2024and40

[2024and40]

I took a screenshot of this quote and have had it on my photoroll since I’ve read @alittlelifebook. I was able to meet a lot of friends I have not seen in a long while over the holidays and recently and doing reflections for this #turning40project, I consider myself lucky to still have them in my life.

I’m not an extrovert which makes it a little difficult to make friends because I am not exactly proactive in social situations. I do not go out of my way to seek interactions. I do not initiate conversations unless I am left without choice. So to know them and to have built connections that have weathered time, distance, and all the inevitable changes in life, I’d say, has been a gift.

Also, if there’s anything they all share in common, it would be that, as far as I’m concerned, they are all good hearted people. And that’s always gonna be something because this world is filled with manipulative, self-centered, jealous, and toxic people. Others might enjoy that sort of mess but it’s not the energy I want in my life. My friends are not perfect but they are not the type who would actively plan or do something that would hurt others whether for personal gain or just for the heck of it. And to me, that’s important because essentially you become the company you keep.

So yes, I hold this text in my heart cos it’s true for me. At the end of the day you don’t need people who are super cool or rich or smart but count yourself lucky if you find people who are kind and generous and forgiving and who show up for you, who teach you things, and who are able to speak openly and truthfully to you when it’s difficult, but also listen without judgment and instead offer support and compassion when you most need it. ❤️ Of course, it won’t hurt too if they are funny and interesting and as pretty as you lol. 🤷🏻‍♀️

PS If any of you ever read this, love you, friends! 🥰😘

[2024and40]

Item 5: Start a gratitude journal

What are you thankful for this week? Share on the comments. ✍️

Really rough week as I was feeling hormonal and lethargic from the trip and also anxious about starting a new chapter. Spent most my energy just picking myself up so definitely grateful for the familiar and the comfortable — my bedroom, favorite food, exercise, family and weekend with long time/childhood friends I have not seen in a while! Reminder to try to always be brave cos while some things are changing, others remain the same.

[2024and40]

JANUARY. Just a quick update before February really starts.

20// I was able to visit a new country - @visitcambodiaofficial, it was a fun trip and posted about it and will probably post more about travel tips and suggestions, solo travel at 40, difference between traveling in your youth and now that I’m older. Let me know if this resonates with you and if you have other thoughts? 1// I’ve tried starting a blog and it was a nightmare. Haha. I thought it was gonna be easy, having been an OG blogger (Geocities! Blogspot!). But so much has changed now. Drag and drop blog making sites are non-existent so it seems the only way to do it is sort of starting through wordpress and getting a page builder and all other other plugins for security, social media feed, etc. I was too overwhelmed so I ended up working with good old @tumblr, as the last one I made was through it. But I will figure this out before the year ends! If I have to die to do it. LOL. 2// I’ve started two books. I was reading Jonathan Rosen’s Best Minds. The text is lovely and it’s been very informative. But the topic has not been easy and there’s always a lot to unpack for me so my brain keeps trailing off. Started with Before the Coffee Gets Cold which seems shorter and more dreamy. Hoping to finish it this week! 3// Met with old work friends (CPDE). I will make a post about this soon. I’ve actually been thinking about the friendships I’ve made over the years, how they came to be and how they have evolved cos I feel like it has affected the way I make friends now. 5// Gratitude posts everyday! 6// Started a Save account on @gotymebank specifically for this. Also have some sense of which charity I would like to give it to. 9// January snaps are up. 10// Tracking weight since the start of the year. It’s been up - down. Let’s see how we can be consistent! 12// Watched a few movies. Gomburza, Society of the Snow, No Hard Feelings, Maestro. Post due soon too! 22// So far, logging 10K steps. 32// Sticking with my daily devotionals.

So many things, so little time. Maybe this will go over a year. LOL. For full updates, link on my bio.

Hows your January been? 

[2024and40]

Item 20: Visit a new country (or many!)

During the pandemic, I got obsessed with e-learning and ended up volunteering with different groups to practice making modules and using authoring tools/software. One of them was an NGO based in Cambodia, People Stories Charity. Last year they tried to launch a project bringing tourists to see Siem Reap while also promoting awareness about their advocacies, mainly education as a way to transform lives.

