Some days, I just feel so drained by how much our financial circumstances limit how we live our lives. It's not really love that makes the world go round—it's money. 

These past few weeks have been hectic. I've had a lot of paperwork to do for my visa application. Usually when I'm busy, I pair that up with a good playlist to keep me upbeat. But I haven't had the chance to listen to too many songs because my mind is viciously preoccupied. My thoughts and worries are too loud in there. 

A lot has happened since the last time I wrote, which was about three months ago. So, to wrap up: 

1. We were hit by a super-typhoon last December. I've discovered that when they say "the wind howls," it really isn't just an expression. I had never experienced winds as strong and furious as that night. It was scary and, for the lack of a better word, humbling somehow. It makes you realize how small you are in this world. A single catastrophe can turn your whole life around.
    
2. Because of that, we had no water, electricity, or wifi for three weeks! 
   
   
3. Because of that, I had to go to work at the office for the first time since the pandemic started. Let me tell you, it has its pros and cons. Pros, routine—you get a chance to go out again, get ready, drive someplace, etc. Cons, you can't help but eat out—expensive! 
   
   
4. Christmas and New Year were a bit depressing, what with no lights and all. We also couldn't cook too much because where would we refrigerate the leftovers without power? Despite that though, I was still extremely grateful that we were safe and had the means to support ourselves. 
   
   
5. We had a COVID scare a while back but fortunately, it was just flu season. 
   
   
6. KDrama is still the air that I breathe. This is the year I've watched the most. I did promise myself the moment I graduate, I will binge on every single KDrama that I've missed throughout the years. HAHA
   
   
   Also, #OTWOL! IS! ON! NETLIX!? It's been seven years since it premiered but I still fall in love with Clark Medina as if it's the first time. Same kilig all over again. *cries in San Francisco tears* 
   
   
7. I received some really good news that's been months in the waiting. More on that soon. All I can say is that I'm veryyy extremely passionately immensely excited!!! 

Hey, world! So many things happened these past few months that everything normal seems alien to me. It was like a tornado of emotions and events. Looking back at it now actually makes me nauseous. 

Last August, my sister got COVID. After the rest of the family tested negative, we had to move out for a while and stay at my grandma's house. Needless to say, it was many days and nights of paranoia and anxiety. I've only been home for a couple of weeks now and somehow time feels as if it's slipping by fast. How are we halfway through October already? Why does it feel like life just happened and I was asleep the entire time? 

Anyway, I came here to reflect on the things I've been up to. Let's get lost in thought, shall we? 🤔

1. Work, work, work — Honestly, I thought I would have quit my job by now. It was unrewarding, to say the least. But I'd be lying if I said it didn't help me. I don't just mean financially but mentally as well. It has been my greatest escape. Whenever I didn't want to deal with reality (which was almost every single day), I just buried myself in my tasks. I was living life Mondays to Fridays and I honestly didn't mind. It kept me sane. Now that I'm trying to be self-aware again, I feel very grateful for my job. And I want to do my best at it.

2. Certification / Classes — Ah yes, I suddenly just decided to enroll in a 160-hour certification for Technical Drafting. I started my classes last week. It's stressfully amazing. It's giving me a challenge, something that breaks the monotony of my daily life. Initially, I thought it was gonna be AutoCAD and 3D Modelling or whatever. To my dismay, it was literally drafting. Like back to basics, manual drawing. Oh great, I'm a freshman in college again. 🙄 I have three pending assignments now that I've been putting off. I have to get to them somehow (somewhen?). Hmmm. Funny story... so I was sketching this line. And of course, I got it wrong. Instead of reaching for an eraser, my fingers pressed on the paper like a "Ctrl + Z" action. Yep, that's how desperate I am to end this drawing shenanigan. On the bright side, next week we'll begin with computer applications so yay.

3. Homeschooling kids — Every day I facilitate my little brothers' schooling. You can imagine Gab's protests. I don't even know what he has to complain about. I made a schedule (spreadsheet) that gave them the entire morning to do whatever they wanted. But after lunch, they spend 2-3 hours learning their lessons (at least two subjects a day), 1 hour for writing, and 1 hour for reading. Some days, I feel lazy and even give them a Free Day. I'm generous as it is. So, that's that.

4. Freelancing — I've recently been trying to work directly with clients on small projects. I wanted to gain more experience without the restrictions of full-time employment with a company. To be honest, I've discovered that there are ups and downs to both. Freelance pays better and offers more flexibility with who you work for and what type of jobs you take on, yet my 9-5 job does offer security and insurance. Well, my takeaway is that twenty-four hours in a day just isn't enough for the things I've been wanting to do lately.

5. Vaccination — She's finally vaccinated! While I know that the best vaccine is what's available, I do have plans to go abroad so I've been very picky with my vaccine. If you live in the Philippines, you know that Sinovac is the most common brand but not all countries accept this yet. I waited for sooooo many weeks to get one of the big four that Canada accepts. I finally got the Oxford AstraZeneca brand.

6. Books and KDramas — I try to get in a few pages a day. A chapter if my mind can stay focused long enough. Besides that, I've watched seven different KDramas since August. Impressive, if I do say so myself. I'm so sorry Kim Soo-hyun but Moon Embracing the Sun and My Love from the Star have been bumped to 4th and 5th place in my Top 5 KDramas. The leading now is Start Up and Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-Joo (Nam Joo-hyuk), and Touch Your Heart (Lee Dong-wook).

7. Duolingo — After I broke my 134-day streak a few months ago, I stopped. But I'm at it again. I'm learning Spanish and Korean, of course. It's fun because when I watch my KDramas, I can pick up a few words here and there. Sometimes, I can even make out the sentence structure. Ahhhhh, I believe I can be fluent in both these languages in this lifetime. 🥴

Alright, that's enough babbling for now. Apologies for the typos and the grammatical errors in this post. Lol. I'm just typing as I think. 😝 Okay, time to sleep.