As a student who just finished my sophomore year in high school, I would say it was very successful and honestly it went by soooo fast! I remember the first day of sophomore year: intimidating, nerve-wrecking and exciting. If I only knew then all the accomplishments that happened during the year, I would have been more confident. Well, now I know ;)

From receiving the grades I wanted, to receiving new positions made me reflect a lot on all the new things I have learnt over the year.

Lesson #1: Stressing doesn't make anything better.

• This one is quite a personal one for me, because I ALWAYS stress. always. It is just this thing that I can't control, once I do something I always have this gut feeling of "what if." Honestly its quite bad, my friends don't even take it into consideration anymore because I always say "Oh my gosh, I don't think I did that well..." and end up getting a higher grade then them, if not even an 100. haha. Honestly, its quite funny but I really should realize that, stressing won't change anything that has happened and trust me, it won't make it any better.

Lesson #2: Tests do not define who you are.

• In my experiences, whenever I didn't get the results I wanted, I always thought it was the end of the world. Although I make sure I study and do good on all of my tests, I noticed that even if I did bad in a test, for instance, "graphing and analyzing absolute values," it doesn't define who I am, nor determine your success in life. 

Lesson #3: Hard work pays off.

• All I can say is that, there is nothing false about this statement. If you know what you want, and you truly desire something, you would need to work for it. It might be hard at the moment, but it will all be worth it by the end. :)

Lesson #4: The more you study, the easier the test.

• This isn't anything new, but there were times that I was guilty of studying the night before a test... whoops? Although, I end up studying hard core, it isn't enough time to take the actual exam without any struggles. I always regret it after, but I end up doing it over again. :/ However, if you think about it, it's like lesson three above: if you study hard (even if you are having a hard time), you wouldn't need to stress and the test would be a breeze.

Ever since I have started blogging, I always knew that I was going to be sharing my content through Bloglovin'.

For anyone who doesn't know, Bloglovin' is a website where you can view all your favorite blogs in one place!  You have the option to follow as many blogs through your account, where you will also receive notifications of when new blog posts are being published too.

Furthermore, I use Bloglovin' because I believe it is the most easiest and versatile way for me to start a following and connect with other users. There I can connect with other bloggers by liking and commenting on their posts, plus, I can also share my favorites on my profile page.

In addition, Bloglovin' makes it super easy to share my posts on two domains: my website (www.nicochulin.com) & Bloglovin' at the same time! Without the extra bother of uploading it manually twice, once I have claimed my blog it automatically connects with one another. Meaning, once I upload anything to my site it goes straight to Bloglovin' too! Cool, right?

For many aspiring to become successful bloggers, I truly support the use of this application as it works perfectly for building an audience, and its purpose of sharing content. I love how simple it is to use and the minimalistic looks of the site. It's functions are easy to understand and I have never hesitated towards any of my actions on Bloglovin'.

Thank you Bloglovin' for helping me connect and share my content with others! <3

As May has sadly come to an end, it only means one thing... I have officially launched the June Challenge for my blog! (click here to read more about it).

In addition, since it is the start of a new month, it would only be fitting to mention my new goals for the next several weeks!

Here it is -

1. Successfully complete my June Challenge (click here to read more about it)
2. Complete any form of exercise everyday
3. Clear out materials no longer needed from the finishing school year
4. Practice playing the piano daily! (I'm super excited about this one!)
5. Organize my workspace
6. Eat healthy and drink lots of water!

Lately, I have been thinking about how I want to grow my audience throughout the next two months as it will be the perfect time to solemnly focus on my blog.

So...

I decided that I will start publishing DAILY during the whole month of JUNE! Eek!

Personally, I am so excited as I haven't done anything like this before and it will be so much fun!

Make sure to leave any suggestions in the comments if you have any requests!!


Today marks exactly 6 days until my birthday! Plus, I only have 2 more weeks of school left!
I am thrilled for the summer as I feel like I have been waiting for a whole year! haha. I have a lot planned for July as I will travel to Israel for the month and meet my family! Hi, if you are reading ;)
I will definitely be posting about it too!

In addition, I am super happy to announce that I will start learning how to play the piano as it has been a wish of mine for a quite a while.

Thanks for reading and stay tuned during the exciting month of June for nicochulin!

The other day, I was searching through Quora and as I was reading random questions, I happened to stumble upon this:

What was something that someone said or did that has changed you forever?" 

Furthermore, as I was reading the comments that is when I saw this quote:

As April reaches its end, I now look forward to my most favorite month of the year - May!

During May, it is usually the time of year a high school student like me must complete all school end of course exams, eek! However, besides the stress of testing, May was the month I was born! I love the feeling of May due to the thrill and joy I receive from weeks to come!

As usual, here are my hopes and aspirations for the upcoming month!

