2023 :|

So I ended last year's recap hoping for 2023 to be loads better…

Well this year definitely threw its curveballs — first half was the craziest so far at work, while the latter half was a mixture of wins (FINALLY renovated my place) and a literal loss (my dad passed away). I can’t think of a more definitive adjective for this year other than it was memorable (understatement of the year).

Otherwise I'm also glad to have continued my travel streak, with a visit to El Nido (again), Korea (again again since I went there twice with friends and family), and a work trip to Melbourne. It’s also another 7kon year, with solo concerts for BI and iKON (need a Bobby solo con stat!). Also got to see Hamilton again five years after seeing it in West End (still one of my UK highlights!)

So that's the year that was – seriously felt that I'm running on life support since August, with all the work and non-work stressors, but I'm resolved to have more self care moments this 2024. I'm totally blessed and appreciate the support of my family and friends who helped me navigate especially through the trying moments.

I'm already anticipating a busy work year ahead, and a couple of side personal projects so here's again to wishing that 2024 may be better!

2022 – slightly better?

No other entries this year apart from the year-end post LOL. Currently in the middle of my Bohol-Siqujor-Bohol (again) trip this holiday season and I have to justify lugging around this heavy laptop so here we go—

This year is a weird one, transitioning back to how it is before covid. It’s a year that I had to learn new and re-learn old skills. Suffice to say that the year kept me on my toes for most of it.

So, milestones first – finally got around to attending a freediving course! Not that I want to take it as a serious hobby, but the skill has been handy so far in the snorkeling trips I’ve taken. Might have to buy a better underwater camera…

I also managed to complete one year at my new job *pats myself on the back* glad that I managed to survive (pretty stressful) and hope that I feel refreshed enough to tackle on the new year. Seems like it’s going to be busier more than ever.

Also went to a bunch of trips! I went to Bacolod in April during the holy week to visit family. Followed by the revival of THE El Nido trip in May. Then an overdue San Vicente trip in June (which was AWESOME; ang ganda talaga ng Pilipinas!) with powdery sand overload. I also went on my LONGEST trip in Korea (first international trip post-pandemic!) during autumn in October, a brief Dive and Trek (huhuhu first post pandemic return) in November, and capped the year with a Bohol-Siquijor trip. 

Sidenote, it feels so comforting visiting the usual haunts (ie El Nido and Korea) again. The familiarity definitely helped when I’ve been unhinged for two years. Also, wouldn’t hurt to throw in trips now and then to new destinations. I think this Bohol-Siquijor trip that I’m in now is my first solo trip to new areas (did solo trips in Seoul and Bangkok but I was there previously with friends). Nothing like a solo trip to flex those travel-smart muscles. And god, I seriously need greasing – almost missed my Korea flight (didn’t wake up to my alarm – thank god for travelmates) and forgot to pay travel tax in advance.

I’m also amazed that I get to attend two concerts this year: essentially it’s 7KON with B.I’s fanmeet in August and a festival that includes iKON. I hope these promoters space out these events (I know, I know, everyone needs to recover from the pandemic profit loss) coz I’m running out of ‘vice’ money and missed out on some notable events because of this.

The year had its struggles and I’m just trying to stay afloat and hopefully swim along. Apart from losing the national election (major UGH), there are some issues that I just have to pray and meditate over to keep my sanity. During these moments, I just remind myself that I have to soldier on and that wallowing over these issues is just not healthy. I’m glad that the people I love are here with me, as always, whenever I need them.

And on that note, happy to spend my new year with half of my family (they’re meeting me in Bohol). I’m kind of dreading going back to work again since I have a lot of things piled up. So good luck to me. I also WISH that I haul up my ass to finally renovate my place.

So thank you 2022, you are indeed SLIGHTLY better than 2021. May 2023 be loads more!

*sigh* 2021 *sigh*

Imagine, I still managed to unearth one backshot travel photo this year. This was taken just a month ago in Pangasinan, with friends whom I had (derailed) travel plans last summer.

I cannot fully say that 2021 was an improvement from the previous year. It still feels like an extension of the lethargic, when-will-this-end mindset that I still have not grown accustomed to. I managed to squeeze in a trip early this year to Batangas (which is a milestone because I haven’t seen any body of water for more than a year!)’, had a couple of hotel staycations (currently on one now), and also went out of town with friends towards the end of this year. 

