Is anyone still reading this? It’s been 3 years, 4 months, and 18 days since I last posted…

I never meant to disappear for this long, but a lot of life has happened. Since then:

• I’ve continued mentoring high school students through two different programs, which keeps me grounded. I even crocheted each of them their own blanket to take to college when they graduate. When they call me Mama Mel, my heart melts. I hate the nickname Mel but with them, it’s different. I want kids someday, but if that never happens, this has still given me a sense of purpose and love.
• I bought a house which I’ll soon fully own. The goal is to live here for a few years, sell, and move on. With the area booming, there’s a good chance it could be a smart investment but if life keeps me here longer, I’m okay with that too.
• Loss has been heavy. My Popo and my Uncle in Hong Kong passed away. Last year, my Grandma in Texas also passed, as well as Franco’s Mee-maw. This month, Pluto, Brudda and Tammy’s beloved dog of many years was put down due to old age. It’s made me think about Rizzo (my dog), Bruno and Kato (Sissy and BIL’s dogs), and even Luna (my ex’s dog, who I’ll never really know if she’s passes).
• My Aunt June here in Texas and my Aunt Kathy in Hong Kong both beat breast cancer, which feels like such a huge blessing in the middle of everything else.
• With loss also came new life: my niece, Everly, was born.
• I was laid off from my job and have been searching for a new one for almost a year. Living off my savings without going into debt has been bittersweet, at times enjoyable, at times frustrating, but it’s given me space to learn new skills and explore hobbies. I’ve learned to appreciate this time off in a way I didn’t the last time I was unemployed. A whole year is crazy, but I’m making the most of it.
• We adopted a cat, Hubble (formerly Pumba), who used to belong to Lily and Daniel right before their twin boys were born. Having two cats and a dog under one roof has been wild, but I’ve heard that the purring can actually help heal you so, Hubble, do your thing!
• Over the last six months of 2025, I attended an emotional intelligence and leadership training and was named Torchbearer, the highest honor. It recognizes strong leadership and care for others, and it’s rare for an out-of-towner like me to receive it, since I completed most of the program from Texas while the classes were in California.
• There was a breakup, and we got back together. We’re actively working on our relationship. We’ve traveled a bit together in the entirety of our relationship: Arizona, a cruise, California, Florida (twice — hello, Universal!), and various cities across Texas. He also planned a surprise trip for us in April, and I have no idea where we’re going, so we’ll see what happens!
• I went to Canada for Evelyn’s wedding, which was my first time driving out of the United States. It wasn’t as intimidating as I expected, though it did feel a little strange at first. We grew apart as we got older, but after the wedding, I feel closer to my cousin and realized how much we share in our “granny hobbies.” Oh, how I wish she lived closer so we could have arts-and-crafts nights.
• We’ve won Mentorship Committee of the Year two years in a row through my professional organization, where I serve as Director of that committee. It’s been a joy putting together events that sell out. How can I market my event planning skills more?
• I’m in the early stages of starting a business. The LLC and EIN are official! It’s been exciting to build from the ground up. What kind of business? Stay tuned! I might share hints here, or you may have to reach out to find out once it’s more official.

I’m sure there’s more I could share, but if this is what I remember most, then I guess it’s what mattered most.

If you’re still reading, wow — thank you for sticking with me. I’ve missed having a place to put all of this down. I’ve missed writing about my days, my thoughts, and whatever pops into my head.

For a long time, this blog was tied to an old chapter of my life, which made it hard to come back to. I’m still figuring out what returning to this space looks like and whether I’ll stay. Time has moved forward for everyone, and I’m genuinely glad to see how their lives have been unfolding. Our paths may cross again someday, or they may not. Either way, I trust that life will unfold exactly as it should.

I forced myself to attend a networking lunch today. We got free notebooks and pens as well as pizza. We played networking bingo and in the end, we had conversations with five different people we wanted to get to know better, wrote down their information for a future coffee date.

I met someone who does cyber defense, something I wanted to study and get a master on but had to come out and work instead. She talked about getting me to join her cyber forensics team and my heart fell in love with the position. Maybe one day, when my window opens, I’ll move to that. Who knows.

When I left, I was given two gift cards. One to use and get coffee with the five people I met and the other for winning networking bingo. Whoo hoo!

I left work and met these lovely people at Olive Garden. Our last mentoring session, unofficially, but officially. Today was supposed to be the last scheduled day but since they pushed it up, we decided we needed one last hurrah. John and Jessica were the originals. Mawaddah requested me that one day her mentor didn’t show up. Alejandra had a different mentor but liked hanging out with us.

I ordered a drink for myself, an appetizer, soups, salads, plates of pasta, and desserts. The kids kept telling me that our server, Darius, was flirting with me and stuff but I think he just wanted a great big tip. Though he was a great server and was nice enough to comp the desserts so who knows.

I left work thinking I’d have time to run to the store to get them all gift cards but instead surprised them and told them I was paying for the whole meal. Luckily I spent time writing them goodbye notes, personalized them, and then sealed it with a wax seal. They were all so in love with the gold embossing and the wax seal that they didn’t want to open it. Darius saw and wanted one, too.

Mawaddah gave me a present last time and this time I got one from Jessica. Chickfila forever. I’m just waiting for their spicy tenders/nuggets.

These are such sweet kids. Great hearts. Funny. Smart. They’ll go far as long as they put time into growing. It’s been a pleasure getting to know them as they have taught me a lot and helped me grow as a person. The only thing I hope for is that we’ll stay in touch.

I came home to this lovely surprise. I love the picture they chose … because someone awesome took it for them. 😉 I miss you both and the pups mucho! Hoping to see you guys next year … somehow!