Country Music

When my dad first arrived in America, I think he was a bit obsessed with all things generically American. For one, he had this weird obsession with McDonald's and eating the "all-American" Big Mac which he has managed to maintain to this day. I can't pinpoint exactly when he started listening to American country, but I do remember at a young age that whenever I was in the car, he would have a country radio station playing (that or really old Chinese music). 

From the ages of like 3 to my early teens, this was the only music I actively listened to daily. There was this specific radio station called 97.3 the Eagle that was part of my routine; when I'd get home from school, go to bed, or or be in my room on the weekends I'd always tune in. I still have distant memories of listening to the morning and evening radio broadcasts, though I've completely forgotten the names of the radio hosts. Back then, digital formats (and computers) weren't widely used and other forms of media (CDs and cassettes) weren't really appealing to me. The radio was the way to go and I would say country music was (and still is) popular in the part of Virginia where I'm from. 

It was really only when I got mp3 players and eventually my iPod touch that I started exploring other genres of music. Nowadays I don't listen to modern day country music at all; surprisingly, when I try to listen to the new stuff it kind of makes me cringe like crazy. I don't know if it's that new country music is getting worse or if it's a different style then back then, but I'm only able to stomach country music that I listened to back when I was a kid (1990s to early 2000s). It wasn't until recently when I was really paying attention to the lyrics that I realized some of the songs are hilariously redneck. Maybe as a grown ass man if I'd listen to these songs I would definitely not have liked them.

Funny enough, the place I discover past songs that I've forgotten about is Texas Roadhouse. I'd be eating a nice medium-rare 32 oz steak and suddenly they start playing a song in the background that just instantly fills me with sentiment to which I pull out my phone and Shazam that shit so fast and add it to my Spotify playlist. Embedded below is the playlist with all the country songs of my childhood. I like to occasionally listen to the playlist if I ever feel homesick or I ever want to get a hit of nostalgic happiness.

Facebook Quotes

I signed up for Facebook during it's initial rise from the ashes of MySpace back in 2007-2008. At that time, I was old enough to be present during the tail end of the MySpace craze; I still remember some people adding music and freaky designs to their pages. Personally, I had no incentive of making a MySpace as most of my social interaction was out in the neighborhood, playing every day with the kids on my street. I suspect that Facebook was trying to be similar to previous social networking pages and had interesting sections to describe yourself. One of those is the title of this post, Favorite Quotes. 

I honestly can't remember the last time I updated/added to my Favorite Quotes section of my profile. Looking back, each quote represented a part of my teenage self; they were a minute representation of my growing personality.

“[We do it] Not because they [the goals] are easy, but because they are hard.”
— John F. Kennedy, 1962

I remember I enjoyed this quote because at that time in my life, academics were kinda beating the shit out of me. I was (and still am) an extremely lazy person and that year was when I seriously transitioned from having too much fun in elementary and middle school to the rigors of high school. I was incredibly unprepared; I hated studying and learning because all I wanted to do was play computer games and hang out with friends. I saw this quote and it kind of instilled some kind of motivational spirit in me. I wanted to achieve something that would be difficult to get because the path to get there is hard. By going down that winding road, I can improve myself along the way. The difficult journey itself will prepare me for anything.

Nowadays, I would say I still adhere pretty adamantly to this quote. I went to UC Berkeley where I got completely beat up, eaten, and shat out. That didn't stop me from giving up and those hardships have prepared me well in turning me into a fully functional adult.

“Lost time is never found again.”
— Ben Franklin

Ok yeah this is an easy one. Don't waste any time! In middle/high school, I was pretty addicted to video games, especially online games such as Runescape and Maplestory. Looking back though, it was kind of nice as I was able to bond with some of my friends through those mediums. I was just really worried that I was wasting time because I was seeing everyone else around me excel in their classes, sports, and social relationships that time wasting always felt like one of the primary factors of my issue. 

I would say I'm much better now by better optimizing my time. I don't have a strict time stamp schedule set up, but I am much more mindful about how I spend my time. I always set aside time for personal growth (learning a new skill, workout, etc.), friends, work, and exploration. I also learned how to better diversify my time.

“Your future is in your own hands.”
— Obama

I was on the full Obama train back when he ran for his first term. Growing up I really only knew about one president, George W. Bush, and the early 2000s politically and economically wasn't the greatest. I distinctively remember sitting in my parent's room, watching their TV late on election night to see all the major broadcasting channels declare Barack Obama as the president of the United States. It was a very memorable moment. No idea where I grabbed this quote, but I liked it because of the simplicity and how it felt like it summarized his own path. Whatever happens next will be up to me.

I'm still young and there's still so many decisions that I make that can affect my short and long term future. I need to be mindful about what I do and quickly learn from my mistakes. 

“Friendship is like peeing on yourself: everyone can see it, but only you get the warm feeling that it brings.”
— Anonymous

Uh honestly, I thought this was a hilarious quote back then. Like so funny that everyone on Facebook should see it. Yeah that's about it. I'm very glad my humor has evolved (well I hope people think I'm funny now).

“You have enemies? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.”
— Winston Churchill

I think I was kind of an edgy teen. I'm the type of person to believe that not everyone can agree with everyone on every topic; there is always going to be friction. Sometimes I believe people should have strong opinions and stand up for themselves. This can sound stubborn, and many times it is, but it's something I've always believed in. I understand that listening to others is incredibly important, but groupthink can sometimes be extremely bad. 

As an adult, I feel like this quote is even more relevant. Some grown (knowledgable!) adults can be so incredibly dumb.

