farewell, december

alexandra:

and like that, the year is over. so much has changed this past year, but let’s just recap this month. i originally wanted to do a review of my year/decade, but got behind on tasks and didn’t get around to it. :(( maybe i’ll still publish something later but WE’LL SEE.

december was a bit chaotic (SAG SZN & CAP SZN) but also super fun. mostly because VLOGMAS!!! it was more low key than last year, but still fun and eventful. to sum the month up: recovering from wisdom teeth removal, jonas brothers concert(!!), went to san diego with friends, finished my graphic design semester, las vegas for christmas, and finally back home.

priscilla:

this month felt both eventful and uneventful, but i guess it was an okay month overall! i finished up this semester’s classes without much trouble, had fun with friends, took lots of photos (1659 to be exact), came home to california, and drank too much boba.

in a few days, 2019 will be over. OVER. the thought of that is just…crazy. but then again, years are a somewhat arbitrary measure of time, so does it REALLY mean anything? putting aside the philosophy talk, the passing of another year is a chance to reflect, and upon reflecting, to set new goals.

for me, 2019 was a year of challenges, academically, socially, physically, spiritually, and mentally. i went to therapy on and off, i struggled with classes and professors that made me want to curl up in bed and cry, i tried (and failed) to embrace loneliness, i questioned my faith, i lost old friendships, and more. BUT i also made new friendships with people i love and trust, i learned how to navigate a leadership position in my club, i took long walks alone, i dabbled in hip-hop and modern dance, i bought a DSLR, i acknowledged my fears and insecurities, and i even raised my GPA. this year has seen many highs and lows, but even after everything, i’m still here standing! i still have hope for what the future will bring, even though i know it won’t be all smooth sailing. no matter what happens, i’m so thankful for the people i have in my life now <3

kristy:

its the end of the decade. it feels surreal to say that, but I feel ready to move forward. the first half of december was so busy. i was consumed with finals and spent the first week at home anxious to hear back from my professors. im really proud to say that i finished my first quarter at ucla with a strong gpa. i also pushed myself outside of my academics and it paid off- i have an internship!

my winter break has been spent with family, friends, and catching up on sleep. being able to take a step back from hectic schedule and breathe has been a huge help to my mental health. sleeping in is definitely a luxury and i have not taken it for granted since i’ve been home.

most of all, being home has given me the space and time to rediscover my love for art. this includes graphic design, video editing, photography, & hand lettering – i feel that my passion has been reignited. and it feels so damn good. i have a couple of creative projects planned for the first half of 2020 and im so excited to share it with y’all <3

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media consumed

alexandra:

earlier in the month, i watched parasite which was a film i was really really excited for. and it did not disappoint!!! it was my first horror-ish film since i was seven (lmao no joke) but i enjoyed it. the cinematography! the metaphors! gah!! it reminded me that movies and films are really ART and y’all know how much i love art ;—;

when i went to san diego, i rewatched faves aka: camp rock & the clique and i was HERE for the nostalgia. i also rewatched mulan and the lizzie mcguire movie on disney+ because WHY NOT… TAKE A CRAZY CHANCE. in all honesty, i’m living!!!! as for music, i’ve been streaming fine line (like all of us). in books, i read blood heir and it was so solid !!! an anastasia retelling !!! i love.

priscilla:

i haven’t been reading much, but since getting home, i’ve been watching (too much) netflix! my current favorite is schitt’s creek, which is a light-hearted and funny show about this rich family who loses everything they have and is forced to live like normal people. i also just started one spring night, since i’ve been really wanting to get back into kdramas! so far, i’m liking the characters and plot – i feel like the characters are pretty fleshed out, and they’re not as simple as many tend to be. also, jung hae-in is one of my favorite actors, so i’m really excited to see what he’s like in this drama!

i’ve also been reading a lot of webtoons, as usual. i’m planning on making a more comprehensive list of recommendations soon, so look out for that! but for now, here are my current favorites:

• spirit fingers: the PERFECT rom-com, super super cute and funny
• a good day to be a dog: this one is almost finished, so it’s perfect if you want something to binge! a combination of suspense and romance, this webtoon will leave you in tears on more than one occasion.
• scorching romance: if you’re looking to laugh, definitely give scorching romance a try! the characters and plot are hilarious and ridiculous — this definitely isn’t your typical webtoon.

kristy

so. much. netflix. you season 2 anyone? the producers did such an amazing job with casting and dare i say it, s2 is better than s1. each episode kept me on the edge of my seat, and i definitely did not foresee the plot twist at the end. witcher was a series i’ve been anticipating since the trailer release. there’s a lot of violence and graphic images but i absolutely love each of the characters. while geralt is my favorite, i really enjoyed watching ciri’s character arc. the way she handles challenges is a testament to her courage and strength. klaus is a netflix orginial- its a very wholesome christmas movie and beautifully animated!!

