Dear autumn,

Today was the my first holiday drink from Starbucks of the season--secretly, one of my favorite moments of the year. I had stayed uptown all day yesterday in the local coffee shops and hadn't noticed anything seasonal besides the rain, but today I passed the Starbucks on 28th and 3rd on my way to brunch and noticed something different: a flash of red. The holiday cups had arrived!

I normally shrug off the announcements of pumpkin spice lattes to save my enthusiasm for this day. When I was in college, Andrea, Natalie, and I would meet each other at the campus Starbucks the morning the holiday cups appeared for a traditional toast to our favorite holiday (and in anticipation of the end of the quarter and the start of winter break). There's always been something about peppermint and ice skating penguins that changes the air, that changes me, and I'm glad for it because this year has felt like an especially long one. And I'm ready for the conclusion of this chapter and the start of the next.

Earlier this year, I'd vlogged about the one fictional world I would want to visit, and if you know me, I think you'll be able to predict the answer before I could begin to give it to you. Growing up, I can't remember a year where I wasn't reading (or re-reading) one of the Harry Potter books or going to see one of the films with my friends. I still remember being terribly upset after Na spoiled the end of Chamber of Secrets for me (she swears she doesn't remember doing this), as well as entire days spent on the couch next to Na as we read each book the day it was released (Mom would buy two copies so we could read at the same time, then we'd donate one to the library after we'd finished).

If you follow me on Instagram, you'll know that Na and I have finally fulfilled our childhood dreams and spent a few days in sunny Orlando, Florida at Universal Studios, where the Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme parks were everything we'd dreamed of (and more!).

Autumn in Virginia, 2011

Dear autumn,

I can feel it in the air: you're here.

This is what I've always liked best about you--your sudden entrance, the confidence in the temperature drop. It's never unexpected, but always a bit surprising. I welcome it.

I welcome it because it feels as if the world has slowed down just for one minute while I catch my breath. The breeze is refreshing, the trees are changing, and there's something about scarves and coats and hats that I can never dismiss.

2014 has been a strange year. It's been filled with loss and love and olive branches and rejected twigs. New York City continues to grow on me as I discover the corners of this world I never knew before. And while I'm still exhausted at the thought of existing here forever, I cannot help but feel blessed when I remember that I'm lucky to be standing again on my own.

1. Favorite TV show: I loved anything on TGIF nights--Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Boy Meets World...we didn't have cable growing up, so whatever we got on the rabbit ears, I was good with.
2. Favorite toy: I was--and still am--a stuffed animal fiend. Oh, and I really liked my walkman. Does that count?
3. Favorite commercial: That Glitter Hair Barbie commercial.
4. NSYNC or Backstreet Boys: Backstreet Boys xoxo
5. Weirdest fashion trend: Those stick-on rhinestones.
6. Favorite collectables: Definitely Pokemon cards.
7. Favorite Beanie Baby: I loved the sea otter (because I love sea otters).
8. How many Tamagotchis did you go through?: Just one, but I also had the Nintendo knockoff that was a pet Pikachu.
9. Favorite game console + game: Old school Nintendo + Duck Hunt. We never upgraded from that console.
10. Favorite Disney Channel Original Movie?: Model Behavior because it included Justin Timberlake in his early acting days.
11. Favorite music artist?: Britney Spears, no contest.
12. Favorite Nick Jr. show?: Didn't have cable...womp womp.
13. Favorite candy?: Did I have one favorite type of candy? I actually don't know. Gummy bears, maybe?
14. Favorite game?: Na and I made up a hard version of Clue because it's hard to play Clue with just two people properly. That was fun.
15. Favorite McDonald's Happy Meal toy?: HitClips! It was so cool that it came in a Happy Meal.
16. Favorite book?: Harry Potter. I think the third book was my favorite for a long time, but I have a soft spot for five and six too.
17. Favorite clothing store?: Limited Too, because duh.
18. What would you watch when you'd get home from school?: My homework. Or piano practice. #asiankid

How did it get to be October already?

I started doing this thing at the start of last month called "1 Second Everyday." It's an app that requires a one-second video every day, and then at the end of a month (or whatever duration of time you choose) you can string them all together into a short film.

Here's what my September looked like:


It ends, unceremoniously, with my wisdom teeth coming out and my diet transforming into one of apple sauce and other mushy foods. But September over all was fairly nice. There was food, friends, fun, and more.

And then I noticed, as I was scrolling through my phone the other day post-surgery, that there are quite a few photos that never made it to Instagram or Facebook, though I'm sure I had the intention of putting them somewhere someday.

So taking a cue from my lovely friend Carly, here are some snaps from my life in September...