Before It Escapes Me

I have been out and about lately, and I don't know where to start. But I definitely miss writing, so I will write to you again, dear reader.

I'll start telling you about April. My highlight for the month was my trip to Vietnam. I'm going to start writing about the whole trip in detail, very soon. I just need to collect my thoughts and ready my photos! It's my first trip abroad with a friend, so it was an entirely new experience for me, one that I'll remember. All my previous international trips have been with family, and while it was all great, a trip with a friend is a totally different experience. I love experiencing both, though, there's no telling that one is better than the other. There's something different you can get out of both experiences. But more on that later.

Something worth sharing about however was my intense withdrawal after the trip. I felt like I wanted more, like I had to do this again. My world back in the Philippines felt so small, and I dreaded returning to the motions of my everyday life. Seeing new places, observing how everything's in a different language, appreciating how the locals go about their everyday lives, and engaging with strangers: I realized I needed more of these kinds of experiences. 

Funny thing was since we flew during the Holy Week, I had a few days for myself before going back to work. So what I did was to watch Vietnamese films. If you're curious / would like some recommendations, I'm happy to share to you this list. I have become so curious about a culture, about a neighboring country (let's just call it that;; I know that since the Philippines is an island nation, we technically have no neighbors lol) that I never thought I'd actually become fond of. 

And so I will be back. I can't say for sure when yet, however I know it will happen. I will save up for it. :-) Here have a touristy photo

Once I got back to Manila, I started reaching out to friends again to make dinner plans after work. I remember a conversation I had with a friend about how we spent a lot of overtime in the office during the start of the year, and how we missed seeing each other for dinners. We somehow agreed it's always a good idea to meet up more. This would at least lessen the temptation of wanting to get more work done, because in reality, work never stops. There will always be work. You can only get so much done within a day, the rest you can do tomorrow and that is fine. I'm totally giving myself a pep talk here haha! 

I think as we grow older, priorities change, schedules get harder to match up, and seeing friends isn't as easy as it used to be. I have trained myself to accept this; I admit I love the company of others, however there are just some things I have to be comfortable in doing alone. Even if it means spending the Friday night in because I'm tired from the work week. It's always, always a great time with friends though whenever plans are made and followed through. 

Speaking of work, I have to admit it was quite a challenge to get my groove back after a week-long vacation. I can say now that after 2 weeks, I'm better and I'm coping. I actually signed up for a month-long course for April, which was on Prioritization. It was a helpful course for me, because I tend to get overwhelmed when every task screams "urgent!" everyday. I also have this habit of taking ownership of a task which I realized can be done just as equally well if I delegated it to someone else who has more capacity than I do within the day.

But what stuck with me the most was probably the reminder in the last module wherein they discussed the importance of knowing what truly matters to you. Once you know what that is, then it should definitely be your top priority. If you haven't guessed it yet, it's the relationships we have with others, whether it be with family or friends, that matters most. While success in our careers gives us feelings of contentment and a sense of accomplishment, it's the people around us who support us through life. They also linked a Ted Talk in the module, which was on What Makes A Good Life? I know, I know the whole thing may be cliche, but it rings true. We all know it, but we sometimes lose sight of it.

I think about the impact of whenever my parents welcome me home after a long day of work; I suddenly feel like I truly am home. I have arrived. I have left all my work back in the office.

I think about the impact of when I see how my friends' faces light up upon seeing me; there is a connection, I know the people surrounding me are kindred souls. Even if we haven't seen each other for weeks, months, years (wow okay maybe not that long hah), nothing's changed with our friendship.

I think about such simple things, such mundane and minuscule moments and I have to say, they have the greatest impact on me.

Coincidentally, I came across this monologue on Youtube which came from one of my favorite films, Before Sunrise.

Wow okay I know I just rambled on, but that was exactly how I wanted this blog entry to be: filled with candid ramblings of my life as it is now. I needed to write it all down before it escapes me. 

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How are you dear reader? I hope you're doing well, and I thank you for being here. 

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