I signed up cos I’ve tried going to Cambodia twice in the past, first was 20 years ago (gasp!) but only lasted, uhm, give or take 30 mins crossing the border from Bangkok to Poipet for a visa run. The next was about 10 years ago (gasp!) but then I got so sick with some strange illness, I had to skip the trip. They ended up changing the dates for the project but I already booked flights so I went anyway.

I aimed for a full experience and while I would say it’s been lovely, it’s also been very sobering. Like one minute you’re in your soft girl era lounging by the pool drinking your cocktails while planning temple runs and then the next you’re in a remote village where children have to walk long distance on muddy roads to access a school. How to deal with thoughts and feelings related to that? I have no idea. 🤷🏻‍♀️ I am still processing.

In any case, coming to Siem Reap feels like it has long been over due. It’s called me so many times and after 20 years, I’m happy I’m finally ticking it off from my list. 💕

PS If you havent seen the stories where I dropped the link but you’re curious, here’s more about @peoplestories_charity 🔗 http://peoplestoriescharity.org

[2024and40]

Item 9: Take a self-portrait once a month

Not really a selfie person but making an exception this year. Trying to feel less self conscious and maybe loving myself a little more lol. 😬 Here are some snaps to end January. Alternate way to document what I have been up to, I guess. I was so hopeful and positive and excited on the first day of the year. What did I know. Haha.

[2024and40]

Item 5: Start a gratitude journal

This week I am mostly grateful for the opportunity to travel, to meet new people, to eat delicious food, to experience new things, to visit the village schools we were helping but which I only had very vague idea before, and just having time with myself. I remember the tuktuk passing by the Siem Reap river in the Angkor complex and me thinking I probably should raise my arms up high, laugh without care while the wind blows my hair like they do in the movies/reels? Haha. Except that wasn’t me. Me was feeling overwhelmed with emotions, with gratitude that I get to do what I get to do and just wanting to cry. 😭😬 Nobody will understand lol

What are you thankful for this week? Share below. ⬇️

[2024and40]

Item 20: Visit a new country (or many!)

If you’ve been following my stories, you know I’ve recently taken a trip to Siem Reap in Cambodia.

I will post about that trip soon but before anything else, if you haven’t tried solo travel yet, I will say this is your sign to do it! So many things to can get from #solotravel. Some of my favorites are:

1️⃣ Getting a Break from Routine: For those who are dragged down by daily routines and responsibilities, it’s an opportunity to recharge and re-awaken one’s sense of freedom, resilience, and adventure.

2️⃣Flexibility: You can create your itinerary, go to destinations at your own pace, and make spontaneous decisions without considering the preferences of others. You can make plans based on your physical comfort, energy levels, and interests.

3️⃣Self Discovery and Reflection: It’s just the perfect chance to reconnect with one’s self. Without the distractions of daily life and other people, there is uninterrupted time to consider thoughts and emotions you haven’t paid attention to before and so essentially you’ll gain a deeper understanding of yourself and how you relate to the world around you. 💕

#Cambodia, particularly #SiemReap is a good place to try solo travel as there’s so much to do, the area is generally safe, people are friendly, and there are plenty of options

[2024and40]

Item 5: Start a gratitude journal

Posting this summary a tad bit late as so many things (life changes!) have been happening lately. But mostly, grateful for this trip and everything that kept me healthy, sane, and just made it possible to keep going prior to arriving here. Much love to everyone, especially family and workmates 😘

What are you thankful for this week? Share below. ⬇️

[2024and40]

Reposting this because I feel like it captures the theme of this personal project. This could be a pivot year. Or at least a reminder of the kind of life I’ve wished and continue to work hard for. Yung saktong relaxed lang huwag masyadong maligalig at madaming kaganapan lol

Thank you for the beautiful words, @briannawiest ❤️

[2024and40]

