A year in Pixels

Whenever I get a "How are you?" Question, I shamelessly answer that I am "Happy".

Not the self-actualization phase in Maslow's hierarchy of needs, but the more realistic, genuine kind. It has been more than a decade since I get to honestly admit that I am in a perfectly healthy place right now and I am happy most of the time.

The best way to change your life is to quit complaining and start doing something about it.

I did.

And at exactly one year, here's what I've been up to: If only everything is and can be documented in pixels, I would gladly share it to you. Majority of the best moments that I had were physically undocumented.

I was supposed to join my last company outing last year, but I opted to ditch it, announce to my HS friends based in elbi Laguna that I am coming home. I was not expecting a reunion in a resort, but I came home to a great "welcome party" and had a really great time I went home at six in the morning when I barely had enough sleep.

Few days later, we ditched our proper plans on a weekday and decided to go to Majayjay falls. After the trip to Majayjay falls, I had a small talk with a high school friend who's currently taking his Masters in UP. He said why not go back to school?

Days later when I was two minutes before the start of my new account/ job interview, I said to my self, "fuck it, I'm going back to school." So I did, I took the risk to turn 360 degrees of my life, changed my lifestyle, give up my apartment, move in back to my folks and enrolled in UP.

It must be aligned with the Universe because I enrolled and registered late, I got in on a first semester with all my complete documents (for such a short decision) and got admitted as Regular Student Status.

The night before my very first day of school, we had a beer and grill night at Marc's house. No celebration just pure hang out with friends.I feel like a sixteen year old, I did not get drunk but I threw up on my way to the parking lot before going home! Haha!

Since I gave up my job, I have no sources of income other than my allowance. So I took up a different job. I worked as a part-time cake designer and baking assistant for my friend's business. From a talking-kind-of-job to labor-intensive kind of job. I have a whole new respect for fondant bakers who makes their fondant icing from scratch.

By October and since I fancy Halloween so much that I feel like it's my personal holiday, I dragged my friends to join me in this crazy celebration. We made props and stuff and had a really great time partying the night away!

From time to time, my friends from all over the city goes back to elbi to chill.I love it when my HS girlfriends who are now based in Manila takes time to go home to elbi on a weekend to go out, catch up and have a great time just chillin' with the rest of our friends.

I really felt so blessed and did not even had a single trace of Birthday Blues last year. I decided to throw a first-grader themed birthday party (complete with party hats and all, and almost all my treasured friends made it!)

I feel like one of the boys now since I get to be with them more than my City-based girlfriends. I am now able to pick up private jokes without effort and I don't even know how I managed to learn it. I have new nickname from them: "Coke". Dont. Ask. Why. I can hardly count how many spontaneous weekends we have but one weekend, I learned how to play poker.

One of the highlights of the start of this year is that I get to see my cousin, Chimy, who works as an Assistant Manager of Artemis World Cruise. Since she is most of the time on a cruise, her schedule is crazy and she only gets to have a vacation after six months. We're super glad that one of her stop over is in the Philippines that we get to spend an entire day just hanging out and catching up.

Now looking back, it's been a year since I decided to change my life.

I'm very thankful that I get to have more face-to-face time with friends and real people rather than catching up via wall-to-wall in facebook. 

I must admit that it was  hard because I have to change not only my sleeping habit (I was on the night shift for six straight years because I used to work in the Business Process Outsourcing industry) but my lifestyle as well. I have no income plus I have to live with my folks again after being away for ten years, plus I have to voluntarily put myself under parental guidance.

This whole experience for me is very liberating. I feel so blessed and it made me grounded. I would not trade this for anything else. I am really thankful that I feel more alive. I am now living, rather than existing.

Peace and Love,

K