The Closing of a Chapter

In the book I am reading now, Screw It, Let's Do It, Richard Branson says, "If you opt for a safe life, you will never know what it is like to win." I just returned home from spending two and a half years living abroad in Singapore. I think this quote is very fitting as I reflect on my time in Singapore.

Moving to Singapore was the biggest risk, the most unsafe thing, I have ever done in my life. Early in 2009, I accepted a job placement in Singapore. It was the year of my college graduation; I was desperate. Available jobs seemed few and far between. When the job offer came, I signed the contract having never stepped foot in Singapore and not knowing a single soul there. Signing the job offer did not cause me much hesitation, but in the months before I was supposed to leave I changed my mind every day about whether I should really go. It seemed crazy! My college had always seemed so far from home (it was only a 4 hour drive). I had always wanted to move back to Los Angeles after graduation and now I was about to move to the other side of the world.

Do you believe in fate? I do. Kismet is one of my favorite words. And in the end, that is what pushed me to go to Singapore. Within the span of one month in 2009 I had two offers to go to Singapore--one in the form of grad school, and one in the form of a job. It was like the universe was telling me something was out there for me in Singapore and who says no to the universe? Until the very last day before I was supposed to leave, I was hesitant, but it was always in the back of the mind that this was a risk worth exploring (at least for a few months).

My time in Singapore was not always the most pleasant. If you know me personally, you know that I was never without a complaint of living in the lion city. But when it comes down to it, I really think the risk I took paid off and I experienced "winning". I met the most amazing people from all over the world, ones whom I can't imagine my life without. I traveled more than I could have imagined, going on 13 trips in the last year alone, to countries I had never given any thought to. I not only gained invaluable work experience, I discovered how far I could go on my own. I return from Singapore with more confidence and with a greater understanding of the world.

So as I close the chapter on my expatriate life in Singapore, I have to say that I have no regrets. And if you are ever at a crossroads in life, take the leap of faith, because you will never know how far you can go living the safe life.

Until next time, XXOO!

Things that Caught my Eye- October

This month has been a crazy one for me. We just had this huge gala event for Special Olympics last week that basically sucked up all of my time, and we have two big events next month..one of which is really big for me as I am running the whole event (its a golf tournament. hooray!). But that doesn't mean I haven't found time to find some covet-able things!

1. Mac Nailpolish in Immortal Gold- I have seriously been wearing this nail polish all month. It is the perfect gold and I am SO obsessed with it. I think I am going to take it off my nails and repaint it tonight. You know what is funniest about this is the fact that I could not even paint my own nails until I watched some youtube videos...and now I am kind of really into buying different colors of nail polish, because I can finally paint my own nails now! Oh and just a side note, Forever 21 has the most amazing collection of nail polishes for super cheap! I bought 3 for just 10 dollars!

2. Soap and Glory- I had never heard of this brand before, but after seeing it at Sephora I am hooked. I think it is the cute packaging that first drew me to it, but I now have bought a few of the products and I am absolutely hooked. Everything smells amazing! I think the Girligo spray lotion is my favorite...it smells delicious.

3. Hunter Rain boots- Thinking about where I might be next year has really put in the mood to wear fall and winter clothing. I am particularly obsessed with rain boots. I really love the knit sock sticking out of rain boots look and I think these may be the perfect pair of rain boots...I love the brown and black together.

4. Red Sunglasses- I saw a pair of bright red square Dior sunglasses at a store the other day and I've been a little bit obsessed ever since! The Dior ones were extremely expensive here in Singapore, but I spotted these Marc by Marc ones online and think these are very similar. Plus I love the bow detail. I love sunglasses and have many pairs, but I hardly wear them in Singapore, since I spend so much time inside because of the heat.

5. Inslee Haynes Illustrations- I discovered her stuff on pinterest. I am telling you I am completely obsessed with pinterest, but I may be even more obsessed with Inslee Hayne's illustrations. Her stuff is so cute and she does commissions...and I kind of want one! I wonder how expensive one would be. You should check out her blog...I spent an entire evening just going through all of her posts staring at her cute illustrations. Sometimes I really wish I was artistic.

