Saturday, January 1, 2022

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.

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