Birthday!

Birthday happened two day after I got back from Hawaii, whatcrazy!

I broke my phone two days before the end of the trip (just by dropping it on the hotel floor too; no water no shatters no drama but oh so sad. I totally had a dream where it turned back on. My subconscious is kinda cruel.) so it was even crazier ’cause it was all, whoa, I have no one’s number!

The first sentence sounds like my birthdays switch up on me sometimes.

Boyfriend arrived at my door birthday morning with a dozen red roses!! EEEEEeeeeee <3 Then for some reason it was past my meeting time with friendsos??!, but it was all cool 'cause we went to Casa Arigato and it was delicious and I love my friendsos! And then Mommy took us out to Rock Sugar which is asian fusion pretty delicious ness. Except the person who made lassis that night was not as amazing as the person who made my lassis three years ago. What up. Mommy said Rock Sugar was where she planned to have “Layla’s first drink”. I was kinda on a plane last year, but I love finding out that Mommy has all these things she wants to do with/for me. Mommy <3<3<3

And theeeen, off to Sweet Rose Creamery where they homemake everything, including brittle topping and marshmallows. Then a roaring pop-up lion birthday card and a lion bathroom set. EEEEEeee! FRIENDSOS!!

It's weird that the birthday comes after the year. I'm living my 23rd year right now. So a birthday celebration marks the end of one year, but we celebrate it as if it's a beginning, 'cause all this year I'll be saying I'm 22. Would it be weirder to celebrate a 23rd birthday and then say you're 22 the whole year? Yes. I gueeeesssssssss. I kinda liked my “huh, isn’t that weird,” but it’s actually not weird.

Oh! Slow, burning luminescence = glowing?! I want to glow?!
No, I prefer “slow, burning luminescence”.

Havai-ee

Three days after graduation, I went to Hawai’i!

The nature there >>>>> shopping/food there, by FAR. A little sad about the food thing. I want to go to Thailand. But kayaking to an island! Having sea turtles greet us as we kayaked along!! Hiking to a waterfall and then meditating under it in bikinis! OH OH! Their chocolate macadamia nut coconut pancakes are SO delicious; one redeeming point for Hawaiian cuisine. Everyone thought we were locals. The locals thought we were locals. Three Japanese girls and three Filipinos — yeaup, definitely local.

We rented a car, so I drove a lot! People drive right on or under the speed limit; I got so used to it that even yesterday when I drove to Hollywood I was driving at barely 65. Apparently it’s the hang-loose thing. Their traffic signs have “minimum 40mph” written on them. Hilarious!! And cute!

I like driving. It made the trip extra fun ’cause I learned the streets. We stayed on Oahu for the 5 days we were there, and we did an almost whole-island loop as a day-trip. The whole thing in one day, dude. Small islands are weird. But they’re also really AWEsome ’cause wherever we stopped on Kamehameha Hwy there was a beach or a lookout point with ≥180° of huge ocean.

We also snorkeled! The beaches are so nice and pretty and warm, I cringe when I think about Redondo Beach. Colorful coral fishes vs clinging seaweed. Sea turtles napping vs dying flies. Cringe.

I didn’t know anything about Hawaii before I left. It had a much weirder culture than I thought, both locally (White is minority but still most powerful, thus kinda not as welcomed) and touristically (SO MANY Japanese girls looking for American hubbies). So I’m glad I’m an asian girl. And dang I love L.A.

BUT OH, the rainbows were so cute!

いちばんの輝きの時

My grandma sent me an email congratulating me on graduating and turning 22, and said my life was currently the above, which means “the shiniest moment”. I like it! Because I don’t know what I’m doing right now, but it helps a lot to think of it as a break after my super shiny moment.

A while ago, maybe when I was 15ish, I decided that the word I wanted most to embody was “sparkle”. But right now I’m feeling a more slow, burning luminance. What’s a good word for that?

Also, she said that it was my life’s shiniest, but I’ll take it as shiniest moment in the last 6 months. Or maybe 1 month? I dunno Grandma, I’m kinda full of shinytimes.