Transit Dialog has published my essay, 36: A New Adventure. Here it is:
“𝘓𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯. 𝘐𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵.”
𝟯𝟲: 𝗔 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲
𝘉𝘺 𝘚𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘩𝘢 𝘎𝘢𝘪𝘭 𝘓𝘶𝘤𝘢𝘴
I turned 36 a few days ago. My boyfriend took me to Boracay, where we had a few days of well-deserved rest.
It was my first time to celebrate my birthday out of town with a partner, and by the beach no less. I felt like I had the time of my life, and it did feel like a new beginning.
Looking back, I knew that the ocean waters were therapeutic. Having barely any internet connection in our mountain accommodation on the island was helpful, since I felt untethered. It was the perfect setting for a few realizations over calamansi muffins and strong coffee.
I know by now that age is just a number. While I am blessed with a youthful vibe which lets people mistake me for still being twenty-something, I know that it is my positive attitude that really keeps me going.
While most people I know are pressured by timelines in their life, I am just cruising along. I do not pressure myself to reach milestones because I am aware that I have my own time. I have been blessed with the right people in my life, and while I do live in a small circle, I know that I am able to live a good life with the people whom I trust. And I know that my partner has a similar mindset, so I am not pressured at all to be in a hurry.
The best thing about being 36 during a waning yet very real global pandemic is that I am proceeding with caution. I have celebrated the past two birthdays on lockdown. This is the first time that I am actually free to roam around and eat out. Yet, I am still aware of the brevity of life and the threat of an unseen virus. I will not allow them to dampen my spirits. I have not lived this long to simply give up on life. There is still so much to enjoy, and it is up to me to live in the moment.
In the coming year of my life, I am determined to savor every experience. I am given more freedom as the pandemic diminishes, and I am excited to read more books, sip more coffee at cafes, watch more movies, and see more art. I look forward to watching live gigs again.
I am into fitness, and I wish to workout again at the park. I am eager to indulge in the latest gastronomic delights, attending the Manila International Book Fair where I was presented as a published author, and buying groceries at the supermarket.
I have always been a simple person, and I know how to make myself happy. I will continue living for the joys that make life meaningful, because I know by now that I deserve to be happy.
If you feel pressured to reach specific milestones at a certain age, stop right now. Life is not about making things happen. It is about being happy and savoring each moment.
If you will continue pressuring yourself, especially when the elements needed to fulfill these goals are still absent from your life, then you will never be happy and content. You will simply chase dreams which are not even yours to begin with, and this is unhealthy.
For starters, you must live the life that you have on your own terms. Find the courage to do so, and living will never feel like a chore again. Instead, it will feel like the exciting journey that it really is to begin with. Your journey commences once you are brave enough to simply be yourself.
You deserve to live the life where you are the main character.
Source: Transit Dialog