Today is a special day to be able to share words from my incredible friend, Diep. I could not be more grateful to have D as my friend. She is kind, generous, beautiful - inside and out - funny, creative, and best of all a complete firecracker. Having most my family live far away is hard, but D has filled in some of that void in ways she probably didn't even know were so meaningful to me from bringing me homemade soup when I am sick to being there during hard moments to happily finishing off a bottle of bubbles with me (and being ready with the next one!) She is a true gift of a friend.

Bits + Pieces 

Where do you live and with whom? 
I live in San Mateo, CA with my husband Matt, and our dog, Ted. 

If you didn’t have to work for money what would you do? 

I’ve always wanted to be an elementary school teacher. I would love to teach or tutor in some capacity. 

What did you have for dinner last night? 

Matt made boneless chicken thighs with crispy skin. It’s my favorite dish he makes. Had that with leftover fried rice and some tomatoes. 

Choose five words to describe you. 

Intuitive, caring, reliable, diligent, practical 

What keeps you up at night? 

Anything and everything. We keep our windows open at night, so sometimes I will hear strange critter noises outside, and my imagination runs wild. Sometimes I will think about the movie or tv show we watched that evening. It’s going to rain…when was the last time the gutters were cleaned? I worry about my family and friends. I think about what to add on my to do list for the next day, or for the upcoming week...the future of this country and the world… 

What inspires you? 

Seeing someone do something nice for another person. It reminds me there is still good and hope for us in this world when most we see or hear all around us, especially in the media, is horrible. 

What do you do for “me time”? 

Getting a massage; going on a run, solo; going shopping; taking my time at the farmers’ market. 

Some of Your Favorites 

What book are you reading right now? 

My reading lately has been devoted to textbooks for my classes. I’ll be done in early December! Yay! 

What song or album are you playing on repeat right now? 

I like listening to the daily mixes on Spotify. It’s nice because depending on my mood, the mixes range from 80s to hip hop to coffee house to pop. 

What is the one beauty product you are obsessed with and would recommend to all your friends? 

I just recently started using liquid foundation from Fenty Beauty by Rihanna. I love it because there are 40 shades, so you are bound to find the right one. It feels light and moisturizes at the same time. 

What is your favorite item in your closet? 

Matt recently went through his closet and purged some sweaters. I tried on a couple of his sweaters, and fell in love with his JCrew navy cable-knit cardigan, which I love wearing as a sweater coat! It’s cozy, comfy and perfect for this fall weather. 

Go to adult beverage? 

Champagne cocktail. Sauvignon blanc. But I do love a great sidecar 

Life Questions 

Give me three words to describe your life right now. 

Holidays! Family! Love! 

What is one thing/area of your life you currently do really well? 

I am kicking ass in my classes. I started with the attitude of just finishing to get my degree, but I have managed to earn 4.0. It’s been challenging, but I think that saying is so true “The greater the effort, the sweeter the reward” – or something like that. 

What is something you wish you were currently better at? 

I wish I was better at telling people how I feel. When I do though, it doesn’t seem to come out right, or the way I intended. People have said that the older we get this becomes easier because we won’t give a __. Looking forward to that. 

Name a few things you miss the most about life five years ago? 

Eating and drinking without thinking twice. Now I think, I have to run 3 miles just to work off 1 glass of wine. 

Can you tell me about something that you have experienced recently that you didn’t see coming when you were younger? 

I have always been close to my siblings, since we were young. Recently I have realized that they are also my best friends. We love spending time together; we love the same things – same food, music; have so many inside jokes. We travel together. We text each other every few days, if we haven’t seen each other for a while. I am so thankful for them. You can’t choose your family, but I choose them! 

If you picture yourself five years in the future, what does life look like then? 

Travel more, to different places in the U.S. and around the world. I also will have learned to not give a ___. 

Can you tell me one piece of advice that has had a big impact on you? 

I recently had another great insightful conversation with a dear friend of mine. We were talking about how her husband was being inconsiderate and not helping around this house. When we talked more in depth, we both realized that most people don’t think the same way, and don’t think the same things are important. What seems like common sense, or considerate to do, might not even register the same way for another person. So the advice was, pick your battles. If it’s important, then let the other person know, if you can live with it, then it might not be worth mentioning.