Well now that you've seen some of things that have caught my eye this month...tell me what are some of the things you have been obsessed with. Until next time my lovelies, XXOO!

Cake Baking Love

So pinterest has been inspiring me to try to bake and decorate cakes! Actually pinterest has been inspiring me in a lot of aspects of life like hair, makeup and style. I used to love buying magazines and looking at all the pictures. Now I can look at tons of pictures through pinterest! But back to the point...in high school I used to bake all the time and bring the treats I made to school to share with friends. I sort of stopped baking in college and have recently fell back into it!

I have only been baking stuff from boxes though, so I guess its not REAL baking, but I figured I could build back into that. But I've made a few cakes for birthdays and someone actually paid me to make a cake for their boyfriend! So here is a look at some of the creations I have made in the past few months:

pink gradient cake for p's birthday

the cake someone paid me to make

halloween cake!

The only thing about baking is that there are never enough people to finish my creations..that probably means I need more friends or something, Well I am trying to think of something new to try next...until next time, XXOO!

Bangkok!

So last weekend P and I went to Bangkok for a shopping trip! Bangkok is maybe the most amazing city for shopping. We spent 2 whole days shopping and it was amazing! We spent the first day shopping at MBK. I think we spent 7 hours there and did not get bored. If you are ever in Bangkok you must check out MBK!

Here is a look at some of the stuff we bought there:

a look at everything p and i bought on day one

the 4 scarves I bought! I love scarves

necklace

nail polish that was 3 for 3 dollars! such pretty colors

We also discovered this restaurant called Sumo which had the most amazing green curry I've ever had in my life! So delicious I wish I could go back just for it. There is also this great little toast shop that has toast with all kinds of toppings and delicious thai iced tea. MBK really just is an amazing place that everyone should go to!

We also stayed at a great gem of a hotel...we found it from Jetsetter and it was $75 per night. It was in a great location, super clean, and had a great pool! Anatara Sathorn Bangkok Hotel is an affordable hotel with all the amenities you need. If you stay there, make sure to check out the spa. We got the lanna massage, which is kind of like a thai herbal massage where the massage you with an herbal pouch, but instead of an herbal pouch they used one filled with sesame. It was complete relaxation!

Look out for another post on day 2 of shopping and until then, xxoo!

Exciting Things!

I have been so inconsistent with this blog lately! But I feel like really exciting things have been happening and I have so much to share with you all! I have gotten to a point where I feel like Singapore is really familiar and I no longer feel the need to explore and I do pretty much the same things every weekend. However, I have kind of been bitten by the travel bug of late...and feel this intense need to travel. I think in 2011 I have been averaging 1 trip a month (but when you think about the fact that Singapore is basically a city...it really just means I have left the city once a month). Anyways, I think this blog is going to change focus from my life in Singapore to my travels...and on that note I have some exciting news to share.

I think the most exciting thing is that P and I are working on a travel vlog! We are trying to launch it by the end of the month and we have already made quite a few videos...so exciting. I don't know if anyone will watch our channel, but either way it is super fun to film and edit and be creative. We have gone on a lot of trips together this year and this is a fun way to document the trips and share tips with people who are planning to travel to those destinations.

And since we last spoke, I have booked a trip with J to India next January! We are going to do the golden triangle and I literally cannot be more excited! I am most excited for the Taj Mahal and shopping! India is one of those places that have always seemed so magical to me and I feel like if I were not living in Asia, I probably  would have never gone. Travel wise, living in Singapore has been one of the best things to happen!

Another big trip planned, is Europe in March with my mom! We are going to London and Paris and then taking a Uniworld River Cruise. I am excited to take my mom to London and Paris as she has never been to Europe! Also, I love shopping in those cities...so it'll be awesome to have my mom with me. But I think the best part is going to be the river cruise. I know river cruises are mostly for older folks, but honestly I think the relaxing pace of a river cruise will be a nice change from my other trips to Europe. And seriously...the boat looks AMAZING. Check out the SS Antoinette (love the name). I also hope to see original J, who was basically my first friend in Singapore, while visiting Europe!

Life outside of work has been really great lately! I have so many things to look forward to! I am going to Bangkok this weekend with P and could not be more excited....well until next time, XXOO!