Cali 2022 | Dec. 31–Jan. 4

2021 recap

JANUARY

• bought a set of reusable/resealable plastic bags, downloaded a touchbar pet, & got a succulent.
• planned a whole curriculum for the Nghia Si division (13–15 year olds) in my youth group & coordinated an instagram story series to share what their youth leaders have been up to.
• binge-watched Bridgerton, & the anime Horimiya.
• watched the movie Go Back to China (starring Anna Akana), the Short history of the Long Road (starring Sabrina Carpenter), & Soul.
• created a set of holographic stickers & a set of dessert themed cat stickers for MEO Cat Cafe.
• created a WordPress website for my portfolio site & worked on my first data visualization, interpretive signage, & wayfinding projects.
• worked on a UH donor project (designing a gift for UH Advancement to give to donors of the Here, We Go campaign), & designed a set of notecards/postcards for UH College of Education.
• was shown in the UH BAMSA Student art show (virtual) and the EmpowHER exhibit at the Printing Museum.
• gave a virtual artist talk about my Vote poster in the EmpowHER exhibit & did a virtual reading of my pages in the Museum of In-Between Spaces (an anthology that UHGD2021 wrote & designed) with Brazos Bookstore.

FEBRUARY

• worked on some freelance projects with my friend David, including some logos & tattoo designs.
• went on our (UHGD21) senior bay trip to Carothers Coastal Gardens, Armand Bayou, etc. & took a ferry for the first time.
• had to watch mass virtually due to COVID-19.
• watched To All the Boys: Always and Forever.
• dyed my hair a lighter brown.
• played in Texas snow & then later on froze a bit during the freeze, when the electric grid was down.
• worked with the Director of the UH School of Art and Associate Professor of Photography and Digital Media to create mock-ups of a public art project.
• was offered an internship opportunity at Kirksey Architecture.

MARCH

• left my UH Marketing internship. The Art Director told me "you're the best intern we've had since I've been here."
• worked on coding the UHGD21 site promoting my class's senior show.
• received my first offer letter for an internship with Kirksey.
• watched Love Alarm & Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir.
• got my headshots taken for the first time ever by a classmate, for my portfolio site.
• had my friends Sam & Paloma over my house for the first time.
• had a hand in planning the UHGD21 senior show, along with the rest of my classmates.
• got a compliment from a tough professor. she said i was making "perfect progress," & saved my work to show to the Junior class for when they work on their app project.
• started my internship at Kirksey.

APRIL

• got my first dose of COVID-19 vaccine.
• tried Buff Burgers for the first time.
• ordered my first ever business cards.
• started going to art markets in front of Kinokuniya bookstore, bc my friends were vendors. met an artist that i had long admired on instagram.
• designed some things for a restaurant called Hughie's due to a recommendation from someone else.
• received an offer letter from Kirksey to be a full-time employee when i graduate.
• went through the chaos that is printing design work for our senior show.

MAY

• got my second dose of COVID-19 vaccine.
• attempted to dye my hair w a holographic/shimmer-y purple color, on top of my lighter brown hair. it kind of just turned it into a more red-tinted brown vs. the more yellow-brown i had before.
• ate at TKK, Gyu Kaku, & Saltgrass for the first time.
• had my first ever interview for a full-time position with Neiter Creative (i wanted to try to interview at other places rather than just sticking with my offer from Kirksey, just in case).
• had our UHGD21 senior show, which was a big night since it was a culmination of all of the projects that we had designed in the last 2 years of the graphic design program.
• graduated summa cum laude, majoring in graphic design & minoring in art history.
• celebrated the senior show & graduating with my classmates at Axelrad.
• opened up my first credit card (not under my parents).
• left my UH College of Education internship.
• went to the Museum of Fine Arts Houston with my friend Lena (i hadn't gone to the MFAH in a long time).
• slowly started taking the freeway more often (i was always scared of driving on the freeway before).
• got my first Kate Spade bag & Michael Kors wallet, as graduation gifts.
• started working full-time at Kirksey.
• attended a Scenic Houston event at the Botanical Gardens with my team leader at Kirksey, where for the first time ever, someone gave me their business card.
• started doing freelance for a company after someone from there reached out to me.
• became slightly obsessed with Corpse Husband.