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foresights of january/2020

alexandra:

i don’t want to proclaim big new year’s resolutions because i feel like that would be,,, excessive. so instead, i’ll focus on some goals/events of january. so here are the Big Thing(s):

• i’m going to disney world to do a half-marathon !!!! ?!!! it hasn’t fully registered in my mind; or when i think about it, i’m just filled with dread. mostly because i ate wAy too much over christmas break and have not been training. does running once a week count? my goal is honestly just finish. as someone who is not a runner, i really wanted to do something new and challenging for myself (aka why i signed up for this) but as doomsday nears, i really question myself. starting the new year on the right foot!!!!!
• SEVENTEEN CONCERT. y’aaaaaaaall i know i’m not ready. but who cares? i don’t know any of the members (#fakefan) but i got a light stick!!! and love their music so very much!!!! i don’t know if i will be physically (post-half) or emotionally (bc svt) ready.
• life itself 😀 i truly believe 2020 will be a good year. i must. if i don’t, i wouldn’t know what to do with myself. so here’s to a new decade, a fresh start, and great things.

priscilla:

i still have three weeks at home before i go back for school…. i’ve had a really pessimistic attitude toward break this year, especially because last year’s winter break was so meh, but i realized that that hasn’t been helping at all. i’m trying to keep myself busy, but sometimes i feel so tired and don’t want to do anything besides watch netflix. it’s hard to find the right balance, because i know that rest is important, but i also know that i’ll feel gross if i just sit around doing nothing…

so without further ado, here are some goals for 2020! hopefully this will motivate me to work harder and actually be somewhat productive during break haha

• blog more….. i feel like i say this in literally every wrap-up/goals list, but i’ve actually been brainstorming a bit and i have some solid ideas in the works, so be on the lookout for posts from me!
• take more photos! i mentioned this earlier, but i recently got a DSLR so i’ve been experimenting with that, and i really want to get better :))
• keep learning/practicing new languages – i’ve been learning korean for about 1.5 years now, and i’ve also been trying to learn the basics of japanese over the past two weeks, so i want to keep working on those!
• meditate/journal more consistently! i’ve been doing pretty well with this since coming home for break, so hopefully i’ll be able to keep up these habits once the semester starts
• learn more about sustainability – i really want to learn how to live more sustainably, because i know there are a lot of relatively simple changes i can make that could make an impact on the environment, so i want to do my part!
• be smarter with my money – i feel like i’ve been overspending recently and haven’t been keeping track of my spending as well as i should be, so that’s something i want to work on. as a college student in nyc, i definitely need to create budgets and stick to them hahaha
• learn to cook (lol), cooking is one of my least favorite things to do because i find it difficult, time-consuming, and not enjoyable… but maybe that’ll change when i get better at it!
• build better study habits and work on time management (oops). when i’m at school, i tend to procrastinate on almost everything and cram for tests the night before. while this approach hasn’t completely failed me yet, i know it’s not great and it’s definitely something i want to change.
• learn to say no to things that might not be the best for me physically/mentally, even if they’re things i want to do. if i know i need to wake up early the next day, i should probably sleep early instead of staying up late talking to my friends. of course, losing sleep to spend time with people i love isn’t a bad thing every once in a while, but it’s also important to take care of myself!
• learn to make difficult decisions. one thing i realized about myself this year is that i struggle a lot to make my own decisions, especially when they seem really important. whenever i’m faced with a question/decision, i tend to immediately ask all my friends for advice, which more often than not leaves me feeling more confused. rather than relying so heavily on those around me, i think it’ll be good for me to (attempt to) think things through on my own and process all the options before turning to others.

whew…. that’s a lot of goals, and realistically speaking, i probably won’t get to where i want to be with all of them. but that’s okay! i can at least make progress on most, if not all, of them, and that’s something i’m looking forward to. self-improvement takes an insane amount of effort, but i’m proud of myself for taking the first step in setting these goals, rather than being complacent with where i am.

now the next step is to actually take action (this is where it gets really hard). and even though i’m working on myself, i’m thankful that i won’t be doing this on my own. i know i’ll still have my friends by my side, as well as all of you! thank you for following my journey for the past 2.5 years (wow) – i’m so grateful for all the support and encouragement i’ve received throughout the years, and i just want you all to know that i’m here to help however i can! whether you’re looking for college advice, life/relationship advice, or simply a listening ear, my inbox is always open. you can contact me via email (priscilla@twirlingpages.com) or instagram (@priscillasdfghjkl)!

here’s to a great year for all of us! whether or not 2019 was good to you, we have the ability to make 2020 even better. sending love to all of you <3

how was your month/year? let us know in the comments!