You know when people say that life’s too short to miss chances? This resonated well with me this year.
I’ve been thinking about traveling for quite some time, but many factors hindered me from doing so, especially that I am juggling multiple responsibilities and I wasn’t single back then.
Since the breakup, travel plans have been popping into my mind but I just couldn’t figure out the execution, given that I was still teaching in a private school and my finances were limited at the time. Even then, my heart has been leaning towards trying to explore many places, either alone or with my family. I’ve been yearning to make up for the time I lost, and I can feel this is one way for me to heal.
Not a day goes by that my train of thoughts would pause. At times it’d drive me crazy as I realized how much time I wasted dallying on the things I thought would constitute the kind of life I yearn for. For a long time, I got stuck conforming to things and compromising for the sake of others. I got too selfless that I actually lost myself in the process.
When I finally realized my freedom, the need for redemption dawned on me; I’m nearing my 30s, and I haven’t done things that’d test my courage.
God sent me too many external influences, giving me this nudge to do something about my life. I got to set my trajectory straight, not only for myself, but for Caleb. I realized that one of the important duties I got to do as his mother is to ensure that there’s so much more in this world and that he should learn to brave the storms out there to know what he wants to be as he grows up. It’s like I want to be his living testimony; the manual he can rely on.
Hence, I’m choosing to set things right.
On gradually pouring it out….
At this point, I couldn’t keep it within me. I’m too tired of watching others soaring while I’m stuck in the same old lane. As I continuously contemplated about my plans after my teaching stint ends, I started opening up to my mom about the life I desire.
I went straightforward with my plans; to try exploring places alone and eventually take my career chances abroad. I did my best to be as reasonable as possible, and I highlighted the benefit everyone will get.
Knowing my mom, I knew she’d agree. She herself has been wanting to heal her inner child and I’d love to be the one who’d help her do that. Not surprising to know she has been doing her best to convince my dad to finally let me do my own thing after I acquire my MBA degree. So far, she’s been successful. Praying it sustains.
Then, spontaneity happened.
About a week later, my mom suddenly asked me to vacate a Saturday because she wanted to go to Ozamis and Clarin in Misamis Occidental. It was literally on a whim and all she reasoned was her boredom, and that she just simply wanted to go there.
That’s when I realized that my words are resonating with her so much. It’s as if God heard my prayer of my parents understanding me and my dreams.
Anyway, my brother and I cleared our schedule and traveled there. We visited two churches, one where the Immaculate Concepcion is located and the other being the Cotta Shrine. Fun fact about me is that I was born on the feast of the Immaculate Concepcion, and that’s the exact reason as to why my mom made sure to include that in this trip’s itinerary. We sincerely prayed for life’s betterment, and I specifically prayed for the multiple journeys I am embarking this year. As I’ve been mentioning in my previous entries, so much has been happening in my life lately and at this point, I deeply need divine guidance to navigate them all at the same time. We lighted candles then headed for lunch afterwards.
As we ate together, my mom continued yapping about her desires to travel a lot in the future. As of late, she is considering Cebu or Davao as her next destinations. I am simply happy to hear that she’s able to rekindle her desire to explore, making her the perfect example of that cliche saying, “age is just a number.”
As I listened, my desire to work harder amplified further. I made a quiet promise to myself that I will be successful enough to make her dreams come true. My mom sacrificed so much for me and my brother, and she deserves to be spoiled at this point. I once again reiterated the prayer I’ve been saying about my dreams of going abroad and pursuing financial stability turning into reality.
We proceeded to Clarin’s famous suman house. Suman is one of the most popular desserts in the Philippines, usually made with glutinous rice flour and various flavors, with moron and jackfruit being the common ones. It’s wrapped in banana leaves and it serves as a perfect pair for a cup of hot coffee or chocolate. It’s a must-try, should you visit the Philippines one day.
My mom carefully chose the desserts she planned to bring home and munch on. She’s quite a connoisseur when it comes to delights and she’s always been a fan of this store’s products ever since, making this a staple destination each time we’d go to Misamis Occidental.
After chilling for a few more minutes, we decided to head back to Ozamis to drop by the Wellness Park. We killed the rest of our afternoon time there before traveling back home.
A New Drive to Live, Awakened.
Throughout the trip, I’ve had one of my earbuds on and my worship playlist has been on repeat. My heart just wouldn’t stop pounding at the overwhelming possibilities and realizations hitting me at the same time and I badly needed solace, too. The trip was necessary and I’m so glad my mom made a choice.
It may seem small and sudden for a kickstart, but I wouldn’t want it any other way. I am thankful to God that I did it with my family. All the more I couldn’t wait to finish my MBA journey and take my chances abroad. There’s so much more in the world to discover, and I am looking forward to the lessons I’ll be learning along the way.
Ending this entry with a picture of my keychain collection starter from Clarin. Where to, next?