• Succeed in all of my school exams to come! (I have 5 tests to take including A.P) 😖
• Plan fun activities and birthday ideas for my sweet 16!
• Hit the gym more often
• Drink more water!
• Limit the amount of chocolate I consume (except for my birthday ;D)
• Upload as much blog posts this month - keep a look out! 

April 12, 2017

As a girl who grew up with the "London look" I believe it was time for a change, especially since I have been waiting to put these on for quite a while.

A lot of people has reached out to me and said, "Congrats but I'm so sorry for you!" However, I respond by saying, "Thanks, I am actually really happy."

This might sound ironic especially because of the pain many have to endure during the process, but honestly, I could only smile during my appointment. :)

As it has become the end of March, I have realized that I have learned a lot of valuable lessons throughout the last 4 weeks. I have to admit, this month has been hectic but in many ways wonderful. I got to attend a lot of amazing events, and I got to travel back to Hong Kong. However, throughout this time I have also been hurt by people I once thought would change over time.

Not everything will be easy in life, and my life is definitely not perfect but I have come to realize that I should use these dark times of mine and take note from it. Although, I say this now it doesn't mean I am always able to do this but I really felt like I learnt a handful of powerful lessons from others and from me during this time of year.

I wish I can explain each and every lesson I have put out but I have the fear of exposing the people who might read this. Although, that is very unlikely, I definitely want to share to my readers that I have learned and hopefully teach others that it is okay to fall sometimes, but what counts is how you get back up.

1. Spend time with people who like you back
2. Make sure to back up any information on your devices
3. When bad things happen, being angry/depressed doesn't make it any better
4. Find positivity in times of darkness
5. Work hard, and you will be rewarded

First mistake: I always told myself that I would never lose my phone. Meaning, I barely backed up any of my information and I didn't save any of it to my other devices.

I used my phone for everything. I had thousands of photos with great memories... All my personal accounts were being used 24/7, such as my social media platforms to connect with friends and family.  I basically had all my information being held in this device, if one was to look through it, you would know everything about me.

I dont understand... one would think that if you are always using your phone, you would always know where it is. In actual truth, this is FALSE.

You may never know what can happen to your mobile devices, and after today I will never make the same mistake.

Lets rewind...

It was March 7, 2017 as I was visiting my hometown, Hong Kong. (Lets just acknowledge that I am not even home and I am traveling overseas.) It was a great day as I was visiting my old school and friends.

I got to meet many people that I haven't seen in over 2 years and I was very excited. The day started with me taking great photos of the city itself with my sister, Sophie. We walked through the streets with our cameras ready, trying to take the perfect shot. As it was my 4th day in Hong Kong, I had already collected a full album of pictures I was ready to post for my blog.

After visiting my school I decided to hang out with some of my prior classmates. We went to "Central" consisting of many shops and places to eat. Being me, we obviously went to Starbucks. We had a good time as we were catching up on everything we missed in each others lives. It was fun.

We decided to take a taxi back home. We were chatting away in the back of the taxi with my phone on my lap. Here is where it gets complicated...

When it finally reached my stop, I'm not 100% sure of what happened exactly but I must have put my phone down to give hugs to all my friends. It was hard getting off the taxi since there was a limited amount of space, meaning I must have rushed out. As I was walking to my hotel I wanted to check in with my family and by the time I noticed I didn't have my phone, I panicked. I immediately rush back to the street to find out that the taxi has already left.

Long story short - My friends never found my phone and my life was over. jk. But, in all seriousness, I am truly shocked and upset. I never thought that this would happen to me... I am heartbroken.

I know its only an object, but just the thought of losing all my information (photos, open emails, contacts, social media accounts) and leaving it in the hands of another is truly daunting. I will miss all the photos that I have taken, especially since I hold memories sentimental to the heart.

P.S. can we also just mention, that I am going to have to pay for the cost of a new phone... :/

Well, this is it. Hopefully, this would only happen once in my life, and I will learn from this experience.

Please share this with friends and family. I would love to spread the awareness of how important it is to back up and save all your information.

You never know what might happen.

My blog is quite new, and I noticed that I haven't really introduced myself. So lets start from the beginning...

Hi! My name is Nicole and I am currently attending high school. I am a 15 year old teenager, who dreams of achieving a life filled with joy and happiness. (lol. I apologize in advance, for being extremely cheesy, but it's true! :P)

Anyways, here are a handful of questions that I would be answering for today!

What is your middle name?

• In my family, a middle name isn't considered necessary and therefore, I don't have one.

Although it is a little late, I still thought it would be worth collecting a few goals for this month.

