First Post of 2022: New Years Resolutions and My Blog Revival After a Five-Year Hiatus

Hello everyone and Happy New Year! I am excited to write my first post of the year 2022. Because everyone is setting New Years resolutions, I will be sharing my personal ones. For this entry, I will explain my five-year hiatus, sudden return, and the goals that I would like to accomplish as a writer. Yes, today we will explore the past, present and future of my blog.

The Past: My five-year hiatus and where am I now?

1. Why did I stop writing?

I started the Adventures of a Panda Girl blog when I first moved to China to teach English. After two years, I left the teaching field to do some solo traveling. The reason that I stopped writing was due to being overwhelmed. I was overwhelmed with a huge writers block and feelings of loneliness and fears of subpar writing skills. I felt that my blog could not compete with other more successful blogs. Even when I was in the mood to write, I felt that too much time had passed and that my stories became irrelevant.

2. What have I been up to since my last entry?

The year 2016 was my last blog entry while I was in Asia. At that time, I was working on a farm in Singapore. Below are only a few highlights of my life that took place since my last blog entry.

Once my time ran out in Singapore, my next stop was Thailand. I spent two weeks volunteering for a resort in a village outside of Chiang Mai. Upon the completion of my volunteering, I adventured around Thailand until I left for my next destination.

This is me in front of the Old City Wall Gate in Chiangmai Mai, Thailand. This is my first stop in Thailand.

The Mothership Resort located in Ban Huai Rin, Chiang Mai Province, Thailand.

This is a picture of me visiting the

Following my travels in Thailand came my travels in Malaysia. In addition to my adventures, I volunteered at a hostel in Kuala Lumpur and at a scuba diving resort on Tioman Island.

Scuba Diving with other students off the coast of Tioman Island!

In the city of Muar to visit a friend!

This is a group of volunteers and I on the rooftop of the

In front of A Formosa in Malacca City, Malaysia.

As much fun as it was to be a solo traveler abroad, I knew that my time was up. I returned to my hometown in New Jersey, USA. After being accustomed the backpacker lifestyle, it was a big adjustment for me. In addition to finding a new career path, I had to find my place in a culture I had been so absent from for three years.

My family suggested that I applied for a job the local animal shelter. I was immediately hired as a Kennel Attendant. Eventually, I was promoted to the positions of Adoption Counselor, Adoption and Foster Coordinator, and the Small Animal Specialist.

I helped Cole the kitten find his forever home!

This is a collection of small animals that I have cared for as a Small Animal Specialist.

This is a picture that I took after completing my big foster project at another animal shelter.

Three years of work animal welfare inspired me to move to the field of veterinary medicine. In October 2020, I moved to Brooklyn, NY, and started a job as a Veterinary Assistant in veterinary hospitals.

Two cavaliers and I after their bi-annual appointments.

This is a picture of me with one of the sweetest black cats that I have ever met.

Although my career path has diverged since my time in Asia, my passion for traveling is still very much alive. However, it was not until recently that I decided to start writing again.

The Present: My sudden return and revival of my travel blog.

When I came back to the U.S. I decided to spend time exploring more of my home country. Thanks to the adventures I had while abroad, I grew into a more experienced and thoughtful traveller. After encountering problems due to poor planning, I started dedicating time to researching trips. To this day, I have a collection of documents illustrating the details of past trips.

A picture of us in front of the Hollywood Sign from Hollywood Park!

My Grandma and I walking along Gray’s Beach in Cape Cod.

My friend and I on a cruise to the Statue of Liberty off the coast of Manhattan, NYC.

This past year, someone told me that I was talented in the English language, probably due to my past ESL teaching experience. It occurred to me that by focusing on my career in veterinary medicine, I have been neglecting in the development of my language skills.

Just recently, I realized that my travel blog can be used as a platform to practice my writing and also share the research and experience that I collect from past trips. On November 12, 2021, I updated my blog for the first time in years. Since then, I have been a very active writer.

The Future: New Years resolutions for my travel blog.

1. Why are you blogging publicly instead of keeping a diary?

I spend so much time planning future vacations and day trips for myself, friends and even family. As a visual learner, writing serves as an important tool to organize my thoughts. I also enjoy reflecting on my experiences and remembering names of places that I visit.

Often times, people ask me for recommendations for their own vacations. Although I am enthusiastic to share my tips, I am unable to remember every detail of my experiences. I am choosing to blog publicly so Adventures of a Panda Girl blog can serve as a tool to assist my followers in planning their own trips and inspire the adventurers inside everyone.

2. What topics do you think you’ll write about?

The main topics to expect in my future posts focus on traveling in the U.S. However, due to the rising cases of COVID-19, my entries may focus more on my past overseas adventures.

3. Who would you love to connect with via your blog?

I want to connect with people who enjoy traveling as much as I do. Researching is a big strength of mine which I would like to use to inspire people to explore the world. I also believe in responsible traveling, such as respecting local people, businesses and fauna. I hope that I can use this blog to educate my readers before visiting new places.

Happy 2022!

Thank you all for your time. I welcome any feedback and questions you may have for me. If there are any topics you specifically want me to post about, please comment or message me privately. I hope you choose to join me through the year 2022.