-->

Theme Layout

Boxed or Wide or Framed

Theme Translation

Display Featured Slider

Featured Slider Styles

3/recent posts

Display Grid Slider

Grid Slider Styles

Display Trending Posts

Display Author Bio

Display Instagram Footer

Dark or Light Style

Instagram

6878507.1677ed0.b67ade2255fe4e5ea922fd4abddade1d

Slider Widget

3/fashion/slider

Looking for something?

Powered by Blogger.

About Me

About Me
CrystalPhuong.net is a Personal Style & Travel Blog based in Singapore, written by Crystal Phuong. The blog was nominated FOUR times in Top 10 Best Fashion Blogs in the annual Singapore Blog Award from 2012- 2015, voted as one of the Best Lifestyle Blogs in Singapore in 2013 by Hotelclub.com, and Best Travel Blogs in 2016 by Foodpanda.com. Crystal hopes to connect and inspire young women to lead a healthy and happy life. Be confident, be positive, and be kind.

WHERE I AM AT 34




I should have written this blog post on November 5th when I turned 34, but I was too busy celebrating, and I didn't know what to write. So I left it until now. As 2018 is going to an end in just a few minutes, I’ll make this as a 34-years in a nutshell post. One stone kills two birds. 

I love looking back at old photos. They remind me of my younger-self: how insecure, inexperienced, and innocent I was and how much I’ve grown up. I hope by the time I’m 40 years old, I’ll have solved some puzzles in my life which I’m still trying to figure out. Right now, I know I’m on the right path, and if I continue improving myself, everything will fall into place. Writing a post like this every year is like patting myself on the back and saying "You've done well. Don't give up!" 

BEAUTY & HEALTH

When I was 25, beauty was never on my priority list. Unless I went for a dance performance, competition, or a photo shoot, I never liked to put on makeup, let alone spending a few hours in a hair or a beauty salon. Besides, I was still young. My hair and skin looked good, why would I waste money on beauty treatments? I also never went to a gym. My mom forced me to take her healthy supplements, but I always forgot until they were expired. 


Now that I'm 34, health becomes the most important item on my list. When I was sick, my mom and dad couldn't sleep at all because they were worried about me. If I can’t take care of myself, how can I take care of my family? That thought motivates me to take my health seriously. I started practicing yoga since last year, eating healthy, taking health supplements, going to the gym or exercising at home whenever I could. My body transformed. I feel healthier, stronger, and happier. It's incredible. I still don't like to apply heavy makeup, but I put more effort into skincare. Honestly, I love the Crystal at 34 a lot more than the Crystal at 25. Growing old suddenly becomes less stressful and more fun. 



FAMILY

If you follow my Instagram stories, you’ll know how close I am to my family. The family has always been a strong pillar of support for me over the years. Living far away from everyone means I'm often missed out on family events, unfortunately. Many times I wished I was home so I could give my mom and dad a big hug on their birthday, take them out on Mother's & Father's Day, or even have a drink with my brother. That is why I will do everything I can to spend more time with them and make them feel happy. Whether it's a Taiwan trip with my mom and dad or a short trip home to throw the 1st birthday party for my nephew, it makes my day whenever I see a big smile on their face. As long as they are healthy, I'm happy. 




CAREER

For the longest time, I've always been questioning myself "What do I want to do in my career?". I was lucky that I had many opportunities to do different things at a young age (5 years old). From a singer, a dancer, and a dance teacher to an actress, a host, and a model, I enjoyed being on stage or in front of the camera so much that I thought I was born to be a performer. At the same time, the other part of me wanted to be a businesswoman, so I chose to study "Business Management" instead of accepting the Performing Arts scholarship.


Then, when I started writing a blog and stepped into the fashion industry in 2012, I gave up the "art performer" dream and had a desire to run my own fashion business and being a professional blogger instead. But when I had to choose between getting paid to blog full time and working in a technology company in the hospitality industry. I wanted to be in the hospitality industry instead. I wanted to travel. I'm glad I made that decision, and I found the career that I've been looking. Not only do I have a good job, but I also have a wonderful boss who trusts, supports, and helps me spread my wings to fly. She makes my days at work so fun and fulfilling. We are only at the beginning of our journey. I can't wait for the new year to start.  



