live this way : 26

Second COVID birthday. Pleasantly surprised that COVID vaccination is actually out a year later. When I thought it would take ages. The world has definitely learned to live with COVID. Australia certainly isn't the best at vaccinate the nation. We are still dealing with daily cases. How lucky I am to live in QLD, we barely go into lockdowns and overall in comparison with other states, we are doing really well.

Being 25 was great, graduated from Uni and it really didn't take me long at all. Being 26 is even better though. April was amazing and that was the only holiday I took since I started working full time in March this year. As usual some photos to help me recall about the good times. It looks like my memory only deteriorate with time.

Since March this year I have been working full time and learning about what really means to be a full-time adult. I was learning about workplace politics and finding my own confidence and establishing a career for myself. It is rewarding, challenging and exciting. I really do feel like I have finally starting doing life full-time. I fell in love again, the most organic way possible. I swore to never touch online dating app again, and I have not let myself down. Being a dog owner really taught me about the unconditional love and the constantly growing love I have for Coop. He really is the cutest being.

I am proactive and brave with love again, despite the disappoint and hurt I've had from previous relationships I knew I still want to have connections with others and most importantly with the one. I had a little birthday trip to Melbourne, it was hard and difficult due to constantly lockdowns in Melbourne and ongoing COVID cases. It was so awesome to be back in the city I've always loved so much. In fact, I am moving away to Melbourne soon to start something new, a new chapter perhaps, another exciting adventure perhaps, or perhaps this will be a terrible mistake I make. I don't know and I won't know until I do it. If there is anything I learnt from life that is to take risks, to experiment, to enrich my life and to go after my desires. If it's worth having then it's worth risking for.

I've gone through enough periods of self-doubt about choices I made in the past, made me feel ostracized and like an alien from my friendship group. I was a little disappointed in myself but I knew I wanted to be the same. I knew I wanted something slightly different. So I gave myself the reassurance, I gave myself the recognition and approval for every decision I have made. There is very little point of regretting and hoping things could be a little different because it won't be.

It is so cool to growing old and understand yourself more and more each day. It is so cool to see yourself growing more confident And it is so cool to see yourself learning about the world. I used to not care too much about anything because I didn't understand why I should be. It is such a different life being an immigrant to this country, for the past few years of my life I feel like I have been trying to be part of this country and I have been fighting my own culture. The best thing about being an immigrant is the difference, since the moment I landed my feet on this foreign land, I was different and let's remain this way. Acceptance is always the first step to growth and expansion.