Aileen Liew

"I just came back from China and it was my third time going. It was a beautiful experience this time around because of the unpaved trails we took and the clean and pristine look of everything there. It was neat because our Uber driver even doubled as our tour guide and the best part was the really good food! My favorite part was the entire trip, and especially the Yunnan Province. We spent 5 whole days there!...I've had my IG for a few months now and decided to finally make myself a self-hosted blog. I plan on sharing a lot of the photos of my travels and showcasing a bit of everything! I want to showcase my aesthetic reflecting different design and cultures. Right now I'm majoring in marketing and I definitely want to delve into the creative field. From photography to design, I ultimately would want to become an influencer.For me, I personally don't feel like I should have to cover up something that makes up a part of me, including tattoos and piercings. That would mean I would be someone I'm completely not, and I don't want to sacrifice who I am as a person.I was pretty shy in high school and never cared what people thought of me, but I feel like I gained a lot more self confidence in college. I feel like me life has changed exponentially since leaving high school, and people would comment about how 'I've changed,' but I've really only changed the way I present myself as an open-minded individual.I picked up a DSLR in November of last year and when I started the @urbanisers Instagram I felt like I was really rushed when blogging, but now I feel a lot more prepared with my experience taking photo and writing.It's so interesting to see artists, content creators, and baristas in their element. Growing up with a traditional background, my parents think there is only one way to live, that's the typical K-12 schooling, going to college, marriage, and so on. In my culture, people have kids early on and become "successful" in their white collar job. I've honestly never felt happier until I went to college. I think that just by being yourself and creating the life you ant to live is the only way to be creative and successful."

We met Aileen at our Launch Party back in June and she let us know that she's been following Coffee & Convos since the very beginning when we had a small following! It's great to have met amazing supporters and share what Coffee & Convos means to them. We've had a few times to reconnect since then and we finally had a chance to have an official Coffee & Convos at Heartwork Coffee Bar! She shared everything from her love for travel, design, and writing. We talked about culture, societal expectations, and how being yourself is one of the most important things. And we couldn't agree more!