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Spooky | Jin’s October 2025
- knowledgepostcollege
- 19 hours ago
- 6 min read
Not only was this a spooky month, but it also came with some spooky changes that I’m still working through. Sometimes life really is the scariest thing of all, scarier than any movie or ghost story. But even with the spooky times, there were so many great memories this month that I want to highlight.
Lifestyle: Travel & Relationships
Friends
Birthdays
For Rachel’s birthday, Crystal and I decided to surprise her with a caviar McDonald’s night, a trend we’ve been seeing all over TikTok. We picked up a few different kinds of caviar from Whole Foods and paired them with a mix of McDonald’s favorites, from chicken nuggets to Filet-O-Fish. We even surprised her with a Whole Foods cake to end the night on a sweet note.
After dinner, we kept the cozy vibes going with a little craft night, bedazzling magnetic prints from Crystal’s wedding photos and making our own Pilates socks that Rachel brought supplies for. It was such a fun, crafty evening full of laughter, snacks, and scarily good quality time.
Tonic Gals in LA
We kicked off the pre-Halloween weekend with Lotus and Amanda visiting me in LA. We used to do more weekend trips together, but ever since I moved out to Culver City, we never got around to planning one and they’d never even seen my apartment! So, I decided it was the perfect time to host.
We started the weekend with a cozy game night in, playing Bananagrams and Monopoly Deal, which was full of laughter and chaos in the best way. The next day, we hit up some of Amanda’s favorite K-Town spots, including Zzamong for noodles and Stagger, which is all of our go-to matcha spot. Later that night, we had a little Halloween craft night where we decorated Trader Joe’s mini tote bags with spooky patches before heading down to the OC for Knott’s Scary Farm.
We did have a little L moment, our buffet tickets were for 6:30, and we missed it by a few minutes since it was already so crowded. Luckily, I was able to get a refund, and we still managed to go through six mazes, which felt like a big win. We ended the night with In-N-Out, which truly put the cherry on top for the night.
On our final day, we grabbed brunch at an amazing Filipino spot that everyone loved, then checked out a new matcha place in Fullerton called Vivot. Lotus’s boyfriend, Spencer, even tried hojicha for the first time! We wrapped up the weekend with a yin yoga class to shake off the Sunday scaries and grabbed tacos afterward because, of course, SoCal has the best Mexican food.
Halloween
This Halloween, I went out with my boyfriend, Mish, and Sophie to a party that Sophie was invited to. Most of the people there worked in the entertainment industry, so it was fun hearing about such a different world from mine. The house itself was massive and decked out with some seriously impressive Halloween decorations, I was in awe. I dressed up as Lilo, my boyfriend was Stitch, Mish went as a blind mouse, and Sophie pulled off Charli XCX perfectly. We met and hung out with some of Sophie’s friends, and overall it was such a fun, chill night with just the right amount of spooky vibes.
Love
Wedding
My boyfriend and I went to our fourth and final wedding of the year, Peter and Michelle’s! It was really cool to experience a different type of wedding since it was a Catholic and more traditional local one. I always forget how emotional weddings can be, but every time I go, I’m reminded of how special they are. I truly wish the couple all the happiness in the world, and I hope that one day I’ll get to that point in my life too. It was also such a fun experience watching my boyfriend be part of the wedding party, he took his duties seriously but in the cutest way.
Date Day
This month, my boyfriend finally redeemed the “Date Day on Jin” coupon I made him for our anniversary! To surprise him, I whisked him back to Long Beach, where we used to live, and we revisited one of our favorite spots, a delicious Cambodian restaurant that holds so many memories. But I didn’t stop there! We checked something off our bucket list by hopping on the swan boats, making the day feel like a perfect little adventure straight out of a storybook.
Family
This month was nothing too wild, but I made sure to keep up with my promise to have dinner and see family at least once a week! I also booked an Airbnb in Joshua Tree for my brother’s birthday at the beginning of next month, I’m so excited to escape there, unwind, and soak in the desert vibes.
Work
Volunteer
At work, we had a volunteer day and spent time at the local Boys and Girls Club. It felt so nostalgic because back in college, I used to volunteer there, helping kids learn PowerPoint. Our group split up to tackle different tasks, from picking up trash to helping clean the bulletin board for flyers. Overall, it felt really nice to step away from the laptop and do something meaningful for the community and the students.
Cooking Class
This month, my director organized a team bonding activity—a cooking class! We learned how to make ravioli from scratch and even baked an olive oil cake. After all the hard work, we got to enjoy a delicious lunch filled with steak, salad, ravioli, and of course, the olive oil cake. It was so much fun to learn new skills, step away from the computer, and bond with my coworkers. Honestly, it was such a good time that I already want to do it again soon!
Halloween
This year, we kicked off a new project called the “Culture Club,” open to anyone who wanted to bring more spirit and culture to our team. Our first big project was decorating our office neighborhood for Halloween, and we went all in on a spooky Harry Potter theme. Each section of the office transformed into a Hogwarts house, and everyone dressed up to represent their house for the day. From floating candles to house banners, the whole setup brought some serious magic to the office. We even won one of the best costume categories at our Town Hall, competing against other brands in the building, a win that felt spooktacularly satisfying.
Reorg
At the end of this month, our team went through a bit of a spooky reorg, and to be honest, it’s been tough to navigate. I’m still in my position, but I’ll be taking on two roles for now, which feels like stepping into uncharted (and slightly haunted) territory. The hardest part has been saying goodbye to my favorite manager as I’ve always said how well we worked together, and this shift definitely brought a few tears to the both of us.
That said, I’m grateful our team remains intact, even if we’re working together in new ways. I’m trying to see this transition not as something scary, but as a challenge, a chance to prove myself and maybe even step closer to the promotion I’ve been working toward. The unknown can feel eerie at times, but I’m choosing to see it as a doorway to something spookily exciting rather than frightening.
Lows & Lessons:
This month, I got my very first parking ticket while living in LA. Obviously, it was a bit of a bummer, but I decided not to let it ruin my mood, there was really nothing I could do about it. Honestly, I was also kind of proud of myself for making it this long without one! I even joked that getting a ticket officially made me a true LA resident, haha.
On the work front, there have been some big changes, which brought a lot of uncertainty and pressure. Since the changes haven’t fully happened yet, I decided to shift my perspective to a more positive one. Saying goodbye to my manager in her role was definitely sad and spooky, but I’m grateful that I can continue having a mentoring relationship with her as long as she’d have me. Plus, maybe it was just too perfect while it lasted to expect it to last forever… right? Haha. I’m still processing all the changes, but I’m trying to stay excited for what’s ahead and focus on how much I can grow and leverage these experiences for the next step in my career.
Songs on Repeat:
manchild - Sabrina CarpenterCloser - The Chainsmokers, HalseyJUMP - BLACKPINKwwwMy Pick of the Month: Pottery
This pick isn’t exactly for this month, but over the past month or two, I’ve gone to two pottery classes, and I’ve absolutely loved it. It’s so satisfying to learn a new skill and watch a creation come to life, especially something you designed yourself! Picking the designs was such a fun part of the process. I’m not sure when I’ll take another class, but I’m hoping to go again with friends in the future. In the meantime, I’m enjoying the pieces I’ve made and the little bit of creativity they bring into my space.
Overall, this month was full of spooky changes, but also so much fun and light. I’m really learning that each month comes with its ups and downs, and it’s up to me which side I choose to focus on. Even amid all the changes, I have so many things to be grateful for, and I make it a point to keep counting my blessings. As this spooky month comes to a close, I’m excited to see what November has in store!
Talk to you next month,
-- Jin
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