FRIENDS

They say good friends are like stars. You don't always see them, but you know they are there. I'm lucky that I have many shining stars around me. They are there during my good and bad time. They don't just lend me their listening ears. They offer their helping hands when I need. I wonder “what have I done in my previous life that I have many guardian angels with me in this life.” They are like my brothers and sisters. Some I know for more than ten years, others I meet less than a year but feel like we already knew each other for a long time. I’ll probably have more bridesmaids than I need by the time I decide to be a bride. I'm not complaining. It's a happy problem to have.



LOVE

Every girl loves being a princess on her wedding day. Some take a longer time to find their true love story than others. I’m very good at managing other parts of my life (Work, Health, Family), Love is the only thing that makes me feel out of control. I lost count how many times in the past 16 years (since I started dating), I looked up at the sky and wondered: "Where and who is my Prince Charming? Why it’s so hard to meet him?". Every time I fell in love, I had my heart broken over and over again. After so many heartbreaks and lessons, I learned that Love is not just a feeling. It's not just a word. It's not about the number of expensive presents a guy gives you. It's a choice, a commitment, and an action. We chose to love someone and accept them for who they are, including their flaws. Loving someone means we'll do everything we can to make the other person happy. We are inspired to be a better version of ourselves. We are willing to stay with them during the tough times and be their best supporter. In one of my love stories, I came to realize that loving someone also means letting them go and wishing them all the happiness whether you are a part of it. They say “God knows when you are ready for a marriage, he'll send the right man to you at the right time.” Apparently, I wasn't ready.


I wanted to get married at the age of 25. It didn't happen. I set my marriage goal at 27 years old. Again, I broke up. The same thing happened when I was 29 and 30 years old. All these years, I asked myself "Why do I want to get married?". The answers were: I want to get married because I'm getting old; My parents want me to get married; I need to find stability and security, and the list goes on". None of the answers was "I want to spend the rest of my life with him." Not that I didn't have a feeling for any of my ex-boyfriends at that time, I just had too many doubts and fear in my head. I didn't feel "right" like what everyone kept telling me "You'll know it if he is the right one."  So I walked away before things got worse and wanted to focus on loving myself first before I can love someone else.



Now,  I still don’t know if and when I will get married, but I no longer have the pressure of "I'm getting old" or "My parents want me to get married." I'm self-sufficient and enjoying my single life to its fullest. I love myself and I'm content with what I have. I don't need a man to give me financial stability. I'm not looking for a man to bring me happiness because I'm already happy. When I think of getting married to someone, I think of how much I want to share my positivity, joy, and my life with that person. Life is not always sunshine and butterflies. I won't mind going through storms with that person as long as he respects, trusts, and loves me as his life partner. A great relationship requires hard work, open communications, honesty, and a whole lot of bedtime activities. I get that.



Have I given up on love? Not yet. I still believe somewhere out there in this world, my Mr. Right is still finding his way to me. It might take him some time to get here. Until that mysterious guy appears, I’m taking one day at a time and keeping my mind open to see what happens.
For now, I’m happy, and I'm thankful for all the experiences life has given me. I'm ready to move on to the next chapter. And I’m so ready for 2019!

Happy New Year to me, you, and your family!
Thank you for reading! 
Crystal Phuong
0 Comments
Share This Post :

You Might Also Like

[name=Crystal Phuong] [img=https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2rX6quipNhI/XFfam4j35qI/AAAAAAAADZ0/AFDn5ZbYgqYT6sRbDXwMStFHz5PPDHFMgCK4BGAYYCw/w345-h245-c/Crystal-Phuong] [description=Singapore Travel & Lifestyle Blogger, hoping to connect and inspire young women to lead a healthy and happy life] (facebook=https://facebook.com/crystalphuong) (twitter=https://twitter.com/ncrystalicious) (instagram=https://instagram.com/crystalphuong)

Follow @CRYSTALPHUONG