On the last day of every month, I take Just a Minute to reflect on what I’m currently up to.

Starting… my classes for the fall semester. So far I’m really excited about them all, which is great because my schedule is overpacked this semester and it would be horrible if I didn’t like my classes!

Loving… my internship. It’s early days, but I have a really good feeling about this. I was already doing hands-on work my first day, which is a very positive sign.

Working… a lot. I love my job (I have a part-time job in addition to my internship and classes) and I look forward to work every day, but having such a thorough schedule impacts my social life a teeny bit. I’m not complaining, though :)

Spending… time with my friends, roommates, and boyfriend. It’s hard to juggle seeing everyone on top of all my other commitments, but I vowed to not let my social life slide in favor of class and work. So far I seem to be balancing everything pretty well, but it is only the first week of the semester.

Buying… daily deals from sites like Groupon and LivingSocial. I only buy them for things I would go to anyway (like discounted museum tickets) or for a restaurant I’ve been wanting to try. It reminds me of those coupon books my mom had when I was a kid and we’d use the deals in the book to try out new restaurants!

Budgeting… more stringently from now on, thanks to the help of BudgetPulse. (Funny how “budgeting” comes right after my bullet about “buying”!) My goal is to use BudgetPulse as a tool for me to not only manage my money better but also to figure out where it all goes.

Tags: just a minute

On the last day of every month, I take Just a Minute to reflect on what I’m currently up to.

Packing… up all of my worldly possessions for my upcoming move to DC. My God, I hate packing. You’d think with the amount of un/packing I have to do with all my traveling I’d at least like packing a little, but nope.

Reading… an essay about the rise and fall of Quanzhou, China. It’s very dense, and if I hadn’t promised a friend I’d read it I’d be reading Sarah Dessen or something.

Catching… up on my TV shows. I’ve finished The Big Bang Theory, Modern Family, and The Tudors. I’ve still got Game of Thrones, How I Met Your Mother, and Glee to catch up on. Not to mention I’ve started watching a new Chinese TV show, so I’ve got a lot of TV watching to do.

Baking… cakes and cupcakes to make up for my year with no oven in China! So far I’ve made lemon basil olive oil cake and coconut-grapefruit cupcakes with matcha frosting.

Browsing… lots of food blogs in an effort to start stockpiling recipes. I’ll be cooking for myself all year and I need new recipe ideas!

Anticipating… my return to DC! I can’t wait to move into my apartment, live with my roommates, and see all of my friends again.

Tags: just a minute

On the last day of every month, I take Just a Minute to reflect on what I’m currently up to.

Exploring… Xi’an, one of the Four Ancient Capitals of China and one of my favorite places in the Middle Kingdom. The sights are amazing (I love cycling along the City Wall) but what’s even better is the food! Nom nom nom.

Applying… for fall internships. I have a few ideal ones in mind, but I’ll apply for any that I’m interested in; hopefully I can score an interview or two!

Writing… various freelance articles for several websites. It’s good to get back in the writing swing of things.

Preparing… to be reunited with my beloved Beijing in two days!!

Thankful… that my teaching gig for the summer fell through. My two friends that accepted the position absolutely hate it for a myriad of reasons and have told me repeatedly that I’m lucky I backed out when I did.

Reading… classic English literature. I’ve finished Jane Eyre and am going to tackle David Copperfield next.

Feeling… nervous about my impending return to the US. I’ve been gone so long; reverse culture shock is inevitable. Kind of scary when you remember that I didn’t have culture shock when I arrived in China.

Tags: just a minute