I turned 26

Three days ago, I turned 26. Nothing special really, I didn't even blew a candle for the two cakes I received. As you get older, birthdays come and go. I didn't even feel sad for just a few simple greetings and few important people who remembers it. I'm just grateful to be living my 26 year old self with a healthy life and happy family and that feels significant to me than anything else. 

Maybe the things that stayed with me as I turned a year older can be sum up in a list:  

Dreams

Dreams take many forms. In my dream that night, I was alone in a middle of a vast and pellucid blue ocean on a big raft made out of bamboo and nothing but calmness surrounds me. In that dream, I saw a big (orca) whale and without destination in mind, I let myself afloat and be carried by the gentle waves. I stare at the unknown horizon. 

Let's talk about insecurities

Some days I spend most of the hours of my day scrolling through instagram. I prevented myself from following certain artists, famous people etc. because just like somebody else, I'm afraid to feel insecure that I filter those I want to follow.

Holiday Break

A few more days before resume of classes and I've been contemplating about life lately. The month of December has been great to me. Before the year 2023 ended, we stayed in the Province and celebrated Christmas with the whole family. My vacation was so great, bunch of group games for the holidays, good food and people full of laughter. I also dye my hair for the first time (After 24 years) I realized how I never experienced dyeing my hair other than its natural black color. I always have people complimenting my hair while growing up that I don't want to ruin it. Just like what everybody says "A girl's hair is their crowning glory" because just like a crown, you can never take that off especially when everything messed up. I dye my hair by a few highlights of caramel brown and tried bleaching for the first time as recommended by my sister who said that "dyeing your hair is life changing." 

What I've learned this year, 2023

Another year will soon finally ends. A few more weeks before 2024 and I'm still overwhelmed with a lot of happenings from the year 2023. As you can see, (if you have noticed some of my post from a few years ago) I always leave sentiments whenever a year ends. This 2023, I just wanted to share some of my learnings and thoughts as I finally open a new chapter of the year 2024. This year, I've learned a few things just like any other years that had already passed. I feel motivated to write this entry because there's a lot of things that I wanted to share. 

Being quiet in a world that can't stop talking

Growing up as a quiet person, my quietness bother those who aren't used to silence. Ever since I was a kid, I can't count the numbers of "most behave" awards I've received. I always thought that type of recognition was an achievement. When I entered elementary, I felt the downside of being the most behave of them all.

Ascend

They said if you climb way up to the mountains if your heart is grieving, you'll feel like it's the same as facing obstacles along your way through life. I made my own version of climbing the way to the top of that mountain. At first everything seems bright, the path is easier and wider without growing bushes or plants with thorns that might cut you. 

Quaranthings

Albeit spending almost two years of my life in this difficult season, stuck in a pandemic & enduring long hours of reading novels in spare time just to save myself from the most mundane of things. I realized how I've come to appreciate a bunch of small stuff - I called it Quaranthings. I'm a notorious homebody and I need good reasons to go outside. I realized how these small stuff helped me to cope during languishing hours.

Welcome 2022 & Goodbye 2021

I know it's quite late to greet everyone a "Happy New Year" because days gone so fast and it's already 5 days ago since we celebrated the start of this year. I really don't know if it's actually a "Happy" new year because like 2021, we're still facing a pandemic and some of us (including me) celebrated New year with a heavy heart because of losing some of the most important people in our lives. Some people would say that it's unlucky to start the year by being unhappy because you'll get sad for the rest of the year, but let's just be honest: 2021 is the worst year from start to finish. Although there are happy moments, the frustration and heartache that the pandemic has brought into our lives prevailed.

Sunday Serenity

I stayed for four days in my hometown and I feel happy & peaceful at the same time. I miss the sound of waves, the sea breeze, the clear blue skies, fresh air and the feeling of being barefoot in the sand. I woke up on Sunday early in the morning and went to the seashore, I waited for Mt. Mayon ( a perfect cone-shaped volcano) to show up and I got lucky while reading a book entitled "The Life of Pi" written by Yann Martel.

In your 20s

I'd like to reminisce my 20 year old self. It was month of July, I had no idea how to celebrate a 20th birthday so I just asked my mom to join me for a simple museum date on which she gladly accepted although at that moment, she had a lot of things to do and quite tired for an errand. I really appreciated her for that. But for me, turning 20 is quite a realization. Our twenties is a weird but transformative stage.

2020: A New Decade

First, I would like to greet you a happy new year! I'm so thankful to share all these thoughts and to have my blog for the year 2020. The past year has been a rollercoaster ride for me. So many ups and down but still I'm thankful to have a blessed new year. This 2020, there are a lot of things I looked forward to, but I wanted to share some of the highlights that happened to me on 2019 and the things I've learned as the year finally ended. I turned 21. They said life in twenties is tough. I've learned a lot this year, from being clueless and jobless to having my first work experience. I decided to work and review for a medical entrance exam at the same time. It's not easy.

Sun will set to rise again

I love sunsets. Whenever I travel or go to places I've never been, I always capture the beauty of the sunsets. Seeing the amazing different colors of the sky gives me a happy feeling and amusement. There's something wonderful about sunsets, It's like the skies are speaking in a different colors across the horizon. whether you're at the seashore, going up to the mountains, enjoying a view at any place is not enough without witnessing a sunset. Truly, sunsets are proof that endings are beautiful too, that somehow there's always another day to make things right and keep on going.