Joanne Lam

In 2016, I plan to…

Have you ever felt like you were ready to move on? Ready to explore the next big thing? Tired of the environment you’re surrounded by and the need to pretend as you go about your life? Or perhaps you push yourself to have such a busy schedule that you don’t have time to think about what could be otherwise.

After returning back to LA officially from the holidays, as well as a trip to Philadelphia for a Graduate Research Conference, I’ve found myself in a bit of an uncomfortable spot. Despite wishing I was feeling a little more energetic and optimistic, this uncomfortable spot has got me thinking about 2016 goals. Some of these goals may not be achievable at the current moment, but hey- I’ve still got all year! It’s only January after all!

I came home to a pretty messy room, things everywhere, clothes and books I’ve wanted to donate but haven’t gotten the chance to yet, and simply wishing I was more organized. Although, more importantly, every time I sit in my room, I wish I had a living room, a dining room, a apartment where I felt more like home than to have to retreat to my room every night. I plan to de-clutter, especially before I make my next move. I want to de-clutter, clothing, unnecessary items, and ideally be able to fit everything into two or three suitcases when I move in a few months.

I plan to make new friends in my next destination, find a crew of people that I feel I belong to. Blame it on my nomadic lifestyle, but when I come back to LA (granted, I live in Pomona which is a solid hour from LA), I can feel a little lonely. I have friends from all walks of life within 50 mile radius, but yet, I feel like I haven’t been able to find that crowd to share my passions with, to encourage me to get out and attend events, to go to events with me, etc. They say it gets harder to make friends the older we get, and that, I would have to agree with.

I plan to volunteer more. Volunteering is definitely one thing that I have neglected in the last few years, and as I think about my next community and what my life will be post graduation- volunteerism is for sure on the list.

I plan to design/decorate my living quarter with sections for all my passions. That’s a fancy way to say, I will have a gym section- with dumb bells, TRX, pull up bar, yoga mat, etc. A dedicated photography corner for my travel photos, camera, etc. Not to mention a creative, art space, for those moments I want to simply write in a journal, coloring book, etc.

Last but not least, I plan to find a job that suits me. The job may not be, and most likely, will not be everything I have ever wanted, but it will be a job that I am passionate about. It will be a job where I will feel like I’m learning from my co-workers, and making a difference in the community. At times I wish I wasn’t so picky, but I also recognize how what I do, and my environment can affect my personality, and my morale- thus, I know I will be a more productive, more optimistic, more friendly person when I contribute to doing something I am invested in.

This year will be full of changes and new experiences. Even though I may be feeling discouraged at the moment, I know, through time, I will accomplish the goals I set out to fulfill…. especially since I have my readers to keep me in check!

What are your 2016 goals? Small or big? Let’s hear them!

The Big Apple

New York City, where so many go to chase their dreams. Big shiny lights, the city that never sleeps, one of the most diverse cities in the world. Sounds pretty similar to Hong Kong doesn’t it?

In theory, NYC and Hong Kong are incredibly similar, and yet, they are so different in unexplainable ways. I am indeed bias to Hong Kong being from that wonderful “blade runner-esk” building but without a doubt, every time I’m in New York- I spend a good amount of time contemplating the differences between Hong Kong and NYC.

This is not suppose to be a post to decide which city is better because they’re both incredibly amazing but instead, just wanted to point out a few of the differences I’ve noted through my trips.

The cleanliness on the streets mark quite a comparison. There are certainly streets that are filled with dirt and trash in Hong Kong, but it seems as though its more apparent in New York. The distinct potent smell of trash and dirtiness is what really makes the difference. In Hong Kong, I’d say the worse smell would be walking by restaurants serving “stinky tofu” or food markets with “dried fish”. Comparatively, in New York, it seems as though every street corner I come by I could be hit with such a smell that I started to believe I stepped on poo…

Alas, public transportation. I am not complaining coming from LA, it’s incredible to be able to walk, take trains and buses throughout the city but one of my biggest frustrations every time I come to New York is during my arrival. Whether it be at JFK (also just incredibly far away from anything!), Penn Station or Port Authority, it all seems incredibly stressful to figure out where the exit is, going through mobs of people running to catch their train/bus/flight. I either feel like I’m going to run over someone’s foot or trip a stranger with my giant rolly luggage- or I would knock a little child over with my big heavy duffle bag.

Hong Kong airport on the other hand, seems far from stressful with it’s large bright organized and clean airport. With an airport express system that takes you directly into the city within 30 minutes. Trains are clean and comfortable, unless you coincidently arrive within rush hour time- then you might be in for a surprise when you learn that there isn’t much personal space on these trains!

Last but not least, a shout out to New York- it’s most definitely more diverse than Hong Kong. In New York, you may walk down the street and find yourself observing a group of 3 or 4 people all from different races and ages conversing with one another- whether they know the same language or not. You can find all types of food anywhere you go, and you simply feel like you’re immersed in a world from people all over the place.

On that note, New York treated me well and it was great to see some friends. For those I didn’t get to see, I’ll hit you up next time I’m around! Or let me know when you’ll be in my neck of the woods…. LA that is, for now.

A quick shout out to Hostelling International New York for an incredible stay, and Harlem Gospel Tour bringing me to the meditative service in oldest African American Baptist church in New York State, Abyssinian Baptist Church.

Off to the next adventure!