Item 5: Start a gratitude journal

This practice has been useful this week as curve balls kept coming. Rumors of layoffs which started last week were finally confirmed. Negative energies definitely took a toll and just when I thought as I was getting better, this nasty cold came back haunting. But as always we look for the silver lining and we focus our sights on it. Thankful for being back in old stomping grounds, for seeing old friends, for fond memories, and for little random things that make one feel better like solitude, like colored pens, or nasal inhalers and the gentle warmth of the sun. ☀️

What are you thankful for this week? Share below. ⬇️

[2024and40]

Been thinking about how I can really celebrate life with this project. I don’t want it to be just a supercut (in the words of the singer @lorde). I really hope to capture the messy, the imperfect, the unfiltered and everything that makes life truly rich and beautiful.

I’d like to honor my family, my friends, my workmates, my dogs, my books, my movies, my food, the routines I’ve kept, the trying moments, the small victories and all the joys that has sneaked in from the interstices. Because that has been what life is for me and I feel blessed.

Hoping to figure things out and post more in the coming days/weeks. 💕🙏

[2024and40]

Item 5: Start a gratitude journal.

I logged on my stories things I am grateful for everyday. Mainly, the start of a new year and the endless possibilities that come with it. I’ve been feeling under the weather. Luckily it’s not Covid which seems to be back lately, just the seasonal colds, cough, and flu. So I am thankful for remote work which allows me to rest and take quick naps the days I felt awful. Also, good food, music, movies, time with family and fur babies. 🖤 🐶🎶🍸

What are you thankful for this week? Share below. ⬇️

[2024and40]

Updates

Restart a blog

Read 12 books (or more!)

Rekindle old friendships

Dance or sing on Tiktok

Start a gratitude journal

Raise 1,000 USD to donate to charity

Take a fun class (pottery/art/makeup)

Make a signature cocktail

Take a self-portrait once a month

Lose weight

Go offline for a weekend

Watch 12 new movies (or more!)

Wear colored contacts for a day

Catch a sunrise

Get a tarot reading done

Learn a song on the piano/keyboard

Start a YouTube channel

Plant a tree

Try 4 new recipes

Visit a new country (or many!)

Watch a play, opera, or ballet

Find a workout you like

See all the appropriate doctors

Pay for a stranger’s meal

Attend a great concert (or many!)

Try 3 craft projects from Pinterest

Practice your go-to song on videoke

Be a vegetarian for a week

Write a letter to read on your 50th

Start a side hustle

Schedule a luxurious spa/selfcare day

Dedicate time for daily prayer/meditation

Volunteer to an org

Complete a work related certification

Bet on a horse/team/lottery/casino

Try a tasting menu (or many!)

Get a tattoo or piercing

Send a letter to a random address

Create a capsule wardrobe

Fall in love LOL

Reflections Lessons Others

[2024and40]

My final 40 things list.

It started as a laundry list of ideas though. I found people who were doing the same thing and I was inspired by some of the things they included on their list. Some were very specific to their particular context and geographical location so I chose the ones which are more generic and which I could relate to and then eventually filtered the list to 40 items.

The initial list is below if you're interested.

[2024and40]

This year I’m turning 40 and I’m celebrating with this little personal project: I am going to document the year.

When people think of 40, they think "old". I don’t know if I feel old. I remembering turning 30 and feeling very anxious. I felt extremely pressured about my life. I kept comparing myself to others and every single time, I ended up feeling very small. Like I haven't accomplished much, I haven't done enough, and there's nothing to show for my life. Surprisingly, this time, turning 40, I don’t feel that way. Maybe I am suppressing all those negative feelings? That's my fear. But maybe the years have also calmed me? For some reason, I feel much lighter now. I might still be less compared to many people. But I think I'm in a good place. And most days, I really like my life.

So I'm taking this year as an opportunity to reflect on the years that passed, the experiences I’ve had, the people I have met along the way, how the things I like, believe in, and value have changed over time, and maybe somehow figure out what kind of person I was then, what I am now, and how maybe I can become a better version of myself in the future.  

[2024and40]

How has it been 10 years already? Where does time go?