So far, February has been quite a rollercoaster and to be honest, I am super stressed. Hopefully, these goals will keep me on track and only towards positive things. :)

• Continue developing my blog
• Work hard towards everything I do
• Drink lots of water
• Eat healthy (limit the amount of chocolate I eat :P)
• Sleep earlier - No later than 12
• Write more 

• Vist Hawaii
• Visit the Maldives
• Visit all 7 wonders of the world
• Go zip Lining
• Go skydiving
• Go on a road trip
• See the Mona Lisa
• Go to the Eiffel Tower
• Go skiing
• Go scuba diving
• See the Northern Lights
• See a full rainbow
• Go on a hot air balloon
• Go swimming with dolphins
• Touch Snow
• Run a marathon
• Learn to play an instrument
• Go on a helicopter
• Go surfing
• Explore a cave
• Go bamboo rafting
• Make a snowman
• Fly first class
• Go star-gazing
• Go paragliding
• Have a food fight
• Solve a rubiks cube
• Let go of a floating lantern
• Go to La Tomatina
• Stay at an ice hotel
• Do a color run
• Do a foam glow run
• Go an a picnic
• Visit the Golden Gate
• Go on a Segway
• Be in an escape room
• Go to Japan
• Go to India
• Go to Dubai

Happy New Year! :) Eek! I can't believe it's already January of 2017! I know that 2016 wasn't a great year in general, however, personally it was a really successful one for me. Therefore, I am hoping that I can kick off this year with a great start! To do so, these are my goals that I wish to accomplish!

• Start my 5 year-journal and remember to write in it everyday
• Start eating healthy
• Try to limit as much chocolate as possible
• Read at least 2 books
• Publish at least 4 posts
• Grow my following!

As the new year approaches it is time for me to round up a list of personal goals for the upcoming year. Although, it isn't always possible to achieve them at times, it is always nice to check up on yourself and evaluate your actions. I believe that there is always room for self - improvement and it is never to late to start over. If you aren't happy with yesterday, try something different today.

Well, here are my resolutions!

Sleep Earlier - Alright, I admit it... I am very guilty for sleeping late every night. I dont know why but I feel like most of my ideas sprout during this time of day. Although, I should amend the times I go to sleep, I believe it is fair for my body that I sleep a tad earlier.

Reduce Procrastination - In my case, I have a very bad tendency to procrastinate. There would be times that I spend hours and hours doing nothing, eventually avoiding all costs to finish my assignments. However, I always get it done but end up stressing at the last minute!

Get in Shape - Being petite, doesn't mean I am fit haha. This might sound very ironic but it's funny because I actually have a gym that I can access 24/7 however, I barely go. This new year I'm hoping to exercise enough so I could be fit and at least be healthier for my body.

Read More Books - Growing up I have never had the habit of picking a book in my own time, however, I have read many literature books throughout my years in school. I am hoping this year I will buy books that would fascinate me so I can read at home and gain as much knowledge and writing skills from doing so.

Keep a Journal - I have always had this in the back of my mind but I have never actually put the effort to do so. Personally, I believe it would be very cool to keep a journal so I can record my day-to- day experiences thus I can read it in the future.

Display Maximum Effort - I am hoping to begin a new year by putting maximum effort in everything I do. Although as human beings many of us forget to do so, I hope that one day I could apply it to everything I pursue in the future.

Be Happy - For whatever may come my way, I hope to have an amazing year full of joy and happiness. I will try my best to make everything the best that I can make it and hopefully have a swift  year too.

As I was in the middle of finishing my school work, I happened to drift away and think of all the things I wish to accomplish this month. Knowing that I have many hopes and dreams, I started deliberating on how I would be able to succeed in all that I do. As my thoughts began to develop into a large image, I thought to myself that it is only fitting that I write about it!

 So, here we go! I hope to...

• Achieve everything I hope to accomplish!
• Stop procrastinating, be productive!
• Grow my blog
• Upgrade and share my blog content
• Have an amazing winter break
• Relax, don’t overthink situations
• Continue growing my Pinterest account
• Upload as many posts as possible!
• Don't forget to water my plant everyday!

In my past experiences, whenever I have felt down and upset I have always enjoyed searching up inspiring and motivational quotes. It uplifts my mood knowing that someone in the world has gone through my problem and resolved it, knowing that everything will turn out fine.

If you are like me, I consider quotes to be sentimental to the heart and once in a while I tend to search for more in my free time. In fact, a couple months ago I was motivated to start jotting down all my favorite quotes in one notebook of mine. As months have progressed, I have grown quite a large collection and I decided it would be best to roundup my favorite quotes and share it to those who could receive some inspiration too. As you would expect, it is in fact quite hard to pick just a handful of quotes from hundreds of well-thought and brilliant ones. 

Well, here are some of my favorites!

"Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible." - Francis of Assisi

"You dont always need a plan. Sometimes you just need to breathe, trust, let go and see what happens." - Mandy Hale

"Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by it's ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid." - Albert Einstein 

"Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react to it." - Dennis P. Kimbro