Photo by Grace Brown/Project Unbreakable

1. My favorite color is     red  .
2. My home decor color palette includes    blues and beiges, mainly  .
3. Other people always tell me I look good in the color     red and black, though I do like bright colors too! I just don't know if I can always pull them off, haha   .
4. The color I detest is     orange...I don't know why, I'm just not very keen on it  . 
5. If you were to look in my closet most of the colors you'd see would be    black, blue, white  . 
6. A color that I simply cannot pull off no matter how hard I try is    yellow or orange...who knows, maybe I could do yellow, I'll just have to test it out  . 
7. The color of my favorite dress is   dark teal, but the zipper is broken on it :(   . 

(via Lauren @ the little things we do)

A carefree afternoon in Virginia, Fall 2011

"Life is about the journey." How often do we hear that? As I look back on my blog over the last year or so, I realize how much personality has disappeared. Does this mean my journey is over? Did I reach some sort of "end point"?

I could blame it on time or location or mindset, and while it's a steady combination of all three, I think I still remain insecure about my writing in general. And knowing that other people will be reading it and judging it--well, that's enough to stop from hitting that publish button.

But being candid is more important as a writer than I think many imagine it is. We go through every day being edited and holding back so we're not in danger of editorializing too much or being subjective when objectivity is key. But when it comes to topics like my love of the Kings or talking about being Chinese-American, it isn't bad to be opinionated and honest. It isn't like I don't like writing about my feelings; I think I'm just more used to holding back.

But I've been telling myself I need to keep writing and keep writing more--whatever it is about, whether anyone wants to read or not.

Finally picked up that diploma!

So--about that "journey." I was thinking about how much my life has changed in the last year since I hung up my status as a student for good. To go from being surrounded by people you know and who know you and "get" you, to moving back home and feeling alone, to moving across the country and being even more alone, to finding people you mesh with in an amazing way, and then having to leave them too...it's scary. It's a rollercoaster. It's exhausting.

The one thing I've gathered in my time out of the Irvine bubble is that it's important to be happy and comfortable with being yourself and being alone. I thought that my life was going to be dismal without the midnight drives and kicking sand up beneath the moon, and while it was painful to not have those opportunities anymore, I know that missing people and missing college aren't worth shedding tears over. We'll find new memories and hopefully grow together, even if we are apart.

That having been said, life isn't always a party for me now, but I'm okay with that. After blowing too much money while on an intern salary, it's nice to have some time to calm down and get my bearings straight. I'm almost about to be debt free (maybe) and I'm focusing on figuring out what I want to do and who I want to be.

So here's to writing more without fear or hesitation, and also because I told Kristen to force me to write and she's really good at mothering me.

1. I will sleep more.
2. I will walk slower. Unless I'm midtown.
3. I will not let social networks define relationships.
4. I will smile more, despite the annoyances of day to day life. 
5. I will close my ears to potential negativity. I will not take things so personally.
6. I will do more of what I say and say less of what I do.
7. I will network (ugh).
8. I will focus more on the positive.
9. I will read more, and I will read slower. I will take time to digest words.
10. I will learn new things and new skills every day.
11. I will drink from the glass, rather than analyze whether it is empty or full. 
12. I will pick up my phone more often. 
13. I will not impose my thoughts on others, and vice versa.
14. I will spend less time on the outside looking in.  
15. I will not force myself to be somebody I think I should be.
16. I will let love be louder than my emotions.
17. I will not keep reopening doors that closed themselves for a reason.
18. I will let go of those who have let go of me, or are in the process of doing so.
19. I will not be scared to speak up.
20. I will celebrate others as much as I can.
21. I will apologize. I will forgive. I will always forgive.
22. I will put my dreams into words and I will pursue them harder.
23. I will actually believe in myself.

Perhaps this is coming too late, now that I no longer have that DC zip code to my address, but it still doesn't wash away the five months of hell I lived through as a dependent of the DC metro system.

When I first moved from California, I found myself enjoying the easy transportation. Public transportation was not a common component of life in California, and I was happy to have the metro system transport me where I needed to go. Quickly, the charm wore off, and I learned exactly why Mengfei had told me before I moved that I would hate the metro.

Unless you are traveling during rush hour, expect to be waiting for a really long time. It's as if WMATA forgets that they have people to serve on off-peak hours, or on weekends too. They seem to be doing track maintenance all the time, and my question is, "Are you actually making improvements?" Because if you're doing maintenance all the time, you must not actually be fixing anything. I once waited 45 minutes at Gallery Place for the red line on a Sunday because of single tracking. Seriously, WMATA--why don't you do your maintenance during non-operating hours? It's bad enough the metros stop running at midnight (or at 3 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays) so that any chance of enjoying the limited DC night life is impossible, but then you force people to endure delays while you "improve" your system. But you're not improving anything.

And now there's talk of a fee increase? For what? It is already ridiculousy expensive because you charge by distance and don't allow for a monthly unlimited pass the way the New York subways do or, hell, even the Sacramento light rail does. Plus, it costs more to ride the metro during rush hour--the only time it's somewhat efficient! I'll support your fee increase when you actually do what you're supposed to be doing.

It would also be lovely if the escalators and elevators worked in each station. The tracks are so far underground that stairs would kill most people. I remember a time when the Woodley Park elevator was out for a month, and then it "worked" for a week, but then was out again for another three weeks.

I've been passed by trains that just didn't stop, offloaded for no discernible reason, and trapped in tunnels without so much of an impersonal intercom apology. And I know I'm not the only one--just check the @unsuckdcmetro Twitter.

And, of course, if stranded and in a time crunch, you will be forced to take a taxi, which is another rant itself. DC taxi drivers take advantage of everyone, whether you're a tourist or not. They will drive slow, take long routes, and charge you for the most ridiculous things. Unfortunately, those taxis are your only option, especially if WMATA shuts down stations you need in the guise of "improving your experience."

When people ask me what it was like to live in DC, I wish I could spend more time talking about the historical sights and the wonderful galleries and the amazing time I spent at NPR. But all that takes a backseat to my explanation of why it is one of the most frustrating cities to live in: because WMATA will rob you of your time, money and patience.

The one positive thing is that the metros are clean. But I'll take the cold, gray New York subways over a cushioned orange seat any day.