making up for lost time

It was a tough four weeks for sure, but I can now share the good news that I survived statistics and economics*! I deserve a t-shirt.

Or, alternatively:

It's been five days since I completed the three-hour final exam and words cannot fully describe how drastically my mood has transformed since then. When under tremendous stress, I tend to become withdrawn and prone to crying because I get discouraged and defeated. After we received our final grades on Tuesday, though, I became a much more pleasant person to be around. I was also able to get out of the bubble of home to campus I'd been living in for the past month.

More adventures in Boston

Connor and I took a selfie on the T because my mom expressly requested one via text.

Wednesday I was so excited to try out the commuter rail that goes from Providence to downtown Boston for the first time. Being from Seattle, which is light on transportation infrastructure, I thought it was absolutely luxurious. I had a booth to myself on the second story and caught up on the Sunday paper in the hour it takes to get to Back Bay.

First stop in Boston? Pressed Juicery on Newbury Street. Close friends know I'm obsessed with the franchise which has a location in downtown Seattle (first floor of Westlake). With a coconut freeze and my favorite beet & ginger juice in hand, I was in my happy place. My cousin Connor thought the vegan freeze (they can't call it "soft serve ice cream" since technically it contains no dairy) was okay but spluttered when trying the juice because it was so aggressively ginger forward (I love the burn).

We then went to the Fenway area where Red Sox fans were in full force for the game against the Texas Rangers that night. Connor showed me one of his favorite places, Blackbird Doughnuts, which had a fantastic upscale artisanal feel and delicious cake doughnuts--maybe the best I've ever had (eat your heart out Top Pot). We then tried out Tiger Mama, a pan-Asian restaurant that was giving me serious Belltown vibes (vertical gardens, neon lights, overpriced cocktails and all!). They played a lot of tracks from The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill which was a definite plus.

It has been so fun to have family nearby! I saw Connor in April when deciding on graduate schools, then in May when I moved here, and this was my last chance to see him before he heads back to Illinois to await the approval of his visa to work in Japan for the next year. I am sure an exciting adventure awaits him there.

It's great to be a tourist

On Friday I went on a road trip with a couple of classmates to Quincy, Dorchester and Boston for dim sum, chè (I miss Bambu) and art! The Museum of Fine Arts was so incredible; I could have spent hours there. I loved reading all the notes about the artists, their intention, technique and the times in which they lived. Creative people are so interesting!! I'm still not a huge fan of abstract art, though.

Obligatory photo at the Museum of Fine Arts. 

Don't trust these heauxs. I asked David to take a picture of me and look what he does smh

On the way to and from RI to MA, David had the playlist "on lock" with rap and R&B hits from the early 2000s to present (we listened to "In My Feelings" by Drake and "I Like It" by Cardi B ft. Bad Bunny and J Balvin multiple times). It feels so foreign to have so much free time and to spend that free time "having fun" but I'm enjoying it for as long as I can!

Classes start up again tomorrow and I will be taking an intro to policy course and a communications course. After such a math-heavy month, I will take memo writing any day!

*Addendum: Coping methods for surviving statistics and economics

1. Cry: I only cried twice but it helped tremendously.
2. Write home: Venting to friends and family back home was so comforting and encouraging. They helped me keep everything in perspective.
3. Find a good study group: I'm so thankful for mine!!
   
4. Eat good food: To soothe myself I cooked my favorite foods from growing up (chicken teriyaki, tofu turkey casserole, oyako don, chicken curry) and it was quite effective in temporarily curbing my anxiety.
5. Try not to compare: My classmates that tended to speak up in class were the ones who had a knack for math or who had taken advanced coursework in statistics and economics. I had to realize they didn't represent the general student body and I had to be okay working on things at my own pace.
6. Take the "L": When I ran out of time, I sometimes did poorly in quizzes or labs but in the long run those sorts of losses were fine.
7. Remember that all suffering is temporary.

Until next time!