Happy International Women's Day

“A flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms.”

— Zen Shin

Happy International Women's Day! Ladies, my wish for you all is that we will all be able to live freely and know that you can do ANYTHING you set your mind to! YOU can be anyone you want to be because you're crazy beautiful, smart and amazingly talented in your own right. We are all unique. I love you all, through good and bad because even though we are flawed, this will never take away our self-worth because we all matter! It's what you do is what counts. To each and every day, I hope yours is as wonderful as you are.

So, why do so many women have 'frenemies', then? You know, the women who say they want you to win but deep down, hope you lose. Ick! I can't stand anyone who thinks they're better than someone else for whatever ridiculous reason they've concocted up in their head. I'm a lover, not a hater. I can, within five minutes after meeting someone, tell whether or not they're a genuine person. And no, I'm not always 100% right (because who is) and yes, people still surprise me but in light of taking better care of myself, I've steered clear of anyone who brings any kind of negative or fake vibe. It's such a loss of time and energy. I just can't.

See to me, the community of women is greater than competition. That's the beauty of New York as well. You never know who you're going to meet or what you'll end up doing! But when it comes to some women and their attitude towards their driven career paths, they can very much be 'mean girls'. Which is why last week when I attended a blogger network party, thanks to the wonderful hostesses from Out of Office NY, I was a bit uncertain of what the environment was going to be like and also what kind of women I'd be meeting. But to my pleasant surprise, everyone was so genuine and sweet as cherry pie! I loved how we were all rooting for each other rather than talking behind each other's backs. I'm all for celebrating every woman's success, both in work and in life. I very much look forward to getting to know these fabulous women better and meeting other like-minded bloggers in the future!

Lastly, here are some selected photos from the New York Botanical Garden's desert section. You know what's one of the things on my bucket list? To see the sunrise alone in the desert. There's something completely isolating about it, yet at the same time, overwhelmingly connected to everything. The older I get the more I'm in tune with mother nature. I respect her and admire her. And yes, I am convinced she's female! :) Hope you all enjoyed my favorite photos from the NYBG. (Click source below for all the orchid photos.) Coming up next on the blog is a new food recipe! I'm not telling you what it is, but know I'm sticking to Korean fusion cuisine! Stay tuned...

Love & xx's,

FOLLOW MAQ + SUZ