Jasmine: Winter 2019
After a business-as-usual Monday, the flower child in Jasmine bloomed as we video chatted; She shined her boots and I played with my puzzle, and we continued our conversation from last fall.
Health: 7/10
My health has seen significant improvement since December. I went home to Taiwan for Christmas, and everyone was like, “You got fatter” and I was like, “Let’s not dwell on this.”
By that point I don’t think I’ve weighed myself for probably a year, and my family convinced me to do it to get me out of my state of denial. I found out that I’d gained 30 lbs in the past 2 years, and that’s significant for my size! It was a really good start acknowledging that. My mom jokingly pressured my partner to help both of us get into shape, and since then we’ve been great at portion-controlling and working out. I go to the gym at least twice a week, and I’ve lost 10 lbs in the past month.
My mental health is good, as it always is, but my own spiritual health is lacking. As I was reflecting on my 2018 I realized I haven’t journaled in quite some time. I don’t talk to myself as often anymore, and I feel like I would be clearer and more focused if I did that.
Work: 7/10
My 9–5 is getting better, I feel very lucky to be in a position to work on a task that the company cares about so much and gives me the necessary support so I can do my work. While I do feel lucky, I’m still working on the discipline part, because I come into work knowing what I need to do but I leave work knowing I didn’t accomplish nearly as much as I could have. Now that I’m the one leading weekly meeting and writing after-items, I know my team is holding me accountable.
On the side, I love the amount I’ve been cooking and going to the gym. I would like more time to focus on musical pursuits — my partner got me an ukulele for Christmas and I’ve been playing it a lot. I’m currently working on Arms by Christina Perri, and I can pseudo-strum and sing at the same time.
Play: 9/10
I like listening to music and podcasts and hanging out with friends. Last week we had a Super Bowl party followed by a Lunar New Year party, and next week we’re headed up to NYC. The only thing to improve is if I proactively planned trips that took advantage of where I am in New England, since I don’t plan on staying here forever.
Love: 9/10
I have a very fulfilling friendship. I have no shortage of friends whom I love hanging out with and calling on a whim. They’re scattered across the world but I feel very close to them and can pick up wherever I left off.
On the parents front, I think I can do better. My dad called me last week to check up on me, and I realized that we hadn’t talked for a month before that. I do let myself off the hook a little bit in that area because I’m still young and navigating parent-child relationships. I always compare myself to my brother and see how good of a son he’s been, but also he’s a couple years older than me so I still have time to grow.
My relationship with my partner is difficult because all the swings, especially because he’s out of town on work rotation during this time. If I were to honestly assess myself, I’d say that I’m copping out. I imagine this is what 50 year old Jasmine would want from a relationship, but 24 year old me wants someone who’s more excited about life. At the same time I think about all the conversations we’ve had and he’s provided PLENTY of excitement, so sometimes I feel a little shortsighted when I doubt.
Let me contextualize this
This is one candid snapshot from a chronicle of a few people’s post-graduate journeys. Some of us graduated Class of 2017. Others, a few years out. Each of us are on an unmapped journey to somewhere, optimistic that the dots will somehow connect in the future.
My hope to you is that when you follow along with our stories you will find comfort in the intentional randomness of life, and find courage in your own seemingly “monumentous” decisions.
The format will be simple — every four months, I will ask each post-grad to gauge 4 areas of their life (as inspired by the highly recommended book Designing Your Life by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans):
- Health (physical, mental, spiritual)
- Work (9–5, side projects)
- Play (things you do purely for fun)
- Love (from you and to you)
