College and the years from 2011 to 2016.
On a photography streak and thought I’d post more collages featuring pictures from “back in the days”. Here are some of my pictures from college and from the years 2011 to 2016, when I lived in the SF Bay Area and Sacramento.
Counterclockwise: black and white photo on the beach at a JAB event in 2010, hiking at another JAB event 2010 (guess which one was me?), karaoke wearing my favorite color in June 2011, ditto, putting on Burt’s Bees chapstick near Lil’ Skillet in SF on the same day as the hike in 2010, showing off that Burt’s Bees again at a beach in the Bay Area — same day and place as the first photo. I was going through a career transition during this time and facing a lot of internal doubts and fears.
In May 2011, I had to move away from my favorite apartment in Mountain View to live with some relatives in Sacramento so I could save money. The karaoke pics showed my determination to keep in touch with my friends in SF Bay Area even while I was living in Sacramento at that time.
Looking back, I am grateful that even through this tumultuous time, God still provided His grace to me by allowing me to surround myself with people who cared about me, despite their imperfections. I was able to have some fun along the way — even though the future was full of uncertainty.
From top left down, then top right down: This picture was taken in early 2013 at a beach near Daly City where I was living at the time. I was with my roommate from Germany. Meeting her and her friends and family sparked my interest in visiting Koblenz, Germany, which I got to do in 2017!
Look at all that black and leopard print in the 2nd pic. This was taken in early 2013 at a restaurant in SF. It was during a very tough period of my life, and I’m glad God saved me yet again and got me through it all.
The third pic was taken in summer 2013 in Seattle. I had gotten a new job by early April of 2013, and doing really well in my sales role at a small technology company in San Mateo. They sent me to represent them and get some leads at a conference in Seattle. I got to visit Pike’s Market and see Seattle for the first time. Wish I still had my pictures of Pike’s Market from that trip!
Holding a glass of wine at the same restaurant as the second picture.
This was taken in early 2013 in Daly City. Look at that motivational poster behind me! I read so many psychology and spiritual books and learned to meditate during this time. This was my room that I was renting out in Daly City, CA. I really like my hair in this picture — my mullet-like haircut was growing out by that point, and the side part looked stylish.
My portrait photo from the same conference in Seattle. Bright-eyed and fresh faced, ready to make a difference!
From top left: This picture was taken in the summer of 2011. I was living in Sacramento at the time, but still visiting friends in Bay Area to hang out with them. We were at a cafe called Darren’s Cafe and decided to take this picture because my friend Darren was there. I had just gotten my hair cut and they gave me a mullet look. It was one of my least favorite haircuts.
The next two pictures were taken on the same day in the summer of 2011. A fun time of hiking in SF Bay Area. It was still during that transition period, yet God still allowed me to find fun friends who cared about me and encouraged me. I wouldn’t have had the courage to move back to the Bay Area in 2012 if my friends had not encouraged me and given me hope.
At the top right is a picture of me hiking in the autumn of 2006. I had a roommate who was an exchange student from Japan and she went to a volunteer event with me once since I liked to volunteer with Circle K. I don’t remember if this was during that volunteer event or around that time, but I remember we did some outdoors stuff while doing cleanup as volunteers.
The next picture is one of me in the autumn of 2006, where I lived with 5 other ladies in a two bedroom apartment in University City near La Jolla, CA. We often hosted dinner parties, while one of my roommates would play the violin for us. This picture was taken on the day of her birthday party, which we celebrated in our apartment. It was a time of uncertainty for me as I tried to figure out my direction in life and what I was going to do after I graduated. God had compassion on me and allowed me to have some great times with my roommates despite all of our tight budgets! As a side note, my hair was colored and I had a Japanese straightening perm from a Korean hair salon in San Diego. It was one of my favorite haircuts.
The last picture was taken in the summer of 2011 on one of my trips to the Bay Area while I was still living in Sacramento. I had just gotten my hair and eyebrows done before that, and they made me look like someone else! At least I was wearing my favorite color, coral.
From top left: Another pic from that hike in SF Bay Area summer of 2011, at a restaurant in South Bay (of SF) with some ladies from a Christian group circa 2012, at a winery in Sonoma with some friends almost exactly 10 years ago from today! I was working at a startup in SoMA SF at the time and learning a lot. It was during the height of the SF boom back in 2014, and it felt as if anything was possible. That day in particular was so beautiful. The skies were clear and the weather in the high 70s, low 80s. We went on a tour of the winery, had some wine, and just hung out in the area. Such a fun and relaxing time.
Another pic from the winery event.
At a different winery in SF Bay Area circa summer 2015. I had a bit of a blush from the wine :-)
In an improv class in SoMA SF circa 2015 - 2016. We did a lot of skits in this class, and I got to exercise my ability to be creatively funny in the moment.