I guess a key event that I can bother writing about this year is the family’s COVID struggles. I lost an aunt to COVID during the summer, while my dad caught the virus as well (culminating ironically on the day after my birthday). Suffice to say it was a dark and draining point of my year, maybe one of the hardest in my life so far. I’m just glad that I still have a support system to keep me sane during this period and that everything has been settled (for now) despite the hard decisions that have to be made. 

I also got another niece this year, this time around from my younger brother. I just realized that I didn’t blog about my other niece in last year’s post, hihi. So yeah, I hope this would be over so that I can hang with my two young nieces without this COVID cloud hanging over our heads. 

Lastly, I have started my new job just this month! So far so good, though I’m also conscious of the (high) expectations from my new position. Prayer circle that I get to thrive under this new work environment, which thankfully is just a stone’s throw away from my house. 

I’m super grateful that I got to survive this year and managed to enjoy most of it despite the various ‘surprises’ thrown at me. Third year in a row that I’m celebrating new year without my family, but at least I got to muster enough energy to go on a staycation with my friend to usher in 2022.

So, cheers again to a new year and I hope that 2022 will be better!

unmasking 2020

I wasn’t planning to include a main photo for my year-end post this time around. I usually pick a key travel photo, preferably a back shot since I’m “looking back” to the year that was *insert snicker emoji* And given the clusterf*ck that is 2020, I initially planned on using some other solo photo and wax poetic about how the picture symbolizes my 2020.

But lo and behold, while scrolling through the smattering of pictures in my phone, I found this gem:


This was taken after my brother’s wedding (hence the gown) and it’s still early in the day (the wedding was at 8am >.< ) so I don’t want to change clothes yet. So I told my mom to take some photos of me behind our house in the province (got a couple of photos posing with farm animals in my gown hehe).

I guess you can say that this pretty much sums up what I miss for the past 10 months: the celebrations (sans gown) + just being outdoors and be with nature. Little did I know, three weeks after taking this picture, that life will throw me/us this curveball.

Since there’s hardly much in my social media to jog my memory on this year’s highlights, I’ll just let my camera roll lay out what my 2020 was:

* screencaps of recipes and pictures of my “creations” (the nice looking ones, I sent to my mom) – who would’ve thought the prolonged quarantine would finally compel me to cook?

* screencaps of zoom calls – thank you, technology for this. I might likely be heading to the deep end if it weren’t for video calls and internet in general.

* screencaps of news headlines – because I just want to throttle this government

* pictures and videos of my nieces and nephew – got a new niece this year! Been looking at their pics and videos for the past few months whenever I need an upper

* home improvements – after almost 7 years in my home, I finally got a belen and put up some Christmas lights. Need to feel festive. And oh, I cleaned a lot (though my place is still messy)

So yeah, that sums up my 2020. Thankfully, I managed to squeeze in two trips in January (Cebu) and February (Bacolod) due to weddings. I miss travelling. My trips are my own mini celebrations.

While this year has been a struggle, this year has brought to fore the blessings given to me. I am grateful that I am safe. Grateful that I can eat. Grateful that I can still pay my bills. Grateful that I can buy medicine and supplements. Grateful that my family and friends are still present as we all forge on our own respective battles. This is a year that I vacillated through extreme moods (the year that I laughed the most and cried the most in recent memory), and there’s not enough distractions from the trappings of “normal” life that will allow me to procrastinate from dwelling into thoughts and reflections. This year, I got to appreciate people more. I thought about the future more. I took care of myself more.

I don’t know if 2021 will be better, since the possibility of it being worse is also within the realm of possibility. I just hope and wish that I’ll continue to be at peace and be kinder this 2021.

So, thank you for an interesting year, to say the least. This is already the second year in a row that I’m celebrating the holidays solo (bro and sis in law were supposed to fly in for Christmas, but then…covid). So I’m ready with my wine, cheese, and a couple of Hallmark flicks to ring in the new year.

Cheers, and be safe!

hazy

Just checking in since I have *gasp* some bit of free time in between work tasks. This pandemic has certainly given a lot of strain to everyone. And reality has its way of making you acknowledge it more when it happens to someone in your circle. I hope everyone will stay strong and always call out to God. I have to admit that it has been a struggle to remain optimistic when it seems like the path to recovery is unclear (government nowadays giving me a spike in my BP). I wish we all get through this as better people and all of us remain safe and healthy.