My Makala MK-SS Shark Soprano ukelele from Uke Republic!
I can’t believe it’s been months since I practiced on my ukulele! It was lying in the back of my car these past few months, and out of nowhere I recalled that I even own one. Thanks to muscle memory, my fingers remember some of the basic chords, but my strumming pattern needs some work. Now that I’ve settled in at my new apartment, I definitely plan to squeeze in more time to practice after work. It’s important for me to have some sort of musical hobby; growing up, most of my time outside of school was spent practicing Carnatic vocal music. Being involved in SPICMACAY helped me stay in touch with Carnatic music in college, but I unfortunately didn’t practice as much after I graduated. It would be cool to play different raagas on the ukulele, but for now I want to learn how to play ‘I’m Your’s’, ‘Hallelujah’, and ‘Hakuna Matata’. I’ve been practicing on and off for the past few hours and it’s already brightening my day!
Creative writing is another one of my hobbies outside of work, and I plan to get more involved with it especially this summer. Along with taking a course on creative writing, I want to try out some of the workshops offered by San Diego Writers Ink. SDWI hosts workshops that cover a variety of literary genres as well as the art of writing. As an aspiring writer, the latter especially appeals to me. Hopefully, I will have a better idea of the direction I want to take with writing by the end of summer.
I remember back when I used to go jogging three times a week in the North Side region of Berkeley. I miss the chilly morning breeze and how alive I would feel by the end of those runs. Nowadays I jog indoors, but the treadmill doesn’t compare at all to the experience of jogging outside. I feel like San Diego is perfect for runners, especially with the gorgeous coastline in close vicinity to most of the neighborhoods. I want to start jogging outside and gradually increase in mileage on a weekly basis. I’d like to sign up for a 5K or 10K, and maybe even a half marathon in the future if I keep up with running in the next months. Fall and winter are my favorite seasons, but I will hopefully avoid the summer heat by jogging in the morning before work.
If there’s anything I can take away from working full-time these past few years, it would be the importance of having a good work-life balance. To be honest, I still struggle with this issue, but I hope that getting involved with my hobbies will help me restore that balance. Some days will be harder than others, but finding different ways to enjoy life outside of school and work can make all the difference!