Exactly 13 years ago, this guy left the comfort of home, hopped on his first airplane, and started an adventure in a land quite familiar, but still a bit foreign. Leaving Cebu for Manila was unplanned, but when the opportunity presented itself, I knew I had to grab it.

In the beginning, it was a lot of fun – living with college friends in a “foreign land” and making our way through adulthood together. It was like a permanent sleepover party until the responsibilities of adulthood got real. And then, as time passed, they started finding their own way in life and from that batch of college kids, I’m technically the only one left standing.

Thirteen years is a long time. It’s like attending nursery school and graduating 4th year high school (pre-K12)! I’ve met a lot of new people along the way, and most of them too have found their own paths in life. To be honest, seeing where all of my friends are now makes me feel like I’m stuck. There are times I feel like I’ve wasted all these time not going after my dream of living in Japan, or doing something more meaningful back home in Cebu.

I used to bring a camera with me everyday and I took a LOT of photos over the past years. Archiving these photos to the cloud gave me an opportunity to look back at all of the fun memories (and even remembering the not so fun ones along with them). This exercise made me realize that the years were not wasted because I’ve grown together with the people I’ve spent time with. I’ve learned life and work skills, and wisdom that comes from getting through tough experiences.

Now, the question is where do I go from here?

I don’t know where I’m going. But I do know that this already feels like a new chapter. It’s not too late to go after dreams and life goals. Especially with this pandemic, being where I am now is a blessing in itself. So, I will continue doing my best and maybe someday, I’ll feel that thrill I once felt when I first landed in Manila. That excitement for something new. Maybe finally find my purpose in life. We’ll see!