2017

2017 has been an intensely entertaining year. Not only did I finally manage to graduate college, but I traveled outside the country (well China and Canada don't count) for the first time. This was the year my comfort zone was tested to the maximum as I traveled around the world alone in the span of 4 months. I also slacked off completely in my last semester of college and met new people and went on some pretty amazing adventures. This was also the year when I truly became a fully functioning adult (I hope) as I started working full time. In the span of one life changing year I went from inebriated dumbass college student to an adult with adult responsibilities.

I was a pretty good (ok average) student for the first 7 semesters of college. My last semester of college was a joke. I was taking half the units of a full time student and had so much time (and money) to go on spontaneous trips and hangouts. Notable domestic adventures during this period include going to New Orleans, Houston, Napa, Carmel, Monterey Bay, and Santa Cruz. With me finally turning 21, all these trips involved some form of alcohol. 10/10. Would do again.

Graduation was surreal. I kept thinking back on all the great memories I made in college and it made me a bit teary eyed. I never thought I would be able to relate to the seniors who always said that college would fly by in a blink of an eye, but boy were they right. During the graduation ceremony, I thought back to when I was a wide eyed freshman who didn't know what the future held. I thought about all the amazing people, adventures, and struggles I went through to become the person I am today. I guess time feels much different when you're going through the college grind.

For New Year's 2017 and the end of winter vacation, I was in Japan and Korea. Little did I know I would be going back less than a year later. Backpacking solo through Europe and Asia was an incredible experience. I learned more about myself in the span of a couple of months then I have ever had. As per yearly tradition, I also visited the extended family in China which always brings me back to harsh reality.

I started working full time in August of 2017. It was really difficult for me to get adjusted at first; it felt weird not going back to school and knowing that this wasn't an internship, I couldn't just leave in 12 weeks (well I could get fired or quit, not necessary great options). After a couple of months of adjustment, it began to feel normal, actually it even felt better than being a student. I get money and free time? Sign me up!

In one year I flew tens of thousands of miles (mmm those frequent flyer miles), met so many people, reinforced my previous friendships, and had so many fun adventures and experiences. 2017 wasn't without its flaws though and like most people you can't just live life knowing everything will run smoothly. But through those struggles and experiences, I can better improve as a person.  

2017 was a large turning point of my life. I know that in the future, looking back to this time, that I will remember these memories fondly. Hopefully future years can be just as amazing.

College Lessons

In a blink of an eye, I went from being a wide-eyed freshman who thought college was going to change my life (well it pretty much did) to a weathered senior ready to grow up and face the real world. Well, several months after graduation, here I am with both of those statements ringing true. While I was still in college, it felt like time moved slowly but surely. One hour classes felt like a lifetime and spring/winter breaks couldn't come fast enough. There were constantly midterms, finals, projects, clubs, and personal relationships to think about that it was hard to enjoy the moment (like "holy shit I'm in college, I have so much freedom, this may never happen again" moments).

Every year of college, hell even every semester, was always a slew of new experiences and entertaining memories. Even if some semesters were incredibly tough academically and mentally, it never felt like that semester was wasted. When happy things happened, it created great memories, and when there were negative things it allowed me to learn from my mistakes to prevent it from happening again in the future. I was learning something new about myself, people, or the world around me every single day. I learned so much about life and responsibility in college that honestly it even overshadowed many of the concepts I learned in class.

If I could write myself a letter back in time summarizing some of the lessons I learned in college it would go something like this:

Dear 18 year old Charles,

Be yourself - Ok I know this one sounds super cliched, but it's something that a lot of people don't really seem to follow and something I definitely did not at varying points in college. If you try to mold yourself into something you're not, you're just going to feel empty and hollow later on. It's much more enjoyable when people appreciate you for yourself.

Don't give a shit about what others think (to a degree) - Again, this similar to above, but a bit more harsh. Honestly who cares about what some people think. What's the point of jumping through a ton of hoops to please someone when you know that deep down that really isn't you and you don't really care. Don't waste your time on what those people think. 

You are responsible for yourself - Ain't nobody gonna be holding your hand once you've graduated. Even better, make sure nobody is holding your hand in college (ok bad example). You know what I mean. If you want something (ace that midterm, get that internship, get that job, get the girl) then you are solely responsible. Don't blame anyone else for your failures.

Have a support group - You aren't in this alone. I know I said you should be responsible for yourself, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't have a support group of friends that'll cheer and motivate you on during your darkest times. Many times through college I've relied on my supports to push me through and tell me everything is going to be OK. They are your personal cheerleaders.

Meet new people - College was designed so that you could meet a ton of new people through class and clubs. Every new semester can be a fresh slate as you take on new classes and clubs. Meet new people! Do it! Don't be shy. If it makes any sense, they're just afraid of you as you are of them! Who knows where you might meet your next best friend. Don't waste your time atrophying in your room trying to "study" (when you're honestly just on social media, lazing around, or playing games). 

Don't forget your roots - Just because everyone has gone down different paths after high school doesn't mean that you should ignore your past. Make sure to keep in touch with them.

Go for it - Just do it! Failure is a learning experience. Don't waste your time stressing out about things, as stressing out is literally a complete waste of time. The more failure you have, the more experience and preparation you'll have the next time that opportunity comes around. Trust me. Failure has become an extremely close friend of mine.

It's ok to be scared - Everyone has something their scared of, be it spiders, applying to internships, CS 168 midterms, etc. It's ok to be scared, as long as you know how to deal with it rationally. Rely on your support group, practice your interviewing skills, avoid taking useless CS classes, just do something besides worrying and stressing out. Take action.

Leave negative influences out of your life - It's hard to detect them at first with an "I know everything" mindset, but negative influences are out there and could be a lot closer than you think. It could be time sinks, drugs, people, etc; these are people or things that are adversely affecting your daily life. Find them and flush them out. Long term wise, you'll be much happier. 

Love, 

You