Photo by Al Soot Al Soot (@anspchee) via Unsplash.

Happy spring, friends! I haven’t made any time to write, so I’m behind on February’s update. But here I am. It’s honestly coming at the perfect time because, like I always say, writing helps me process things.

First, my heart goes out to the people of Ukraine. The war on Ukraine by Russian President Vladimir Putin makes me feel sick and scared. As a multiracial woman of color with Russian blood running through my veins, I feel ashamed to be Russian and ashamed that I feel that way.

When Belarus was still part of Russia, my mom’s great-grandma and grandpa left Belarus for a better life. My mom’s research shows they went from Belarus to China to Kauai, where my mom’s Baba (grandma) was born, and they arrived in Honolulu in 1910, where they settled. 

This year, I chose the word “identity” as my word of the year because I wanted to feel confident in who I am. When I first chose this word, I felt like I had finally made peace with my past and was ready to move forward. But, as I continue my growth journey, the question “who am I,” haunts me, even more so when I think about starting a family.

Growing up multiracial had its challenges. Although I’m Hawaiian, Filipino, Japanese, Portuguese, and Russian, my parents mostly raised us Hawaiian-Filipino-American, and there are times in my life when I remember feeling like a fraud because I identified with one race more than the others.

When I think about starting our family, I love the idea of raising our children Mexican-Hawaiian-American, and I want them to grow up speaking Spanish, Hawaiian, or both. But I also want them to identify with their other races. We don’t even have kids yet — and we aren’t actively trying — but these are just some of the random thoughts I worry about now that I’m 30.

I started working out again last month, and I’m so proud of myself for sticking with it. It was a little tough to get started, especially after I tested positive for COVID in January, but I did it, and I never felt better. And I’m proud to say that I’m not doing it to lose weight either. I’m just doing what feels good for my body, and this feels good. I love it!

ON THE BLOG AND ELSEWHERE

I don’t have much to share on the blog front, but I did manage to update my Disney travel guide, “When to Visit Disneyland in 2022,” with new information, including the dates for the return of nighttime entertainment. I also posted a few new posts to Instagram, like my new Kate Spade purse, this new hair oil from Fable & Mane I’m loving, and info on how to get Mickey Mouse to give you a wake-up call.

WHAT I READ

Last month, I only read one book, “A Lot Like Adiós” by Alexis Daria. “A Lot Like Adiós” is Daria’s second book in her Primas of Power series. It’s a friends to enemies to lovers contemporary romance novel that follows the lives of estranged besties Michelle Amato and Gabriel Aguilar. I love that the story features strong and vulnerable Latinx characters, two characteristics rarely used to describe Latinx characters in many mainstream movies and T.V. (Except Jane Villanueva from “Jane the Virgin,” which served as an inspiration to Daria when she wrote the first book in the series, “You Had Me at Hola.”)

“A Lot Like Adiós” was sexy, emotional, and heartbreaking. I had a tough time putting it down, and I can’t wait to read the next book in the series!

WHAT I WATCHED

Last month I finished watching “Jane the Virgin,” and season two of “Love is Blind.” I also watched more “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” but took a break because I was powering through that show even faster than the first time.

I also started watching “Promised Land,” a drama surrounding a Hispanic-owned vineyard in Sonoma. It’s filled with family drama, lies, and deceit, and my mouth hangs open in shock after every episode because it’s that good.

That was my February in a nutshell. I hope you enjoyed this month’s recap (albeit a little late), and I look forward to catching up with you next month. Take care!