The month of new beginnings, fresh starts and resolutions is about to end in a few days and this got me thinking on what I’ve accomplished so far in terms of my goals. I’ve been listening to this audio book called “Essentialism” by Greg McKeown and it’s been a great help as I try to identify the different aspects in my life that I need to focus on this year. Events in January are indeed aligned with my goals, so here’s a round up of what took place this month.
1. Day Hike at Mount Talamitam
During the Holiday break, I did not get the chance to go on a major out of town or out of the country trip like most people. In hopes of satisfying my wanderlust, Jim and I initiated a hike at Mount Talamitam together with a few friends. We just planned for a day hike on a Saturday because a.) according to PinoyMountaineer.com, Mount Talamitam is a minor climb and b.) we wanted to rest on Sunday before the dreaded first day funk at the office. A few google searches and a handful of Facebook messages later, final head count was confirmed and all 6 of us—Neps, Prijm, Leslie, Ronnie, Jim and I went off to have an adventure.
The hike was so short but it was surprisingly eventful! For 144 pesos, we hopped on a bus from Pasay bus terminal to Nasugbu, Batangas. We hired a tour guide and although it was optional, I’m glad we made that decision because the guide gave us a lot of options to explore the mountain. He took us to the normal route going up then asked us if we wanted to pass by the river. The initial plan was really just to have a change of scenery, but while crossing the river, some of us got wet so we decided to make the most of it and jumped right in.
It was a tiring yet fulfilling hike. Soil under my feet, trees all around me and a blue blue sky up in the heavens like a cool canopy embracing mother earth. Hopefully we make the monthly easy to medium hiking schedule!
2. New Project at Work
After almost 9 years of working as a Systems Analyst with Siebel CRM, I took on a different role and pursued learning a different technology for work. It was a bittersweet feeling to be rolled off from my previous project (hallo DB peeps!) because the folks there are awesome, but I figured retooling is a good opportunity for me to explore the capabilities of Cloud computing. One would think that I am taking a risk by changing course in my specialization, but It’s a career move that I decided on my own. 3 weeks into the project I’ve been learning a lot! I’m looking forward to more growth in my career as I take on new challenges, so hopefully my hard work pays off soon!
3. 4 Years with Jim
Jim and I celebrated our 4th Year Anniversary as a couple! We both filed for time off at work and spent the day together and celebrated by watching Beauty and The Beast musical at CCP because he knows it’s my favorite Disney animated film (as in memorize ko yung songs, I’m not kidding).
Hate to cheese up and get all doe-eyed about this, but 4 years is a milestone that I’ve never had in any of my past relationships. I’m happy that we have made it this far and that he has really helped me grow as an individual because he supports me in all of my endeavors. We share the same values and I guess that’s also one of the reasons why it’s easy to extend our relationship with our family and friends. It helps too, that we share the same love for music and travel, at the same time, we both understand each other’s exclusive passions--art for me, mountain biking for him. We’re definitely not the perfect couple because we also have our struggles, but we’re in a level of commitment wherein we make sure misunderstandings never lead to big fights. Our relationship has that balance that allows us to have a deep connection with each other and at the same time provide space for solitude, independence and personal growth. And also, I just really really really like the guy.
4. Real Living feature
Last January 24, I had a pleasant surprise on Instagram when Real Living tagged me in one of its posts. I checked out their website and voila! My bedroom is part of this article:
As you may find in my Project Condo series, I’ve been taking the DIY route in home decoration. When I upload photos of my apartment on Instagram, I include #instalivingph in my caption. I was definitely not expecting anything when I do this except perhaps get a few likes from friends, but to be published on the website of one of the top home decoration and interior design magazines in the country was definitely a kilig moment! I’ve used the I’m-not-an-expert disclaimer in my Project Condo posts before because I didn’t want to come off as feeling marunong, but I have to admit, the feature also gave me some sort of validation about the choices that I made in my home.
5. First Frisbee game in 2 years
There was a time in my life when ultimate was my favorite superlative. I played my first ultimate Frisbee game in 2009 Monday Beginner’s night in Meralco and got hooked ever since. It was the only sport that I played competitively. Between 2009 and 2012, I sprinted to my heart’s content on the field, always with the goal to catch and properly throw that ever elusive disc. I played out of the country, at the beach, in the mud, under the scorching heat and in the midst of the monsoon season. I never reached the elite level of playing, but I’d like to think I was decent and had my fair share of contributions as a mid-fielder. My teammates and I were regulars at Meralco, Ultra & UP Sunken Garden for trainings and hat tournaments and Manila Polo Club, Nuvali, Aguirre, Daang Hari or Alabang Country Club during the leagues. On the last few months of 2012, I completely stopped due a dissolved team, relocation at work and shifts in priorities.
Fast forward to Monday last week, I had a chance to put on my cleats and set foot on the field again. As one might expect, I did not play the same way back when I practiced 2-3 times a week. At yesterday’s training, I was out of breath during plyometrics and was about to faint during the drills. Sprinting again for the first time in a long time felt good, but it also scared me because I know I am in the worst shape of my life. The good thing is that my office is now conveniently a few minutes away from Emperador Stadium, so I can regularly rebuild the skills, endurance and competitive spirit that I once had. Frisbee was not part of the plan for 2015, but exercise definitely is. While right now I’m still not committed to playing at the leagues, I know that last Monday’s game was a good first step to achieving my health goals for the year. I plan on attending trainings and pick ups every Monday and Friday so that I can have that much needed physical activity.
6. Graphika Manila 2015 – January 31 to February 1
12 artists on a 2 day conference on creativity?! Count me in! I bought my tickets last November and I’ve been stalking the speakers for quite a while now. While I am not professionally in the creative field, I don’t think I’ll ever stop being a creative. This weekend was perfect ending for this month and you can just imagine me fan girling like a fool. My favorite presenters were Pomme Chan, Chris Lee of The Asylum and Joshua Davis! The experience was indeed an awesome one, but I will be creating a different post on Graphika 2015.
Check out the Graphika Manila 2015 website
This month set the bar for what 2015 should be like: an adventure, a leap of faith, an important milestone, a recognition of hard work, a rekindled passion and a learning experience. February, you have big shoes to fill.
