hello everyone, i’m sixteen now. *cue gasps

to celebrate my sixteenth birthday, here is a messy list of six things (let’s be honest, if i wrote sixteen things this post would be super long, and no one would have the patience to tolerate my rambling and stick until the end) i’m glad i did, and thankful for, before turning sixteen.

I READ DIVERSELY

i’ve started reading more diversely recently. being asian myself, i love seeing asian representation in young adult literature. also, diverse books reflect ongoing problems in the real world, which i think every person has the responsibility to know about as a global citizen. in my sixteenth year, i’d like to read even more diverse books, especially those which feature asian characters. some books i wish to read include summer bird blue by akemi dawn bowman, the abyss surrounds us by emily skrutskie, the epic crush of genie lo by f.c. yee and not your sidekick by c.b. lee.

I STEPPED OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE

this year, i stepped out of my comfort zone. i used to be scared of trying new things, but this year i gathered up my courage to do things that i thought i couldn’t do, or would never do, and i’m so glad i did!

you never change your life until you step out of your comfort zone; change begins at the end of your comfort zone.

roy t. bennett

some things i tried this year:

• boba milk! i’m not a fan of other sweet drinks so i thought i’d dislike this, but it quickly became one of my favorite drinks.
• i moved my blog to wordpress. it took a lot of courage because it’s a platform i’d never used before, and i was not sure how things worked, but everything turned out okay in the end.
• i hate interviews, but nonetheless, i still signed up for things. interviews make me so, so anxious, because they’re not like real conversations. the interviewers ask you short questions, and they expect you to provide loooooong answers with detailed elaboration, which i suck at. in fact, the day before yesterday, i had a 30-minute long interview with three interviewers, which freaked me the heck out, but i’m still glad i did it, because i really wanted the position.

I DID VOLUNTEER WORK

last november, my friends and i participated in self-initiated volunteer work, and it was so tiring yet satisfying. 😀 we had to write emails to charities to schedule volunteering sessions, which was something totally new and kind of scary for us, as the volunteer work we took part in in the past was all arranged for us by our school. our tasks were to help prepare vegetables, pack lunchboxes and deliver bread to drop-off centres where workers would deliver them to the poor and the elderly. we ended up learning a lot about poverty in our city, as well as the preciousness of food. it was a fun and rewarding experience, and i wish to participate in similar activities in the future.

a kind gesture can reach a wound that only compassion can heal.

steve maraboli

I HAD A FUN TIME WITH MY FRIENDS

this year, my closest friends and i became senior secondary school students, and were allocated to different classes. unlike the last three years, we didn’t see each other at school that often. because of this, i started to realize how much i need them in my life, and that i should cherish the time we have this year, so i decided to make the most out of every moment we spend together.

I TRAVELED

according to my tripadvisor travel tracker, i’ve been to 55 cities, and traveled 8% of the world. in my fifteenth year, i visited australia, thailand, china, new zealand, the maldives and japan. traveling is one of my favorite things to do, and i’m so grateful to my parents for giving me the chance to travel frequently this year. i saw beautiful places, met kind people and had many unforgettable experiences. it was truly amazing.

I MADE MYSELF A PRIORITY

self-care is an ongoing process, and i’m still trying my best to achieve this. in my fifteenth year, i made myself a priority. i said goodbye to things harmful to my mental health, left the people who made me feel that i wasn’t enough, and when making decisions, instead of thinking about other people first, i thought about myself – do you really want to do this? in my sixteenth year, i wish to continue this beautiful journey of self-love.

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what are some things you’re thankful for? is there anything you’re afraid of but did anyway? let me know in the comments!