Well. I blinked and another 1+ year has passed since my last blog post. Aha ha ha. I’m so bad at consistency. Things that have changed since then? I got a new job. Hit my 1 year with Jeff. Went through some of my lowest lows ever. Lost friends. Got engaged. Secured a wedding venue. Got hit with the
In June of this year, I entered into my first romantic relationship (EEK!) and it changed life as I knew it. Kinda bonkers to think that the last post I wrote on this blog was about my singleness, and since then, an abundance of things have changed…
If you’re tryna do quick maths, don’t. I’ll just save you the time. 😅 Yes, this means that I’ve never been in a relationship. Ever. I’ve actively avoided this topic on my blog because it does make me slightly (correction: very) uncomfortable – it’s just so vulnerable. Anything pertaining to rela
All my life, I had never felt “cool.” As a minority, I was pretty much conditioned as early as preschool to believe I was not and could never be. My status was only reinforced by kids who “othered” me and expressed their disgust to my face because I was Asian (sad but true story) . So I never allo
On October 10th, I hit my one year New-York-aversary! 😀 I’ve never considered anniversaries of living in a certain city to be a significant milestone… until New York. Perhaps it’s a reflection of all the exciting things I’ve been able to experience in the city, all the people I’ve met, all the gr
If I’ve talked to you recently, you’ll know that I’ve been in an ongoing struggle with my intentions. As I’ve settled into post-grad life, I’ve realized that intentionality on my part plays a key role in what my life in the wider world shapes up to be, in addition to God’s will of course. I have to
COVID-19 has a funny way of really turning your week upside down. 🙁 Like wayyyy upside down. Last week, I finally succumbed to the virus. 2 whole years I managed to avoid catching it and finally, it caught me. My throat had felt funky and I had actually been sniffling for a day before I tested, but
Lately I’ve been feeling really grateful for people – all the different people who are involved in different ways in my life. I have been feeling really content in this stage of my life, and I truly believe it’s because of the wonderful human beings God has hand-selected to be with me right now. A y
One personality trait of New York City that I don’t particularly love is how transient everything/everyone is. It’s such a come-and-go city, and you’re constantly having to say goodbye or introduce yourself. Even with people who are in the city “long-term” – everyone is such a busy bee that it’
Hello friend! The cold has really been rocking my (fuzzy) socks lately, but hope you’re doing ok and staying joyful!! It’s pretty crazy to think I’m reaching my 9-month mark of being a post-grad – there’s been so much movement in my life, and it’s inspired both happy and sad emotions. Simultaneously
Hi, it’s me. The last time I wrote an entry was the end of 2020, and a lot has changed. My state of being has changed, my home has changed, and even some of my hobbies and passions have changed. Transparently speaking…
If you talked to me at any point last semester, you know that my life pretty much revolved around this fashion show aha ha ha. This is probably the biggest project I’ve ever taken on, so understandably, it comes with a lot of responsibilities, experimentation, and very turbulent highs and lows. But
By now, I’m sure we’ve all heard the same old statements about 2020 being a “challenging and unprecedented year” so imma spare your ears from hearing it for the thousandth time. (Cuz I think we all get it by now). Now that the holiday season is here, I’ve found that…
By now, I’m sure we’ve all heard the same old statements about 2020 being a “challenging and unprecedented year” so imma spare your ears from hearing it for the thousandth time. (Cuz I think we all get it by now). Now that the holiday season is here, I’ve found that…
First off, thank you to everyone who is reading my How To Style: Dad’s Shirts!! I don’t know how or why, but that page has been popping up as the #1 result on Google for “styling dad shirts.” (Ok I’m totally flexing, if you couldn’t tell. Humble brags amirite). Prolly has something to do with SEO, b
By the end of August, we will have spent 6 months in quarantine. To reframe it, that’s half a year!! For that, I think we all deserve a pat on the back. For a species that wasn’t created to live in isolation, it’s been pretty amazing to see…
I wasn’t going to post this. I’ve literally written this post over and over again in my head, and even now, I’m not sure if this will actually be published or just spend eternity in my drafts. The reason is, I’m terrified. And I’m normally not one to be shy about posting my honest opinions on my blo
*The following is my personal response to the growing racism targeted towards Asians and Asian Americans, in the form of a letter addressed to perpetrators of racism. To those who are hurting, Hi, my name is Jolene…
I totally meant to write this blog post right after I got back from NYFW in February. Now that I’m SFH (student-from-home), I actually have time to blog all I want yippeee!!! SO! Without further ado, here’s a recap of my time at NYFW FW’20!! Even though I had already gone to NYFW once before, I was
Hi folks! Hope everyone is staying happy and healthy in these trying times. It’s safe to say, that the coronavirus has effectively put everyone’s life on pause for the moment. It has certainly launched us into a period of fear and uncertainty and cancelled plans. If the coronavirus had never shown i
No, this is not about a boy. Heh. Whoa I’m actually scared to write this. Not particularly because of the subject matter, but because of the fact of how long it’s been since I last posted. Y’know when you haven’t done something in a long long time, and you’re afraid you won’t be able to pick it back
