This weekend, I headed back home to Poughkeepsie! I needed a change in scenery since all the time alone in my apartment was starting to get to my head.
Saturday
Saturday was the perfect day of all my favorite fall activities. As a New Englander born-and-raised, Fall is by far my favorite season. It’s easy to take for granted what you grow up with, but I never stopped loving fall – each year is more magical than the last.
The morning was comprised of sleeping in and studying a bit, before my mom and I took off and had a lunch date for pho. My mom is from a town in China that is known for their noodle soups, so this hit our happy spot ❤
Afterwards, we drove up to Hyde Park to the Vanderbilt Mansion Historic Site. In my entire childhood of living here, I actually never had visited here, which is such a shame because it was super DOPE! It was the perfect day to see the leaves changing color and soak in this beautiful this time of year.
Mom and I first saw the mansion that Vanderbilt lived in.
Then, we went on a little hike down to the Hudson River. There was a nicely paved trail with lots of views along the way.
Views by the Hudson
Is there anything more perfect than changing trees?
Spending time outdoors is an automatic recipe to lifting my spirits -the whole afternoon was just what I needed.
Afterward, one of my best high school friends saw that I was in town and hit me up; we last minute decided to take a walk together around the neighborhood and catch up. I hadn’t seen her in over a year, and boy did I miss her. It’s always hard to catch up someone up about your life over a long period of time, but we instantly fell back to the way we were and it felt so nice. I’m so glad I came home and had the opportunity to rekindle this friendship again ❤
Later in the evening, my dad asked me to make a dessert with the 5000 apples they picked earlier in the week. I improvised an apple crumble that ended up being a wild success!
Sunday
Sundays in the Li household have been the same since I was born: church, chinese school, catching up on studying…some things never change. But I definitely missed it.
It was so nice to catch up with everyone at church. My hometown church is the one place where I always feel at home. All the parents welcoming me with open arms, so eager to hear what I’m up to. The kids are growing up so fast too! I feel so lame saying that, but I swear every time I go back they all hit new growth spurts.
The afternoon was filled with studying and napping. Then I caught up with a college friend via FaceTime for a few hours. I’ve been loving reconnecting with old friends lately. Especially with all my time alone, I’m instantly happier after these calls.
Then, after dinner, my sister and I spontaneously decided to go to our favorite hometown froyo spot. It was super nice outside so we ate and chatted away outdoors in the cool night under moonlight <3. Moments like these make my really love my home.
I Run Like A Girl 