I Run Like A Girl

I can’t believe our holiday travels are almost coming to an end! Joe and I have been on the road for several weeks visiting our families for the holidays, and I spent the past 2 weeks in my hometown in New York for my side of the family. My parents, brother, and sister were all here — it was a very heartwarming reunion as we spent quality time together doing family traditions.

The biggest highlight was Joe and I getting engaged here in New York! If you missed my last post where I shared our engagement story, check it out HERE.

We spent actual Christmas in New York. It was filled with our favorite Christmas traditions including opening presents and hot pot dinner.

We also went to the Chinese buffet as a family. This was a new buffet in town, and we were eager to check it out. The owners knew my parents from the Chinese community, and they pulled out the red carpet for our family. I later found out my mom leads a Chinese community group, and they were hoping for her endorsement. I felt like I was in a reality show seeing our community politics play out… 😉

One highlight of our time in New York was our second annual sibling hangout in a nearby town, Beacon. Last year was the first time we did a “kids-only” hangout in Beacon, and we had so much fun that we did it again. We joked that we should make it an annual event and order t-shirts. 😛

Our first stop was a Nicaraguan restaurant that had phenomenal food. I ordered the carne asada and loved every bite.

Then, we headed to Happy Valley Arcade Bar, which was our second time back since last year. The bar had a cool vibe as it had plenty of vintage arcade games lining the walls. We had a blast playing the different games.

Our last stop was Hudson Valley Brewery. My brother found out it was a top 50 micro-brewery in the U.S., so we were eager to see what it was like. I’m always impressed by the quality breweries in my hometown.

Another highlight this trip was catching up with old friends from childhood. I admit the pandemic made me lose touch with some people over the last few years, and it was so heartwarming to see friends after a 4-year hiatus. Also, after sharing our engagement on Instagram, people were eager to meet my new fiance. 😉

The weather was pretty gloomy this time around. I was hoping for better conditions for some winter hikes, but we ended up being flooded with rain. Joe and I tried to get outside whenever there was a pocket of dryness. We did the Walkway over the Hudson, a main attraction of my hometown.

We also walked around Vassar College — a beautiful campus.

We watched airplanes at the regional airport — this was a new activity that Joe thought of. It was really fun learning about the planes and seeing everything through Joe’s eyes.

Just like in Texas, Joe’s VR headset was a hit in my family. Everyone was eager to get a chance with the VR — including my parents. Their reactions were the most entertaining.

Last but not least, I got plenty of quality time with my brother’s corgi, Constantine. He’s always a highlight of coming home – his happy demeanor adds so much joy to our home. He’s almost 2 years old now, and I noticed his puppy energy is less now. He’s growing up!

We have one last stop for our holiday travels, which was added last minute. I’ll keep you in suspense until the next post…

Happy New Years, friends!! After 7 years of I Run Like A Girl, this blog has been a real blessing. I’m truly grateful for every person who visits my little corner of the internet. Love and light to you all!