A week from now, I will be back in America.…omg…. that’s so crazy to think that I literally spent my whole summer in Shanghai. I have SO many more thoughts + reflections about my time here. But I’ll save that for a later post hehe 😉 For now, imma talk about all the treasures I picked up here! Yes,
Yes. Today’s topic is sustainability!!! But first… A review on my Everlane purchase. For those who aren’t familiar with Everlane , it’s a San Francisco-based clothing retailer that emphasizes ethical and sustainable fashion. I first found out about it through my fav sustainability blogger, Candice
As a lot of you already know, I LOVE traveling. I know I’m being basic when I say that cos literally every girl has that on their list of hobbies, BUT I truly love the feeling of being in a foreign place among strangers of different cultures. Perhaps…
Here it is! The promised post of how I ultimately came to the realization that faith + fashion CAN happily coexist! These were some of the things I considered crucial knowledge that I had to know before fully committing myself to the fashion industry. I told myself that if I wanted to…
As many of you may know, I joined a fashion org at UT this past year called University Fashion Group (UFG). All year, the org works on producing a student-run fashion show at the end of the year, and that is what I’ve spent a large portion of this semester working on…
For Lent 2019, I decided to give up shopping for clothing as well as anything I didn’t need. I knew it was going to be hard, but honestly, at some points it got so difficult, to the point that…
This past fall, I started serving as a counselor (aka small group leader) for 7th grade girls at Austin Chinese Church (ACC). I’ve always loved serving in youth ministry. Ever since I led my first youth small group at my Ohio church (CCCC) as a high school sophomore, I knew…
If you know me, you know that I’m a huge fan of bandanas! They’re so versatile and easy to style AND they instantly turn an outfit from…
An empty bottle of sparkling cider… is currently sitting on my dining table. It’s a reminder that last night was real. It’s a reminder that I cried and cried and cried some more, until my eyes puffed up to the point that…
SURPRISE!!! I have a fashion blog now!! This has been a long time coming now, and I honestly still can’t believe this is happening. The process it took to get here was very bumpy…
Ok I don’t know boutchu but the Bible can be totally romantic sometimes. Lemme give some context. Over the past month, I’ve been studying the book of Genesis with my disciple, Michelle, and it has honestly been such a cool experience. Not gonna lie I was a bit wary about studying Genesis…
This week, I realized a terrible truth. INSTAGRAM HAS STOLEN MY HEART… BUT LIKE… NOT IN A GOOD WAY. Yep. This past week, I was scrolling through my socials late at night when I discovered…
In the small group I’m leading for my campus ministry, Epic, we decided to tackle the book of Revelation this semester. (More about how this decision came to be and how it’s going in a later post.) This past Thursday, we kicked off the series with study of chapter 1 of Revelation…
If you’re anything like me, you enjoy watching and following award shows. I don’t know bout you, but I love the liveliness and the glamour (hey a gal will be a gal) that comes with it. And OOH GURL DAT RED CARPET STYLE THO!! Last Sunday night…
These past few months, I’ve been on an interesting journey of exploring my interests and my faith and trying to find the point at which they work together. (This is also a large part of why I haven’t been posting often + regularly.) If you’ve ever meandered your way over to the “Who Is Jo” tab…
Hello hello again friends!! Long time no see!! No lie, sophomore year has been hard. It’s been a semester of new academic challenges as well as trying to discern the path that God wants me to take in my future career…
After I came back from East Asia, my church in Ohio (Columbus Chinese Christian Church) gave me the chance to share my experience with the English congregation! And now, in honor of GOVEMBER, a Cru initiative in the month of November to emphasize the importance of obeying God’s command to GO out and
Let’s face it. We’ve all felt it at one point, that feeling that you’re missing out on creating some really good memories with your pals and you feel like they’ll make some inside joke that you won’t get cuz you weren’t there and that you’ll…
*This post is part of a 6-part series in which I show you my weekly reflections during the 6-week mission trip. I’ll be releasing one part every week so check back often if you would like to relive my trip with me!
*This was a small journal I kept where I documented every time I made a new friend in East Asia! Note that names have been changed for security purposes. Meet my new friendos yayyy!!!
*This post is part of a 6-part series in which I show you my weekly reflections during the 6-week mission trip. I’ll be releasing one part every week so check back often if you would like to relive my trip with me!
I never ever thought that a clogged toilet would be God’s way of speaking to me. When I heard the all-too-familiar glug glug sound of the clogged toilet, my heart sank. Especially cuz this was a dorm and that meant I’d have to talk to the mean lady downstairs to get a plunger. This…
*This post is part of a 6-part series in which I show you my weekly reflections during the 6-week mission trip. I’ll be releasing one part every week so check back often if you would like to relive my trip with me!
*This post is part of a 6-part series in which I show you my weekly reflections during the 6-week mission trip. I’ll be releasing one part every week so check back often if you would like to relive my trip with me!
