EXERCISING One of my biggest regrets dorming as a first year was that I didn’t make use of my access to the ARC. I remember when I first moved to Irvine, I bought new work out clothes because I was so set on going to the ARC often and staying active. Despite that, throughout my entire first year I only went to the ARC a few times, not even to exercise, but to watch my mentor’s volleyball games on the sidelines. I would make excuses that I was too busy, had too much work to do, and that the walk was too far. The longer I exercise in quarantine, the more I regret not making use of actual gym equipment while I had the access to it (and while gyms were even open). Self isolation at home has helped me make more time to exercise and less time to make excuses. Since my older sister lives at home, I’ve been lucky to have a workout partner. Not only is she a great work out partner, but she’s also a Registered Dietitian so I get to understand healthy eating in an active lifestyle on a new level.
My sister and I have been focusing on strength training these past couple months but recently, we’ve been trying to incorporate more high intensity activities in our routine. Whenever we can, we run a mile or two before our workouts. When I first started my “weight loss journey� last year, I did a lot of running so it felt refreshing to jump back into it. I wait for my sister to get off work in the evening so we can run and work out. Running during sunset has been typical lately, meaning my phone has been filled with pictures and videos of the sky. Having company while working out is ideal for staying motivated and active. My sister provides tons of support (and work out equipment) but our dog, Link, likes to get involved during out workouts too!
COOKIN G
Something I never got the chance to invest in while in Irvine was cooking meals for myself. Having a meal plan made it so I didn’t have to worry about what to eat next or where to go since the dining hall was always there. However, with this convenience came the overbearing realization that I didn’t know how to cook and I was expecting to live in an apartment without a meal plan in less than a year. Although those plans didn’t happen and I’m stuck at home with my parents for the next quarter, I decided it would be worthwhile to learn how to cook now. Cooking served as a useful skill to polish up on, but also something to bring me and my mom closer together as I attempted to learn classic Filipino dishes. Connecting to my culture learning the basics of cooking with my mom were just a few experiences that made moving back home more fun.
When quarantine had first started, my sister introduced me to fried eggs. If I was dining out and ordered an egg dish, I would always ask for scrambled, so it wasn’t until recently that I realized that there are better ways to cook eggs. I mastered how to cook fried eggs and how to keep them over-easy, -medium, and -hard. I actually got so sick of cooking and eating eggs so often so I haven’t made them in a while. The next type of egg I want to master is a poached egg. I recently tried eggs benedict and I’m convinced it’s my new favorite breakfast food :)


WORKING Once summer break started, I began working at Chipotle. One of my friends from high school helped me get the job quickly and it’s been a solid source to save money. If I’m being honest I hate working there and I can’t wait to quit, but I’m grateful that I have the job regardless. I’m usually put on the line or on cash so I’m one of the first few people to take a customer’s order. I’m used to it now but before I used to get really anxious interacting with so many people especially during lunch rushes. Although I say I hate working there, I do think that my experience at Chipotle has helped me learn a lot of basic skills that I can apply to other minimum wage jobs I might have to take on in the future. My main goal was to save enough money to buy an iPad. I actually purchased one last week so I’m looking forward to taking notes on it and especially designing things on it. Aside from saving for an iPad, I’ve been saving money to buy other things for myself and my family.