My favorite band is Interpol.
The deep, dark, melancholy chords layered with Paul Banks' voice is comforting to me. My favorite songs are "The Lighthouse" and "Leif Erikson".
I grew up in low income housing in the Lower East Side of New York City in the 80s. I've since moved to my own place but still live in the neighborhood. Things have gentrified quite a bit since then, with a trendy restaurant, bar, gallery, or boutique opening up every week. There's still a grittiness here that I hope doesn't wash away the cultural roots that have been laid down generations before.
My parents immigrated from China in 1978. When they arrived, they had no family, no friends, no money, no degree, didn't speak any English and had to feed my 4 year old sister.
They are the most unselfish, hard-working, and resilient people I know. They sacrificed everything so my sister and I could have a good life. They're in their mid 60s now, and the other day my mom said that she was proud of me.
I like making lists and checking them off.
I love summer thunderstorms. I stand outside on my balcony while I watch the rain comes down in sheets, lightning strike in the distance, and thunder rolls above. I like the smell of wet grass and feeling the electric tension in the air.
I quit a career in Finance and traveled around the world. I rode camels in the Sahara, rapelled down a waterfall in Costa Rica, witnessed the Northern Lights in Norway, and ate some of the best damn food I've ever had in Istanbul. I'd like to see Australia, New Zealand and Iceland soon.
I now work at an online Dating Startup in NYC.
I've been in love before. I've also been infatuated before. I think I now know the difference.
I'm afraid of failure but I know it's all (mostly) in my head.
I read theSkimm, Quora, and Marc & Angel Hacks Life.
I love yoga. I picked it up after I split up with my ex of 4 years. It was a really tough and desolate time and I had to re-learn who I was and how to live by myself. The first time I felt peace was during Savasana, in a crowded, sweaty room full of yogis laying next to me, with the song "Green Arrow" from Yo La Tengo.
I believe that if you don't like your circumstances, you should try your best to change them instead of just complaining about them - if you can.
I don't know if I believe that everything happens for a reason. But I do know that sometimes things happen that you didn't want or expect, and learning to adapt is a survival skill.
Above all, I just want to be happy and healthy and wish everyone all the best. Kindness is catching.
SW
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New York City