I Run Like A Girl

Hey blog! With all my posts on travel/weekend trips, I haven’t talked about the day-to-day stuff around here lately. Even though there have been a few exciting activities going on this summer, most of our days are still the same old: working remotely, running, taking walks in the neighborhood, and entertaining ourselves quarantine style. Here are a few random things that have happened lately:

I got LASIK eye surgery!! It was honestly the best money spent. I had very bad vision before (-6.00 in both eyes); I couldn’t see in the shower or even to use the bathroom at night without frantically searching for my glasses. I had some leftover money in a medical insurance fund so I decided to bite the bullet with LASIK, and I couldn’t be happier with my vision one month later!

The surgery itself was super easy: it took 5 minutes per eye, and you don’t see or feel the laser (oddly I could smell a faint burning odor which was the laser shaping the cornea). Then I closed my eyes for 4 hours, and when I opened them, I could see perfectly! It was truly a miracle. My vision is now 20/15, which is BETTER than what it was before with glasses/contacts.

I definitely recommend the surgery for anyone who is considering it. The surgery is relatively low risk, but the key is to pick a doctor who is very selective (they will measure the size of your cornea and run some exams to see if you’re a good candidate). My doctor is the most well-known LASIK doctor in the bay area and he only approves 40% of the candidates for surgery, so I knew I was in good hands.

My main motivation to get the surgery was to make traveling easier. My travels are often times to hostels, campsites, and villages with limited running water/electricity —> conditions that make touching your eyes risky. Here is a picture of me camping in the Amazon rainforest with my glasses – so glad I don’t have to worry about them anymore :p

On another note, I’ve been painting a lot lately. A few months ago, I bought a paint-by-numbers kit after seeing an Instagram ad. It ended up being the best decision since it got me into a new hobby. Here are a few that I’ve worked on.

Since then, Joe has been super supportive and bought me a bunch of crafting tools. I’ve designed a few signs for the garden/apartment and it’s been a fun, creative outlet 🙂

Joe and I have been obsessed with watermelon this summer. We buy several every week and plow through them! My favorite way to eat the fruit is through a super easy 3-recipe cocktail: blend watermelon, vodka, and fresh mint, run it through a strainer, and that’s it! The mint is fresh from our herb garden which makes it extra special.

Speaking of the garden, the garden has truly transformed since the last time I shared. Joe is so adventurous with trying new things, that in a matter of weeks, we’ve moved out some plants that weren’t doing so well, and added a ton of new flowers to the mix. I’m most excited to see the sunflowers bloom this summer – they’ve grown 6 feet in the past 2 months and I’m hoping for an explosion of sunflowers in the backyard. Joe and I are working on another video so stay tuned!

Last but not least, Joe’s cats have been SO cute and have not left my side since we came back from San Diego. I think they were traumatized by us abandoning them for a week. I was not really a “cat person” before meeting these two cats, but now they have my heart.

Have a wonderful week everyone!!