b o d y

these activities all challenge, strengthen, and support my body.

p a d d l e b o a r d i n g

stand up paddleboarding (sup) is one of my favorite activities when the weather (and water) is warm. i wanted to try it for years but didn't commit to trying it until i moved to the pnw and ordered an irocker sup during a major summer sale. paddleboarding is an excellent core and back workout and i love the freedom that comes with being able to have my own little island on the water. i currently own an inflatable irocker sup. eventually, i would like to upgrade to a hard sup, but for now, i love the convenience of an inflatable. some of my essentials include:

• cooler for snacks
• dry bag for phone, extra sunscreen, and spf lip balm
• a pfd that i can strap at my waist (with a zipper pocket for mini lip balm and sunscreen)
• astral loyak water shoes
• a longsleeve rashguard
• swim shorts with pockets
• a mushroom anchor for when i just want to float

m a r t i a l • a r t s

i practiced itf tae kwon do as an adolescent/teenager but haven't been able to find an itf school locally as an adult, so i'm currently practicing wt tae kwon do. i love the discipline and sense of accomplishment that comes with learning poomsae.

i've also dabbled in bjj, but prefer striking to grappling. grappling is a sensory nightmare for me. the promotion process in bjj also seems less structured than what i'm accustomed to in wt/itf tkd, and i prefer structure.

i n l i n e • s k a t i n g

even though i inline/quad-skated a lot as an adolescent/teenager, i only recently put on inline skates again recently. in less than a month, i've increased my mileage to ~10 miles per week. i'm also noticing a shift in my glute muscles. strapping on skates and listening to frutiger aero-themed music for 20-30 minutes has been an absolutely fantastic stress reliever and helpful way to transition from work to home at the end of the day.

i have two pairs; one is a hand-me-down pair of soft skates with 80mm wheels and the second is a pair of rollerblade lightnings with 90mm wheels.

s t r e n g t h • t r a i n i n g

i've done strength training for years and worked with a personal trainer for about a year. i enjoyed the process of learning about my body's capabilities, macros, and how exercises affect muscle groups. i have a home gym with a squat rack, incline treadmill, tonal gym, rower, and free weights. i prefer full body days so i don't feel "off" if i miss a day or have to cut a workout short.

r u n n i n g

i didn't learn proper running form until i was an adult, so all of the running and conditioning i did during middle and high school for sports (including a 5k) was a lot harder than it needed to be. as an adult, i ran my first 5k in 2013. i fell in love with running and it became a daily part of my self-care; i ran at least one daily 5k, and frequently ran 5k both in the morning and at night. my highest mileage in a single run was just shy of 10 miles. had i known how close i was to 10 miles, i would have just kept running.

now, being physically fit is a requirement for work, but i tend to focus more on strength than cardio. however, since the weather has been stunning lately, i've been incorporating super short 1-2 mile runs into my training sessions. i recently re-downloaded the "zombies, run!" app to help motivate me, because i used to use it during college.

m i n d

these activities all challenge, strengthen, and support my mental and emotional health.

w a t e r c o l o r

i have no formal art training, but i have enjoyed dabbling in watercolor and calligraphy (both traditional and handlettered styles) for years. my favorite thing about watercolor is that it is so forgiving and imperfect, which makes it helpful for slowing down and being present.

v i d e o • a n d • m o b i l e • g a m e s

when the weather is nice, i don't play video or mobile games very frequently, but elder scrolls online has had my heart for several years. decorating my houses and listening to the music in the background is one of my favorite pastimes. i am not good at pvp but i occasionally enjoy battlegrounds.
neopets is another game that i've rediscovered over the past few years. i use my "new" primary account, circa 2018, and also recently regained access to one of my original accounts, circa 2006.
i also resurrected my old gaia online account for nostalgia's sake, but haven't played since about 2009 so i'm completely lost as far as updates and economy are concerned. pictured to the left is my avatar, which hasn't changed since 2009.
other games that i occasionally dabble in include:

• clash royale (ios)
• genshin impact (ios)
• runescape (ios)
• longleaf valley (ios)
• my time in portia (switch lite)
• neopets: faerie fragments (ios)
• virtual cottage 2 (steam/mac)

r e a d i n g

i've always been a consistently voracious reader, although the intensity ebbs and flows with the seasons. i downloaded libby on my ipad and also purchased a page turner and gooseneck stand that allow me to read while walking on my walking pad. the page turns with a click of a bluetooth ring, which means i can focus on not falling off of my walking pad. i dislike reading anything too stressful or dark. my favorite tropes and genres include:

• historical romance
• enemies to lovers
• romantasy
• beauty and the beast elements
• arranged/forced marriage or marriage of convenience
• competent heroine
• slow burn

as of 08 july, i have read 18 books in 2026.

c s c s

this is also linked to my physical personal development, but studying for the cscs exam has been the perfect way to discipline myself to continue learning without committing to another degree.
my goal is to become a certified strength and conditioning specialist so i can help people feel safe enough to challenge limiting beliefs about themselves and learn to move/train to improve quality of life. ideally, i'll focus on felt safety, mindset, and functional fitness.

p e r f u m e s

collecting perfumes, bookmarking ones to try, and choosing fragrances for different moods and environments has become part of the rhythm of my day. it is a small luxury to be able to smell good and, similar to choosing my outfit or makeup, wearing perfume boosts my confidence. my favorite notes include:

• solar
• white floral - ylang ylang, jasmine, frangipani
• aquatic
• fruity - pear, raspberry, coconut
• green
• gourmand - tea, rice, mochi

for reviews of fragrances i own, check out my perfume shrine.

n e o c i t i e s

and of course, neocities! learning new code and seeing it live on my website gives me such a sense of fulfillment. i recently downloaded vs code with the intent of upgrading from textedit.

s p i r i t

these activities all challenge, strengthen, and support my spiritual health and sense of community/belonging to something beyond myself.

g i r l s' • n i g h t s • o u t

i love trying new restaurants, so inviting friends to go out is a way to both try new things together and get my friends out of the house! i'm also planning a day at the lake with paddleboarding, watercolor, and lunch at a campsite.

B i b l e • s t u d y

there is always something new for me to learn from faith communities, and i lead two weekly Bible studies. i enjoy teaching and positing perspectives that encourage us to engage the texts from different angles.

right now, i also really enjoy listening to the bema podcast and am using it as the foundation for one of my weekly studies. the podcast explores protestant christian scripture through a hebraic lens.