It has been a little over a year since my last blog post. I haven't been updating frequently due to schooling, work, family/life situations, and of course, occasional laziness. (I'm currently trying to fix my procrastinating habit.) Although I'm currently on winter break, I still have several tasks to accomplish on my to-do list, which I've been putting off for a while now. I have to say that it was a relief finishing up the previous Fall semester. It was the first semester in which I was enrolled in as a full-time grad student. With my part-time job on the side, it was somewhat challenging to balance full-time schoolwork. Grad school is no joke though. Being in the MA program, I underestimated the amount of research, reading, and writing that I had to devote myself to do. I realized that graduate school is a whole lot different than the undergraduate level in terms of the classroom environment and learning aspect. Despite the intensity, I am gradually accustomed to the workload, and learning to prioritize and manage my time more accordingly. When times are tough and you are in need of a break, the common action to take is to go on a vacation or party your heart out, right? Well, for me, not necessarily. You see, I've always been an introvert ever since middle school and now, as an adult, I still identify as one. I've taken the Myers-Briggs test and the Enneagram test. The Myers-Briggs test is a popular online assessment that determines an individual's personality type out of 16 types. This test has kind of been a running gag with my significant other and my best friend. We tend to joke around saying that if we take the test a year or two later, our results may be different than before. However, I have taken the test about 3 or 4 times now and my results are always the same: ISFJ. I mean, if you read the home page on this blog, the heading literally says that I am an ISFJ and proud of it. For the Enneagram test, I fall under Type 1 which is The Reformer personality: rational, idealistic, principled, purposeful, self-controlled, and perfectionistic. (The last two traits define me so much that it is both good and bad.) These tests may not scientifically confirm results but if mine have always been consistent, then my results must be a general match for me. I was never really into big parties or kickbacks, and I always preferred social outings with a small circle of friends. Instead, I really enjoy spending time by myself and often pursue solo day outings to a cafe or coffee shop, hiking on a trail, sightseeing, or visiting my favorite stores. I haven't taken the Myers-Briggs test ever since because I solidly believe that I identify with this personality type. And after reading the description traits, I don't mind it. So, in relation to how I take a break, here is a peek on how I spend my time away from chaos and stress.
This was shortly before final exams week during the Fall semester of this year. I started out my day by waking up early in the morning and seeing the light seep through my blinds.
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| November 26, 2019 @ 8:00 A.M. Although I am not usually a morning person, I strive to be productive throughout the day and try to pursue assignments and errands that need to be done. |
Luckily, on this day, my professor cancelled class and I didn't have to come into work. In result, I had more time to finish up papers, send some e-mails, and take on my lengthy to-do list. However, I didn't want to remain at home all day so I ventured out to my university library on campus.
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| I always study on the 5th or 6th floors of the library on campus. They're the most quiet floors and there is also a nice view to look at. 🙂 |
I've always loved visiting libraries. There is a certain comfort and familiarity while studying in solitude away from outside distractions. After doing work for about 4 hours, it was time to get some lunch. I dined by myself and although there were a few customers glancing at me and probably questioning why I ate alone, I didn't mind.
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| Spicy hot pot with a boba milk tea. Hot pot is one of my all-time favorite meals and it is definitely a comfort food of mine. ❣ |
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| A beautiful afternoon seen from the restaurant window ~ |
Being full and satisfied, I wanted to walk around to digest and take a break from studying. I decided to go to the local mall to do some early Christmas shopping. There weren't many shoppers around, but I did find several awesome items with pretty sweet deals.
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| I just had to go inside this store because of the price. I ended up purchasing two hoodies and a pair of jeans, all for under $20! |
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| A bunch of colorful and cute pens inside a gift shop. An English major's dream! |
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| Cute character socks with BT21. 💕 |
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| BTS lanyard! I 💜 them so much. 🥰 |
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| Yes, I did get it. 😁 This is so cheesy and cringe-y that I love it, LOL. #earlybts |
After doing some light shopping, it was time for me to return back to studying again. I went to a coffee shop to continue my work. Not only do I enjoy libraries, but I really like coffee shops. The coffee shop that I went to was spacious and had a vintage feel to it. There was lofi hip-hop and jazz music playing in the background and I live for those music genres. 🎵
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| Studying with an iced caramel macchiato and lofi hip-hop playing in my earbuds. 💙 |
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| Working hard or hardly working...? |
I left the coffee shop at around 9:00 P.M. feeling drained, but fulfilled. In a nutshell, this is what I mostly enjoy doing in my spare time or when I am out running errands. I enjoy solitude and the simplicity of doing my own thing without any worries. Maybe I'll create these "daytime and/or nighttime routine" type of blog posts as I update it more. ✌
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