PETRI.CHARD

An Open Journal For The Nearly Inspired

Petri.chard is a play on Petrichor — the earthy scent produced when rain falls on dry soil. A reminiscent smell from my childhood, the beauty of life beyond the thunderstorm.

I created this quiet space to openly share my experiences. My perspectives are subject to change. My life is constantly evolving. This is my time capsule, to be witnessed by a future self. To recall the time I spent here, and laugh about how much I've yet to understand.

Thank you for taking part in this journey.

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Death is a fixture.

It’s been a while. I’m existing in a limbo state of figuring out what’s next. Every time I feel like I’m about to get my head above water...

Richard Chao

Aug 23, 20251 min read

Fear Not, For You Will Fail Again.

This is a somber, yet cathartic way to start the year. My values haven't changed. The grief of letting love go is all too familiar. As I...

Richard Chao

Feb 10, 20252 min read

Be realistic.

I think we have this idea of what love is. Is it kindness? It it understanding? it it passion? Is it undefined? Do we need definitions?...

Richard Chao

Dec 21, 20242 min read

I am.

I am grateful. I am elusive. I am tenacious. I am magnetic. I am ethereal. I am outrageous. I am unabashful. I am torpid. I am trapped in...

Richard Chao

Jun 16, 20241 min read

Take Pause

There are no eyes watching. There is no judge, jury, witness. There’s just you. What do you do? The way I reflect on life leaves me with...

Richard Chao

May 27, 20241 min read

At what point.

I have not written in a while. It’s because I haven’t been happy with myself. Taking a moment to reflect on who I’ve become and how it’s...

Richard Chao

May 22, 20242 min read

I Feel Better

These past few months were a lot of emotions. Mostly positive, productive, and enlightening. I haven't been in a super sexy mood since...

Richard Chao

Feb 18, 20234 min read

Sorry... truly

I keep hoping I've hit rock bottom and there's nothing left to lose. Turns out, there's a whole layer of trauma beneath the surface. I...

Richard Chao

Nov 28, 20221 min read

Happy.. er?

Tonight was a wonderful night, being surrounded by Burning Man campmates. It's comforting to be in a safe space and just lose yourself a...

Richard Chao

Nov 20, 20221 min read

A Lack of Subtly

Recently, I've been showing a more sincere part of myself with others. Instead of molding my responses to fit their desired interaction,...

Richard Chao

Oct 30, 20222 min read

Another night.

There's a deep, unsettling feeling of melancholy in my soul. I thought I moved beyond survival instincts, that I was in a position where...

Richard Chao

Oct 16, 20222 min read

Start of Something New

This song perfectly encapsulated how my September went. Back To Being Friends - Lauren Spencer Smith The need to feel productive. After...

Richard Chao

Oct 3, 20223 min read

Where Do You Go From Here?

I Don't Know What To Feel A long rant about how I've been doing. It's been a while since I've had the emotional energy to blog. Leading...

Richard Chao

Sep 7, 20223 min read

For One Please

I feel better. I feel content. I also just want to be alone. I'm not ready.. and that's okay. I realized that I can allow myself to feel...

Richard Chao

Aug 21, 20221 min read

Why So Sad

It closed without much closure. I feel like hiding away and shutting off for a bit, but I can't. Responsibilities, traveling,...

Richard Chao

Aug 17, 20222 min read

Not My Best

Dancing the night away, meeting new people, not caring about how ridiculous I looked while having fun... I paused, saw myself surrounded...

Richard Chao

Jul 30, 20222 min read

Control

Another ramble ramble, she's drunk. 🥴 Oofta, what a night... at the same place, eating the same pizza. Got to see my friend dj, what an...

Richard Chao

Jul 23, 20222 min read

Sad Love Songs - Always A Mood

A long, droning ramble. Enjoy at your own risk. What I'm Listening To - Something Stupid | Nancy & Frank Sinatra Isn't it strange how...

Richard Chao

Jul 15, 20224 min read

One More Month

I skipped writing yesterday and spend the evening sleeping. Going out for Sunday Funday and then working on Monday was a slight mistake,...

Richard Chao

Jul 12, 20221 min read

Resetting Myself

Shorter post today. It's a lazy Sunday for sure, woke up with a slight hangover and attempted to do all the things I put off during the...

Richard Chao

Jul 10, 20223 min read

WHAT IS THIS?

Petri.chard is my creative outlet, a window into my mind. I've learned journaling helps me reframe the past and find purpose in the present. I love taking a walk through memory lane and recalling the person I was and what I felt at the time.

My hope is to look back on my life and feel a sense of pride. To disagree with my younger self, and to emphasize with someone who has yet to become the person they are today.

Recounting my own progress is difficult to gauge. Phases of life seem so far away, yet I feel compelled to recall it to the best of my abilities. To seek what I believed to be true at the time. I find my memories filled with gaps, the years flying without a trace that they existed. I don't want to let my past be forgotten. The present will always prevail, miring my history with the feelings of today.

This journal will serve as my reminder that life changes, and I'll change with it. To gift myself the opportunity of looking back with omniscient, wistful eyes and appreciate the unexpected world I managed to experience.

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