Contrary to my typical habits, I'm not a shopper when I travel. I much more prefer the reward of photos and memories as souvenirs. Though during my recent trip to Singapore, the cozy, independently-owned boutiques of the famous Haji Lane had a lure that I could not resist.

To date this dramatically pleated top is one of my favorite clothing purchases from a vacation. The design speaks to everything that Haji Lane is -- one of a kind. The narrow pedestrian street is lined with boutiques you won't find anywhere else, each with its own personality. I personally love the ability to pair this top with the simplest outfit without really being simple at all. Shopping on Haji is as much a cultural experience as most other local tourist sites, and it's at the top of my list for a longer visit on my next trip to Singapore.

I'm writing this just after reading a letter addressed to myself, written by myself as an 18 year-old high school senior. "As of now, I have big plans for myself," it reads. I remember my excitement about this class assignment asking us to write letters to our future selves, to later be mailed out by the school five years later. It was, however, that last thing I expected to receive on this typical January weekend.

I've come to learn that your twenties are precious. It's a time of instability, discovery, and endless cycles of challenge and success. Reading this letter quickly had me holding back tears, as cliché as that sounds. Not for reasons of nostalgia or regret, but more out of realization. Of the goals I had set for myself five years ago, almost all have been accomplished thus far (minus consistent exercise of course). It was that kind of realization that makes you step back to acknowledge everything you have to appreciate.

Emotionally speaking, the start of this new year has been exactly what the twenties are -- unpredictable. Waves of feeling burnt out are followed by elation and determination, and often times I'm not sure what my next steps should be. But realizing that I've now exceeded my 18 year-old expectations is a small but much-needed feeling of encouragement. As my final partnership with Reebok's #PerfectNever campaign, I want to pass off the reminder that the inevitability of challenge should never offset accomplishment of any scale. Stay proud of your present and determined for your future. Things will fall into place. Please excuse the cheese.

If there is one thing I can say about New Orleans, it's that you will never forget it. The city grows on you unpredictably, with a wonderfully bizarre culture unmatched by anywhere else in the world. I'll admit I didn't fall in love with NOLA in a day, but it didn't take much longer to become immersed into its incredibly unique community. There is no definitively ideal way to experience the Crescent City, but I've shared all the highlights from my recent trip below: 

Hello, 2017! I still can't believe how quickly you've come. With the relaxing nature of Christmas weekend, every year I find myself scrambling afterwards to make plans for New Years. This time around, my boyfriend and I opted to stay in for a cozy celebration with just the necessities -- Netflix and excessive amounts of food, of course.

I remember in college feeling self-pressured to celebrate New Years in the glitziest, most sequin-covered way possible. I'm still not much older, but this time the new year felt more like a quiet reminder than a holiday -- to appreciate, prioritize, pursue, and grow. A night together over wine and cheese followed by a West Village morning was all we needed to ring in 2017. How did you celebrate?