To those who love stuff,

Yesterday was a fun and exhausting day! I had friends and family help my roommate and I move into a 3 bedroom house. Thank you for the help. I recruited a fair amount of people which turned out to be wonderful! There was no complaining, however, criticism was subtle and bluntly within ear shot of how much stuff we had. This reaffirmed creating one my birthday goals of getting organized and reducing the amount of stuff that I have. I am a sucker for keeping memories or things that people have given me. I did throw and give a fair amount of stuff away but not enough. Unpacking, I hope will continue the reduction of things. I will be living in a smaller room than I had before. You would think that smaller room means I have to get rid of my nicknacks. Cross your fingers that this happens.

For quite a long time, I have minimized my stuff to fit into a car. I am trying to refocus this idea but stationery is so beautiful and I can't depart with art supplies.

I hope that the amount of stuff you have doesn't acculmulate to the point where your loved ones are judging. They should be thankful that we aren't hoarders for crying out loud.

Excited about my new home,
My-Linh

P.S. Ahhhh, the tree next store is just a lemon tree. The look-alike grapefruit is overly grown and deformed lemons. So sad, the good lemons are not within arms' reach.

Dear Cyclists,

I had such an adventure the other evening! My roommate and I biked to my sister's house for some quiche. I have lived with my roommate for 3.5 years and in all this time I have never seen her bike. It was a glorious evening with the stars shining bright and the freshness of spring approaching. There was little old me giggling the whole way to my sister's house because I found such joy and excitement watching my roommate ride her newly acquired bike from the white elephant sale.

On the way home, however, I felt a bit frustrated because somehow my friends were cruising far in front of me and I was biking as fast as I could. You would think that I would be the one far ahead seeing as though my car is out of commission and I bike almost everyday. I just don't get it.

Anyways, regardless of my slow-poke-sallyness I find biking to be quite fun. I put in some effort to get to my destination. The sun shines on my face and I am outside. Plus, I am getting my daily exercise. You also somehow bond with the other cyclists even though there is no exchange of names or even a hello.

I hope you take your bike for a spin if you have one! I bet you'll gain a new perspective and a sense of adventure.

Enjoy the ride,
My-Linh

P.S. I am suppose to bike around with my dad and friends during marathon Sunday and I am a bit nervous that I won't be able to keep up.

Dear Friend,

Strangely, I am always searching for who I am through reading, writing, putting myself in challenging choices and following a path that seems erratic. For a long time, I have had some insecurity with myself which has prevented me from really loving my inner heart and body. Finally though, with much searching I have grown to change my life to make decisions that are best for me. The way I react to a job, experience, the unexpected or a person is telling of where I am and where I want to be.

My best friend from high school and I would always sit in the drive way and talk about life. I cherished these moments because we were curious about how people think, what motivates us, what the future holds and the list could go on. We had so much to talk about that I think most of our quality time was spent in her car. She is a person that understands who I am. Despite our distance somehow we hold onto each other like our childhood stuff animals. As years have passed, she is still my best friend and accepts me for who I am. This is very comforting.

I think that those who love you most know who you are when you have lost yourself.

Being true,
My-Linh

P.S. The searching hasn't stopped. This time around the searching is not about understanding my insecurities but tapping into qualities about myself that I have yet to discover. I know that insecurity will always come and go. I just have to remember that I love myself and that I am always going to present myself as who I am.

Dear Fellow Pisces,

Happy birthday to me!!!! Today is my birthday. The sun shines bright with cool winds. On my birthday I usually treat myself to either really good food or a special gift. Today's gift is the Three by Three Illustration Annual (2009). It includes beautiful illustrations from around the world. I've gone through most of the book already.

Above is an aqua tint dry point etching print that I created last semester. The title is "Everyday." The images are inspired from postcards and papers that I collect. The patterns represent a part of everyday life for some people including Chinese currency, Native American ceramics, rice fields, and an apartment fence in Cuba. The drawn creatures belong to my dad. These creatures refresh his memory of aquatic life while growing up.

On my birthday I also concoct a few goals for the year. Here they are:
1. Make art "everyday." My dad advised me to do this during a phone conversation one day.
2. Cook one Vietnamese meal a month. My mom loves to cook and I rarely ever cook any of her dishes.
3. Exercise my upper body. My sister is always exercising until her feet and body ache. I am bit scared.
4. Reduce the amount of stuff I have or at least have it organized. My brother when I was little would always pay me money if I cleaned my room.

Wish me a happy birthday and luck on my 29th year of life goals,
My-Linh

To those who live in the present,

Every morning I attempt to live in the present but my mind does get carried away. My mind thinks about the past but mostly about the future. I have always wanted to be a chubby old woman with salt and pepper hair. Also, my mind gets preoccupied with day dreaming. What am I day dreaming about? Maybe it is not about day dreaming but rather I get fixated on my tea being too hot and my patience is tested and that's all I can think about. I do though wonder sometimes about how people live their lives. What is their routine in the morning? Do they eat breakfast?

However, I have had moments where I have been able to quiet my mind and wait for my tea to cool to experience a glimpse of the beauty of being present. This year I have opened up my eyes a bit more. I have lived here in the bay area for more than four years and have finally noticed the wonderful flowers and plants fully in bloom. Of course, I can't go passed lavender or rosemary without brushing my hand over the plant to get the fresh liveliness of life. Living in the present makes colors, movements, and experiences with people stand out more into a definite focus of amazing excitement.

Hope you're living in the present,
My-Linh

P.S. I heard the present is the safest place to be unless you are physically in danger. That's where my Kung Fu friends come into play.

To those who have felt homesick,

I haven't felt homesickness in awhile now. But I desperately want to hug my mom and dad!!! They have always supported me in everything that I have done. Now here I am, unsure about what I am suppose to do. Somehow, I feel like they know me better than I know myself. Being around them reminds me and affirms why I am the way I am. I need a reminder.

Lately, I have had the privilege to spend more time with my sister. It is wonderful. Memories pop up. Last night I had a small rice bowl of raisin bran cereal which served as a little dessert. For some reason, we would have the same small rice bowl of cereal for breakfast every morning before middle and high school. Now, I am shocked that we ate so little seeing as though for breakfast now I eat an egg sandwich and some fruit. I am not sure if my sister knew but I packed our lunches so full that if we were hungry before lunch, a mid-morning snack was waiting. I consumed mine.

Dreaming of eating some homemade pho,
My-Linh

P.S. My dad comes in 21 days. He is a beautiful person and I can't wait to see him.