Hello everyone! Just wanted to write one last post before I leave for my East Asia mission trip tomorrow! In the last week, I had the opportunity to go on a road trip in the Northeast with my family. It was mainly a way we could spend time together before I left for six weeks. And I…
If you’ve been wondering what the name of my blog means, here is the answer! As I said in my last post, I wanted to just kinda explain the meaning behind the new blog title! Let’s start with a fundamental truth. God made us. No “ifs” or “buts”, we are created by Him. And we were
Don’t worry!! It’s still here!!! WOW hello there!! It’s me, JO!!! I am BEYOND excited to share with you my brand new blog!!!! Although this blog goes by a different name now, the content will still be (mostly) the same, so don’t fret!! First of all, I want to apologize for being MIA…
YES I AM!!!!! So like the title suggests, I will be going on my very first mission trip over the summer!! More specifically, I’ll be going to East Asia for six weeks with Epic, my campus ministry! A year ago, I definitely could not have told you that I would be going on this mission …
“Hi, how are you?” “I’m good!” Lie. I’m not good. Everything is not fine. I guess that’s the best way to express how I’ve been feeling these past couple of weeks. That’s also one reason why I’ve been so MIA on this blog. The truth is, I’ve been high-key struggling, for multiple r
It seems like just yesterday when Harvey ruthlessly ravaged the coast of Texas (among other places), leaving countless people without homes and the means to sustain themselves. Now here we are, almost 7 months after, and the effects are still inflicting misery. People are still struggling, fighting
According to the Penn State Division of Undergraduate Studies, 75% of college students change their major at least once before graduation. A few weeks ago, I became a part of that 75% when I switched from being a journalism major to a human relations major. Honestly, I never thought that I would. My
Happy Lent 2k18!!!!! Today marks the official first day of Lent! It occurred to me that some people may not know what Lent is and if they do, they may not understand the significance. So I wanted to write a post kind of explaining what it is and why it matters so much to Christians. …
I have a confession to make. A few days ago, a good friend and I were on our way to get boba (hehe). But in order to get to our destination, we first had to pass through a building. And unbeknownst to us, this building was FILLED… with various members of UT Asian Greek life. …
This post was made in response to the recent controversy surrounding clothing brand H&M’s ad depicting an African American boy modeling a hoodie with the phrase “Coolest Monkey In the Jungle.” It is in no way intended to instigate anything. If you feel so compelled to beg
HAPPY 2018!!!! As usual, it’s hard to believe that another year has whizzed by just like that. I’m sure that by now, you’ve heard the phrase, “New year, new me!!!!” more times than you’d like. People normally interpret this to mean that with the new year comes new opportunities and lessons
In August, I boarded a plane to Austin with three luggages FULL of clothes and a whole lotta fear. Now here I am, once again on a plane, except this time I only have with me one luggage (still filled with clothes) and a lot less fear. I have literally been waiting for this day …
(OK I know I just posted yesterday but it’s Thanksgiving and I’ve got a lot to be thankful for so I think that warrants a post ;)) HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!! I know we should give thanks every day and not just on Thanksgiving, but as it is the day of giving thanks, I found myself being …
Have you ever been in a situation where you’ve literally worked your butt off to achieve a goal but NOTHING worked? You’ve tried literally everything possible but nothing produces results. It’s the most frustrating feeling in the world lemme tell ya. And gotta admit, at times I thought God wanted me
First of all, I apologize for the hiatus! Life has been a bit cray cray recently. Since the school year is coming to an end, with Thanksgiving and Christmas break just over the horizon, work has just been piling up. This past week was an especially important week for me. I had a gov …
I was literally half awake when I shuffled to my 9 am class this morning. After class was over, I then proceeded to shuffle to my advising appointment with my Asian studies advisor. Or so I thought I was. After about 15 minutes of walking, I realized I was walking in the opposite direction of …
Last Friday, I ventured way beyond the walls of my comfort zone. Alone and slightly afraid, I boarded a CAP metro bus (for the first time) and headed to Mission Possible*. Unbeknownst to me at the time, this bus would take me much farther, to a place I thought was unreachable. First of all, let …
This morning, my eyes opened, and I was met with death… again. A mobile alert popped onto the screen as I turned on my phone, and it did not bring with it good news. Immediately, several words stood out to me: Las Vegas, killed, shooting. The first thought in my head was, not again. In ca
Rejection stings. Or, at least, it normally does. So what made today’s rejection so different? Two weeks ago, I tried out to be a copy editor for UT’s student-run newspaper, The Daily Texan. It was a position I had wanted for about two years, even before I was accepted to UT. I had subscribed to …
After a week in college, loneliness is a term I am becoming more and more acquainted with. Don’t get me wrong, college is great. It’s an experience that has turned out so much better than I could have ever imagined. I can confidently say that all the time I spent worrying about the logistics of …
This morning, as my roommate opened the blinds, I was blinded by the light that streamed through the windows. For those who may not know, Hurricane Harvey spent the last three or four days wrecking havoc on the coast of Texas. Although Austin was not directly impacted, it spent days enshrouded in ra
For me, it’s a phrase that held little meaning or emotion until today. Today it brings a surprisingly bitter connotation with it. Today it means I’m leaving my home, my family, my friends and going into the uncharted waters of college on my own. It’s hard to put into words what I’m feeling right now