JUNE

• attended the Kirksey 50 (company party celebrating 50 years).
• got job benefits & a 401k since i started full-time.
• switched to a new internet provider & started having to pay for my internet (adulting, ugh).
• had a little field trip to Graphtetc where i got to see a signage shop.
• had a little field trip to Skyline Art where i got my second business card from someone.
• tried Gus' Fried Chicken & El Tiempo Cantina for the first time.
• got a sit-stand desk at work.
• watched HSMTMTS.
• went to Paloma's garden themed birthday party.
• was introduced to SEGD (Society for Experiential Graphic Designs).

JULY

• cut my hair short after years of growing it out long.
• designed a logo & brand kit for a starting-up non-profit called the Understanding Initiative. 
• got a crack in my windshield for the first time ever & had to buy a little window crack/resin kit so it wouldn't crack even more.
• watched Nevertheless & Never Have I Ever.

AUGUST

• went to Seismique as a team outing at work.
• went to my first baby shower for my neighbor.
• went to my first housewarming party for Loc.
• watched Kissing Booth 3 & Maid-sama.
• went to the AIA Sandcastle event where Kirksey participated in the competition, & where i got my first ever sunburn on the top of my head.
• ate at Tiger Den & Buzz N Bites for the first time.
• got my first call for jury duty but it eventually was cancelled.

SEPTEMBER

• bought a gym membership & started going to the gym once a week.
• watched Only Murders in the Building.
• listened to the Dear Hank & John podcast.
• started having youth group in person again so i had start being the division leader (nganh truong) in person now.
• worked remotely at Kirksey for the first time.
• presented in a parent meeting for youth group.
• helped my sister practice driving.
• ate at Warehouse 72 for the first time.

OCTOBER

• went to Luce Coffee Roasters for the first time.
• attended an event called Rocktoberfest, got to see a band called Bag of Donuts.
• booked tickets to go to California for a family wedding.
• watched Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha.
• painted/decorated a pumpkin with my team at work, for the company pumpkin decorating contest.
• taught in DT/DP camp (team leadership camp) for youth group.
• decorated my car to hand out candy for the church's Trunk or Treat event.

NOVEMBER

• went to the LANY concert with Alana Springsteen & Keshi as opening acts.
• watched Shadowhunters & Start-Up.
• planned the nganh NS retreat/activities for our youth group's Lock-In/Feast Day Retreat.
• went to Heritage Plaza to take pictures & record as well as be on site for a Kirksey project,
• attended the Lock-In event & got to bond with my kiddos.
• had brunch with Ana & Daniel, high school friends that i had not seen in a while.
• tried to learn about investing & bought my first stock even tho i am still clueless.
• volunteered at hoi cho for the Fish Pong booth (i usually do face painting but we didn't do that this year) & was in charge of keeping track of volunteer hours.
• attended my friend Lena's wedding, the first one that i went to w someone other than my family.
• went to Happy Lemon, which had just opened, & tried a new kind of drink (a dragonfruit w lychee juice & salted cheese).
• went to the Lauren Daigle concert (which had kept getting rescheduled due to COVID-19).

DECEMBER

• went through an emotional rollercoaster in my personal life.
• attended the Kirksey company holiday party at River Oaks Country Club.
• went to the dentist for a cleaning & wisdom tooth removal w my own dental insurance.
• tried Krisp Korean Fried Chicken.
• got out of an escape room with my team at work, for our holiday outing.
• did Christmas shopping & spend quite a bit of money.
• got my COVID-19 booster shot.
• watched Emily in Paris S2.
• spent Christmas w Loc at Majestic Oaks & played white elephant.
• lost at 2 different cup drinking games & had to take shots.
• drove Loc's truck which was my first time driving a truck on the road.
• got an apple watch (after debating about one for so long) for Christmas.
• dyed my hair burgundy which ended up making my hair just darker/almost black again w a red/burgundy if the light is right.
• worried about my Cali plans bc some of my family in MD (who were supposed to go to Cali also) tested positive for COVID-19.
• went to California on New Year's eve & essentially traveled back in time due to the time difference.