an Active April | Stephanie's April 2025

April 2025 as expected, flew by — however this month has also been so eventful that it feels short yet long at the same time. April was too fun, packed with so many mems, let’s journal and recap to savor it’s longevity. — Stephanie

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Lifestyle, Lessons, Lows

After a productive month of work in March, with the conference and all - in all honesty professionally my life hasn’t been too exciting this month when it comes to career. I look back at my notes and I don’t have anything super significant to share, my month was preoccupied with other things in life. And to be honest, this month just felt like busy work and trying to make this webinar (launching v soon in May) as good as it can be as my speaker has been kind of flakey. I wish I had more exciting news to share career wise this month, but it felt more like a means of work to be done so I could fund my lifestyle lol. With that being said, on the last day of April - I did get to meet up an unexpected mentee in person, and that had been quite refreshing. While she reached out to me for help, in hearing her story I likewise learned from her and it sparked curiosity and inspiration in me that I saw in my younger self. I’ve also been assigned to be a new colleague’s Adobe ‘buddy’ to help with onboarding - while others see these things as more work, to me, it’s refreshing and helps me feel energized as work can make you feel jaded after you’ve been in the industry for quite some time. I’ve also come to accept that it’s ok if a job is what helps fund your life, though I do hope May will be a more exciting one career wise!

Fitness wise, my 3 month package at Pilates came to an end mid April, and there was a newcomers deal at Corepower so I said hiatus pause for Pilates and a temporary reunion month with my first love Corepower. As much as I enjoy exploring the many different Corepower studio locations in SF since there isn’t necessarily one that is much closer than the other to me - after taking my favorite Yoga Sculpt class like every other day alongside C2, I must say I miss my hot pilates. For the longest time Corepower was my favorite workout and I thought had it not been for location and pricing, I’d go regularly - but now after doing it consistently for the past weeks, I can honestly say it’s now my first love, I’ll make the most and savor my remaining month of corepower, but I can’t wait to reunite with my hot pilates after. On a not so proud note, I ended up feeling extra bloated before my time of the month this month, and I started feeling extra self critical about my body and wondering it it was because of my change in workout has not been as intense - which is so silly to think because 1. Corepower is intense, and 2. I never started this fitness journey because of weight, it was because of the mindfulness piece that I get out of it. On an unrelated positive note, going to Corepower has helped me unexpected bond with Tammie’s partner as he also signed up - here’s to friendships. 

Relationships wise, this month has been quite jampacked when it comes to relationships in all aspects - from family, friends, and romance. 

In all honesty I wish I spent more time with family this month, but it has been difficult balancing my b2b trips, alongside work and my personal life. With the time I did get with my family, I feel as though my father is just a little more accepting of our current situation which is a win. A part of me will always feel guilty for changing up his day to day life with this house, but I hope the little change this month, his willingness to get more involved, is a good sign. Each time I visit my parents home my mom packs me homecooked food, then this month I also took notes of when my aunts surprise visited with food, and alongside my friends Tammie and her family - I was looking at my notes app and I wrote down this month how lucky I am to have so many people who care for me. I quite literally had a fridge of homecooked meals that I couldn’t finish myself. I also got to catch up with both Christina’s in my life, and in particular I took note of how lucky I am for their friendship, for Christina S who invited me over for dinner and tea - where she didn’t even eat dinner but purposely cooked me a meal. Where Christina W and I had another never ending yap session, it was extra healing as I got to learn more about her recent love life - something we usually didn’t talk about in the past because we avoidants lol, and which was so healing and needed because of how it coincidentally was quite similar to my current situation, never a dull moment or feelings of judgement when we chat. Which is a good segway into my love life, which is usually non-existent lol. While I thought I was over the person I was seeing last month, I decided to give things another chance - at the time it didn’t feel like my logical self, but I also learned that I’m human and it’s okay to feel the way I do, and to just proceed with caution. I didn’t expect to end up seeing this person once a week (I know that isn’t a lot for others, but for me it is a lot and out of character), and to enjoy their company too. While I don’t know what’s to come, I’ll just take it a date and a time and proceed with caution. Throughout seeing this person this month, I was able to learn not just about the other person but also about myself, and how I am in these settings - what I am willing to tolerate vs what I’d speak up about. Taking things a date at a time, being detached to the outcome, and not thinking too many steps ahead on logic - I think has helped me heal my avoidant attachment style just a little bit more this past month. While I admit it’s been fun getting to know this person, going on dates and being treated - I don’t have rose colored glasses but I do hope whatever happens, happens for the best. 

Ending off this relationships section and journal entry with a bang - my trip to LA to celebrate Jin’s 27th! It’s wild to count how many times we’ve visited each other to celebrate our birthdays, but even crazier to count how many birthdays we’ve celebrated since we met. While I flew down to celebrate Jin’s 27th, it felt like I was the guest with Jin’s itinerary making and welcome gift. I feel so lucky to have such thoughtful friendships where each time I visit, it always feels like such an occasion because of the time and thought put into planning the week. With all the plans, doing every day things like grabbing coffee or going to yoga class, also reminds me of our day-to-day life in SB when we’d do these things as roommates. Of course we also can’t forget the thrillers and endless yap sessions. I hope Jin had a blast of a week, the cutest birthday tea party, and that 27 brings her even better than all the previous years. 

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My pick of the month: LA 

While there has been so many eventful moments of this month, every April I always look forward to my LA visit, it feels like a 2nd home and this month’s visit did not disappoint. From getting to do life with Jin - eating tons of yummy food, yoga sessions, getting our nails done, korean spa (which I am still impressed by $35), to celebrating her big day, to my annual reunion with Thuan who makes her way out to see me - never a dull moment in LA no matter how many times I visit. Also wow nails, spa, and meals are so much better and affordable here - I need to up my visits. LA truly feels like a second home because of these eventful yet meaningful days. 

I already know May will be another eventful one, perhaps in the east coast, wishing everyone an amazing month of May ahead — Stephanie