We are Social Creatures

Why is it so much harder to wake up when you’re waking up alone? Why do I feel more awake having slept 3 hours at a sleep over as compared to sleeping 8 hours in my own bed waking up to a quiet house? Without concrete scientific evidence to back up the following post, I’m going to go ahead and say it’s because we’re meant to be Social Creatures.

This is a thought I have on a pretty regular basis, especially when I compare my lifestyle in Hong Kong to that of Pomona. I don’t get much sleep in Hong Kong, in between waking up to the juicer in my house, to the whispers and conversations between my parents, and the sunlight beaming through the windows- but yet, I find myself- most of the time, wide awake ready for breakfast and the day.

When I lived in Phnom Penh close to 7 years ago (I can’t believe it’s been so long!), I lived in a home with 4 other colleagues. The weather was hot, and some days we rarely got any rest, but as soon as 7am hit every day, we were up and about- making breakfast, and making jokes to one another.

College life, dorm life, is the most extreme. Some days we pulled all nighters to do homework or stay for an exam. Till this day, I wonder how I pulled off an all nighter of studying- it simply doesn’t seem like something I’d be willing to stay awake for- and yet, knowing that 5 other people in the dorm room were just as delirious as I was, jamming to music and going through the experience together- made it an extremely memorable moment that I’d never take back.

Now in Pomona, or in the Southern California life, I have a beautiful room, surrounded by gorgeous mountains and sunshine most days of the year- and yet, I wake up struggling to pull myself out of bed. I sometimes struggle to walk down the stairs to make a cup of coffee for myself. The thought of making breakfast, preparing lunch, and getting in my car to drive to work- is less exciting and motivating than the thought of being cramped on a train with grumpy strangers (Hong Kong).

A combination of car culture, the individualistic culture, and the need for “personal space” has created so much space in between us here in the US, creating more feelings of loneliness than many collectivist cultures. Yes, some can argue that we create our own social circles. We can drive to meet friends, and we can plan get togethers with friends and that’s true- but I would argue that that’s an underlying difference between planning a get together, and simply being together.

With that said, I can begin to understand why my parents moved back to Hong Kong from Toronto, aside from the dislike of the extreme cold, they must’ve felt lonely, they craved for those unplanned social interactions that make us all a little more kind, a little more understanding, a little more empathetic, and a little more human.

In pondering how these thoughts translate over to my life and my values, I can say that it’s part of why I am so keen on hostels (as compared to hotels), on travelers living together in close proximity and creating that sense of community. So the next time someone asks me why Im so interested in hostels- it is because hostels are a space for all of us to bring out the social creatures in us.

Have you carved out time for reflection this week?

“Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness are right here. Please Help Protect It”

I got the chance to go on a short hike with an high school friend just a few weeks ago and it was incredibly refreshing. Living in LA, I really should be taking the advantage of all the wonderful hikes and mountains around me and get out into the nature- but as we all do- I get sucked into the busy-ness of life and “never” have time to hike.

But that is simply an excuse. As I enter November, in which I’m out of town every single weekend- and I’ve got a million and one things to do- I need to remind myself of the 30 minutes or an hour here and there that I need to carve out for myself. For nature. For reflection. To remind myself that life isn’t always being busy.

The hike, as you can tell, was absolutely gorgeous. It was about a 4 mile round trip hike. My friend and I took about two hours slowly walking, chatting, and even spent about 30 minutes at the waterfall to have a snack and dip our legs into the water.

Are you carving out time for yourself? Or are you constantly feeling drained from the never ending to-do list? If you are feeling drained- more the reason you need to take a quick break. Go walk around the block. Go for a jump at sky zone. Go for a hike.

How do you refresh your mind? I’m always looking for new ideas!

Getting back into a routine isn’t easy

There’s been a lot of exciting events happening recently for both school, work and personal life. They are quite time-consuming, but energy draining but I think the hardest part about all the busy-ness is trying to keep a routine in terms of health and wellness.

For those who know me, or if you’ve been a long time reader of Stuck Like A Pincushion- you know I’m an incredibly athletic person. From playing basketball and rugby throughout my teenage years, to Quidditch all throughout college and now, to interning at a fitness center- or simply being a gym rat. Last year, before I took on more responsibilities at school and work- I had a lot more free time and was able to prepare food for all my meals. I was eating healthy, and exercising on a really regular basis.

This year, it’s looking a little different. After coming back from a summer or irregular exercise on top of excessive eating, it’s been a real struggle to find the energy or the time to food prep. In addition, my location for work isn’t easily accessible to health food choices I could buy for lunch- thus, creating this endless vicious cycle of eating granola bars or trail mix for lunch. Sure, it might fill me up- but I know that later on when I’m feeling grumpy and weak- it’s because of the lack of nutrition throughout the day.

I know this is something that only I can change. I have to put in the effort physically, and more importantly- make the conscious effort to decide to go to the gym regardless if I’m tired or not- and the conscious effort to make lunch to bring to work. But with all that said, I wanted to write this post because I wanted to let you all know that you’re not alone. I am sure that each and every one of us struggle with the balance of health and wellness on a daily basis and it’s okay……

…… as long as you recognize that change is needed. That’s the first step to creating productive change in our lives. There are days where I went for a run, or to the gym, or ate healthy- and I applaud myself but there are even more days where I wake up and sleep feeling disappointed in myself because of what I did not do or eat.

If there’s one thing that I’ve learned through various experiences is that…. The more you are consciously aware of a problem, the more it will continue to bite at you internally, forcing you to create change. Have you experienced this? What are your strategies to fight this health and wellness battle in your life? I’d love to hear your recommendations!