There was a car accident on the way here.

The year of 2012 was a huge year for me. Life changes, challenges and a plethora of wild and crazy experiences not to be forgotten. It'd be an understatement to say that year has changed me as a person. It has shaped my views entirely, and I no longer look through the same set of eyes as I did before. I mean I still am that hard-working nurturing character my family and friends have always known, but everything I do now, I understand the purpose. And everything is done with ease. No matter how trying the situation.

Now I don't mean to be rude or insensitive when I say this, because I know I was a huge culprit myself, but people should not complain. Complaining is possibly one of the most debilitating habits one could foster. By complaining you set the foundation for a negative mindset and everything beyond this is just as annoying to you. If you're complaining about a task, it also hinders your ability to focus, and instead continue to think how much better life would be if you could avoid it.

Let me tell you about the time my single mum (aged 64 this year) reluctantly resigned from work due to an nerve impingement on her spine. She, like any other migrant Vietnamese woman, is a hard-worker, passionate about life and has that unconditional love for her family (myself as the only child). When she first experienced the pain, she ignored it and kept pushing on so she could proudly provide for her family. But when the pain became unbearable and she suffered difficulty in walking, she knew she had to finally give in. I clearly remember the moment she broke the news to me - the moment where she felt that she had failed me as a mother.

They say that it is one of the most heartbreaking things to see your mother cry. This particular moment absolutely gutted me, with a blunt and rusty knife, slowly. She turned to face me, tears forming in her eyes as she reached out and gently put her hand on my shoulder "I'm sorry, Mai. I can't do it any more." There was silence in the wake of this announcement. But inside I was screaming for her to take back the apology and that we were going to be alright. In all honesty, I was more scared than I had ever been before, and all I could envision was the worst.We weren't going to be alright, this was a disaster. The emotions were intense. There was fear in the air, disappointment and utter grief. But somewhere amongst that was a tiny spec of hope, fainter than the dimmest star. It was a load of bullshit to me. How could we recover from this one? This tunnel didn't even have an end to it to find a light! But I had I had to believe there was that little bit of hope hidden somewhere amongst all the fear, and I had to find it to lead my way. I needed a push. I was frozen with fear of the overwhelming responsibilities that were now bestowed upon me and the helplessness of being unable to relieve my mum of the agony she suffered every moment of the day. Yes, I cried. I cried so many nights away I thought I would dehydrate and pass out. And I'm sure I almost reached that point before I stopped and realised how pathetic it was to cry for so long and not do anything about the situation. Because it wasn't going to go away.

I wiped the tears away from my cheeks, took a deep breath and straightened out my shirt. "Game on." I ploughed my way through the struggles of every day, ball and chain- waking up when the moon was still out to prepare mum's breakfast before working long hours in a shitty office far from home so we'd have enough to pay our rent and have food on the table, attending classes and complete my assignments as a full time student and then finally returning home to tend to mum's basic needs once again since she hadn't been able to leave her bed all day. Not once did I complain. If I complained, it would have negative and ramifying effects on the people I loved. I accepted the situation and understood that the severity of it all would not pass unless I worked hard to change it. One thing I knew was that we weren't always going to be stuck in this forever- and no matter how much I hated hearing people say those generic and often thoughtless one-liners "It was going to be okay". Every morning I woke up, I reminded myself that I woke up stronger, better able to face my reality. I looked to God for strength. I looked to my passed ancestors for strength. I didn't ask for a miracle, but for the ability to make the situation better out of my own actions. And as months passed, it did. I will refer to this anecdote many times throughout my blog, as there are many smaller chapters within this that contain valuable lessons.

But for now- the way you should look at every obstacle or tedious task, is a chance to grow. "The difference between a good day and a bad day, is your attitude". Change that attitude and the brightness settings on your whole world will be increased.

Sorry, I couldn't get here any earlier!

It's finally reached that stage in my university life where I have to sit down and think - where do I want to work and where exactly do I want to go? If you know me, you'd probably expect me to launch into a spiel about my future plans but much to people's disbelief, personally for me, it's still a scary ponder and I know for a fact that I'm not the only one out there struggling to answer these questions with confidence. And often those who struggle to answer these questions (myself) are lead to feel underachieved and lost. Not everyone possesses that burning passion to be something amazing- that calling for greatness. And unfortunately it's not something you're born with either. I remember when I was little, I used to think I'd always know what I wanted to be and that I'd be working in an amazing job immediately after uni. But once you're at uni, you're faced with the harsh reality of how hard it is to find a job in a field that you're truly passionate about.

I'm Alicia (formerly or better known as Mai) and I'm your average Marketing student, standing at 154cm tall with an inseparable love for bread. Right now I'm going through that tedious process that some of you may be all to familiar with- applying for graduate programs. I find myself hesitating at each question, wondering if Marketing is really where I want to go. Most people have come to know me as the food blogger or fitness junkie, and whilst these are indeed some of my favourite hobbies, they are just part of the road to finding where I really 'belong' in society.

I have lately found it difficult to express myself in my applications which to me seems ironic because I'm constantly chatting away about important (money, relationships, health, work and of course clothing) matters throughout the day. It's not as if I don't have an opinion on things, I have plenty to say- but I have really been struggling to articulate my ideas, and to do so eloquently. I hope to improve that over time by sharing with you, my thoughts and struggle stories of how I've gotten to where I am, as the person I am today. And of course including all the current affairs of my (extremely exciting) life and where I may possibly end up in this journey. With a bit of encouragement from a girl friend (one of the most positive and hard working girls I have been blessed to have met), I decided I'd take it up a notch from my simpleton's recipe blog and try for something more literate. So here we have the birth of this new blog that will be filled with hopeful anecdotes, positive affirmations and an appreciation for the journey of life (read blog address really quickly).... Alicia made it.