2020padchallenge

Day 2 - Setting Goals by Bien Nguyen

“A new year means a new journal!”

While some enjoy more traditional formats for documenting, I’ve been a digital resident since I was 11. So it’s only natural that I’m keeping a photoblog on my own personal website.

My friend Voranouth loves collecting stationery and journaling and after seeing some of what she’s created I have to admit it they look really pretty. She likes to keep track of things she did on her days as well as take note of upcoming events or plans she has during the year. Another friend, Mary, is keeping track of her progress toward specific goals and milestones she wants to hit in her own journal. I’ve never really been one to set such specific goals and always just kind of improvised as life happened around me. I accepted very early on that whatever happens, happens, and the only thing you truly have control over, is how you react or behave in the face of adversity. So instead, I set broad guidelines and hold a list of core values and principles that I adhere to. I don’t know how well it works but I’m still alive now so I can’t complain.

Hailing in this new year, I finished up a contract job as a developer. I’m now without work again and back on the search. I can’t say I feel completely comfortable with my situation but it’s definitely not the first time I’ve been here. In the past, as long as I kept myself collected and confident in my abilities, there was always an opportunity waiting for me to find.

Day 1 - Happy New Year! by Bien Nguyen

It’s a new year and a new decade. I spent last night with friends and family just enjoying each other’s company.

Last new year’s eve I spent on my couch alone with my cats so I guess a lot has changed.

Something I noticed from everyone last night was it seemed like we were all at peace with what we’d done and where we’d come from up to that point. It’s the turn of a new decade and instead of reflecting back on arguably our most important first 10 years of adulthood, we were content with the present and looking toward the future. I’m glad that we can all focus on the important things and support each other in our individual endeavors.

I hope your 2019 was a good year, and though your decade was likely filled with pits and mountains, I hope you understand all of it has molded you into who you are today and that you feel comfortable in your own skin.

If you’d like to see the other photos I took last night you can visit my album using the link below.

New Year’s Eve Album

2020 Photo Challenge by Bien Nguyen

I love taking pictures.

However, I feel like I don’t often get enough or create enough opportunity to take them.

In an effort to motivate myself to work on this craft more, I am going to attempt taking a different picture every day in the upcoming new year. A couple of my friends, @alonelychime & @everydamndayyy, were the ones who proposed the idea and asked me to join. Please go give them a follow as well if you’d like to see what they end up taking pictures of!

In the past, life always interfered when I wanted to take pictures. Now, I finally feel like I’m in a better, more stable place to attempt this. If you’re here and reading this, I hope you’ll support and cheer me on and I hope you enjoy my photos!

If you’d like to follow me on my socials you can find my links on my website and I’ll paste them right below on this post as well.

Twitter: @mynameisbien
Instagram: @mynameisgood