Summertime, Frugal Weekend!

Hello friends! I'm back again! Sooner than you thought, right? Well I must admit to you that, writing again within the same month, I don't know how to start this conversation, except for in my accustomed style - awkward and abrupt.

Since with my current job I only get one weekend off a month, I've been trying to enjoy these past couple of days off with my boo thoroughly. Saturday, Max and I roamed thrift stores and an international festival downtown. We bought a really yummy jar of crystalized, Colorado honey from a local beekeeper, got Max registered to vote, and ran from the rain. At night we went to a cute, trendy restaurant called North County to enjoy tacos and churros for dinner.

Max sporting his newly acquired "Vote, F*cker" button, outside the Denver Art Museum

Today my friend Yuliya and I practiced our photography skills on each other downtown, in the area around Union Station and the Millennium Bridge. I mostly modeled for her, but she wouldn't show me any of the pictures she snapped of me today, since she wants to choose the best ones and photoshop them. Here's a photo I snapped of her, though.

On the Millennium Bridge figuring out shutter speeds

After saying goodbye to Yuliya, I went with Max south to the Castle Rock outlet mall in search of camping gear. We quickly realized camping gear was not the mainstay at that mall, but of course clothes and accessories were! We had a good time walking and looking around (and again practicing photography) though the offerings at every store seemed to us bland. What's important is that we explored! Later we went grocery shopping, made some sandwiches for dinner, and finally ended the weekend with one last excursion to our favorite hookah spot. Now of course I'm at home writing this :)

Posing at the outlet mall. Don't let the lighting fool you, it was hot!

Finally, I want to take a moment to note how much more frugal I've become recently. Ever since setting some serious goals for myself, I've become more and more driven with the long term in mind. I went a whole week without spending any money, eating only food that we had gotten from the grocery. And I've gotten a lot better at telling myself that the sense of instant gratification I can get from buying things - especially clothes that aren't necessary, just to add a sense of novelty to my life, is not worth putting off my goals anymore! Better to save my money! And enjoy the journey and the people with me, more than transient items acquired along the way.

Love,

Bao

A Lot of Promise

Hi there, friends!

Should I apologize again for the time in between posts, or have we established a new norm already? Well, I'll say it one more time, anyway: I'm very sorry for the delay in between posts... this time even longer than the last!

Last time I promised I would be back soon, but then we moved into a new apartment and, well, it's like I turned a new page in life. Since the building we're in now is more modern, clean, and pretty, I've been motivated to do all that I can to keep it that way. Here, I'll show you some pictures :)

My Chloé bag modeling on our dining table with the flowers Max got me for our 2nd year anniversary! :)

Our DIY shelf next to the window doesn't block the sunlight!

I am finally starting to feel like a real adult. To me, that means prioritizing what is important in life and focusing your energy towards that, without relying on too many other people to get you there. Of course Max is there for the ride, because he is my partner in life, but still there are many things that, regardless of relationship status, everyone has to face on their own. Some of those things for me have been: dealing with rejection, taking a stance on certain issues and facing opposition for it, and motivating myself in my hours alone to do things that I used to not have the energy or strength to do on my own.

I wish I could speak with you with a bit more detail about my life, but I guess that comes more easily when one updates more frequently than I have been doing. For now it's broad strokes again. Without making this sound like too much of a promise, I will say that I will try painting with smaller strokes, soon enough, hehe.

Goodbye, friends! I leave you with a picture of a tranquil evening we spent in the park last week, reading on a throw blanket we spread out on the grass.

Love,

Bao