tiff of the 'burbs. *

So many things to be thankful for.

Because I’m sure Tumblr will soon be filled with Thanksgiving posts, I’ve decided to get a head start. We should be thankful every day anyway, right?

I’m thankful for my family. I know I’m blessed to be so close to my siblings and talk to them like they’re my friends. This year has been a roller coaster in many ways, especially after we found out my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer in August (this would be the first time I’m directly addressing this on Tumblr). Having Mom diagnosed with this disease brought us even closer than we already were. I often think of her as the backbone of our family. Although the battle is not over, I’m thankful that we were able to help her get through her last round of chemotherapy last week, in preparation for her surgery next month.

I’m also thankful for my friends. They’ve supported me through personal trials and failures, as well as been there to celebrate my accomplishments and milestones. I’m thankful for my friends back at home that I consider my extended family. I’m thankful for my friends from college and am happy I’ve grown closer to them 2 years after graduation. I’m thankful for my new friends in LA. Special thanks to one of my closest guy friends for introducing me as the new girl and sharing his friends with me, including the great guy I’m dating (whom I’m also thankful for).

I’m thankful for the opportunities I’ve been given to take steps to get my closer to my career goals. My internship position exceed far beyond all of my expectations. As of yesterday, I’m now considered a PAID employee. I have to clear a few things with the President, but my current Executive Director said that, I can start using the Program Coordinator title. 24 WITH MY FIRST JOB EVER WUT WUT (finally). Filling out a W-4, employment verification, and direct deposit forms for the first time was surreal.

I’m thankful for a roof over my head, clean drinking water, food on the table, clothes on my back, education, and various things that I have and don’t really need. This is something that I need to keep remind myself of, so I don’t take things for granted. A few weeks ago, my new laptop and cellphone were stolen at a coffee shop while I was cramming before class. Of course, I was/am still upset that someone could do that to another person, I am constantly trying to remind myself I have so many other things to be thankful for, beyond material possessions.

The love of God. Most importantly, I’m thankful for having faith in an almighty God that is so good to me, even when I am not always so good to Him. There’s so much I could say, but I’ll leave it at this: Thank you, God, for E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Love,

TiffanyJam <3 

To new adventures & chasing your dreams.

Yesterday, I was offered a summer internship position with the American Academy of Pediatrics! I’ll be working on the advocacy side of the organization, working closely with Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) and the Los Angeles Healthcare Provider Alliance for Children (LA-HPAC). The position is unpaid, but I get to work remotely (from home) and get compensation for any mileage I put in. I also have an interview with another medical center in LA next week for an internship that can last for the entire school year, so I’m hoping/praying that also falls into place, because I need some money to help pay for school/extra things.

The important thing is to strive towards a goal which is not immediately visible.  That goal is not the concern of the mind, but of the spirit.  -Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Today, one of my closest girl friends is leaving for the Philippines to attend medical school. We sent her off at a going-away party last night. I’m not going to get super sentimental or emo (haha, please), but I will say that the feeling is bittersweet. On one hand, the person I spent almost every single day hanging out with for a year is moving 16 hours away (I’m not sure how we suddenly got super close either). On the other hand, I’m really happy that she’s doing something so great to pursue her dreams of becoming a doctor, even if that means sacrificing the comfort of being near her close family and friends. I don’t know about any of you guys, but I probably wouldn’t be able to do it myself.

One half of knowing what you want is knowing what you must give up before you get it.  -Sidney Howard

One step at a time.

Carpe Diem. I think there are many ways to interpret how someone is supposed to seize the day. When I think about living my days as if it’s my last, I don’t necessarily think about doing all the crazy things I have yet to experience. I think about the positive things I can be doing, ways I can be love to people, and how I want people to remember me. Most of the time, I think about the people I’d want to be around. I think about my family, my friends, all those I enjoy being in the company of.

This summer, on top of getting a job/internship, I want to spend more time with people I care about. I feel know there’s a lot of people that I should make more of a personal investment in, while I’m not caught up in homework and studying. I want to try harder to invest in fruitful relationships (old & new) with people who encourage, support, inspire, and challenge me.