Day 4: Write a letter to an agent telling her how wonderful you are.

Dear Agent,

As an aspiring writer, I'm here to tell you a little about myself and include some random fun pictures and drawings.

Recently, I've been able to select several values that represent who I am. In no particular order...

Loyalty - I believe that being loyal comes from suffering great disappointment in life. When people you trust and love let you down, you don't ever want anyone else you care about to experience that same helplessness and loneliness. I know we've all had our share of disappointment, and it has shaped how we develop and maintain our relationships. Once I care about someone, I am a great source of support and have an abundance of silver linings.

Diversity - I've been a minority as a youth as well as an adult. When I was a child, I didn't know any better. All I knew was that I didn't ever feel like I belonged or fit in until I was in an environment that had other kids like me, second generation Asian American. I'm incredibly empathetic. Sometimes I wish I could stop myself at the sympathetic line, but more often than not, I cross it. I like to find similarities with people and celebrate all the ways we are also unique.

Collaboration - I'm a people person, most of the time. If given the chance to work with a great team with amazing people, I'll take that any day over working alone. (If the team sucks, call me a hermit and leave me be...) I gain energy from people and enjoy trying to understand their points of view.

Relationships - People are important to me. If I were a parent, I'm sure this would word would have been "parenting". I chose this instead of "love" or "partner" because I really appreciate the bonds that I have with my family, my friends, my friends' kids, and even random adorable friendly puppies or dogs.

Persistence - I have very little inherent talent. But I am sure as heck persistent. While it is true that social media has made it easier to keep in touch with people, most of my good friends don't have Facebook accounts, can't tell you if you twit or tweet on twitter and most definitely don't share pictures on instagram. I maintain these relationships because I care about these people and make sure that I check in on them every so often, even if I don't always get a reply.

Authenticity - What you see if mostly what you get. I can't always disclose everything I'm thinking because if I did, in a very candid way, I wouldn't have any friends. That would make me one sad person. I don't need a ton of friends. I just need a few really good ones. I'm lucky, though. I have more than just a few good friends. Most of my good friends, I consider family.  I appreciate people are who real and can be vulnerable enough to show me who they really are. None of us are perfect, and as long as I believe they have a good heart, a few mistakes or episodes of bad judgment will not deter me from maintaining relationships with them. (If it's more than a few, then that might be a different story.)

As I continue to write, I'm sure many of these themes will arise. After all this is what I know and what I strive for in life.

I'm excited about my journey, and I hope that you'll take a chance on me and be a part of it.

Best regards,

Kim

Day 3: Write a setting based on the most beautiful place you’ve ever seen.

After several hours of driving, I decided to pull over.  

The coastal drive was already just spectacular. But this place took my breath away. 

Colorful houses hugged the sides of the mountains, covering the full spectrum of the rainbow. There were vibrant blue houses, next to yellow abodes, with leafy trees that separated them. Red abodes, bordering green ones, that neighbored purple ones. The cove was deep, very deep. My guess is that if I followed the road that would lead to the beach, it could easily take 30 to 45 minutes of slow driving. I couldn't see the path, but at the height from which I was standing, I knew it would be a steep and windy one, with no shortage of tight hairpin turns. 

Although there were houses built all the way down to the ocean, the area was largely untouched. The community had a vast amount of trees and plants, and only because the colors of the houses were so bright, could you easily distinguish them from their surroundings. Everything looked perfectly spaced and it looked like an area where the natives would be very protective of ensuring that it would maintain a small town feel to it. 

It was an overcast afternoon, and there was a light drizzle that misted on my face. Just as I was about to climb back into the car and continue on my way, the clouds parted slightly, allowing light to descend from above. I stood there mesmerized as the clouds parted a little bit more. The rays of light kissed the ocean and the view was so serene that a sense of peace washed over me. I took a few pictures before the clouds swallowed up the light and I climbed back into the car to continue on my way. 

#SantaBarbara #Pictures #Scenery

Recently, I found that I'll be leaving Santa Barbara in the not-so-distant future.

It's truly a beautiful place and even though it took more time than I'd like to admit, it has started to grow on me.

Scenes from East Beach:

Evening shot of the Pier on the 4th of July

Love these clouds

One of the few rainy days

Walking back from the Farmer's Market

East Beach

Mountain View

On the Pier

Funk Zone Art:

A cool version of Mickey the Mouse

Beautiful chalk art from the I'Madonnari Festival at the Mission

Sneaky sneaky now...