spring + summer, safe travels and adventures, moments and events to remember with family and friends, and for me and my loved ones to be kept out of harm’s way. I claim it, and everything I desire is on its way to me. 

A plethora of complaints with few note-takers; what 2020 revealed.

I can not remember the last time I wrote a new year’s resolution but I know it is something people generally look forward to at the beginning of each year. I’d like to think that for most people, the idea is to pin down particular projects for a year (which is awesome by the way), and for some, it might be to improve on the previous year. Whichever the case might be, if it lacks the element of…

Puppy-Girl-Approved Reflection of 2020

Sunday Stills Challenge   “Retrospective shows our year in words, photos, stories, and other creative endeavors. Share your good and bad, your best and worst, and what your hope is as 2021 begins.”Terri Webster Schrandt As strange as it was, it may have been one of the busiest year of our lives. I love what Terri said about the year in her challenge post talking about the game-changing done by…