I haven’t been visible in the blogging realm lately. There have been attempts to scribble different contents about life and what not, but I can’t seem to find the perfect timing, the guts, or the rhythm of words to put them altogether in an article. Perhaps, there’s too much going on in my head and in my heart to even translate it to a coherent paragraph. I don’t even know if someone is interested reading my this or would bother finishing it anyway.

But in the midst of my “inner chaos”, I remember that writing is my first love. It is where I find solace and peace — occasionally. I’d always pour my heart out in writing, be it about food, a new restaurant, a memorable travel, or about sharing my losses and triumphs regardless of the outcome or receptiveness from my audience. Hence, here is another attempt to rekindle that passion, no matter how jumbled my thoughts are — jumping from frustrations, aspirations, ideals, and goals.

January: A Month in Review

If you’ve noticed, it’s been a tradition in my blog to do year-end reviews. Because of my procrastination and everything that is going around in my life, I was not able to write one and I deem it too late to even publish it now. Instead, I’ll try something new. I’ll try to do a month-end review to allow myself get in sync with the habit of writing regularly, and also to track my growth, progress, and goals as well.

If it is known that January is a month of fresh beginnings, of maintaining the energy to set new goals or resolutions, I don’t feel as much motivated as the rest. In between those times that I should be writing down my to-do list in a planner of fresh, blank sheets, I also feel that my plate is full to start a new chapter. Also, I miss my Dad every time I had to face adulting problems without him to guide me or comfort me.

Work from home

I’ve been working from home for almost a year now. I’ve adjusted well to this new work set-up and managed to become productive despite challenges in connection, working space, and privacy. It’s not easy, but manageable. It is just that it is quite hard to set boundaries between work and personal life.

Last month, I also tried working in our home in Cavite and the peaceful environment plus the speedy internet connection is a good idea.

New skincare

After trying Nacific for seven months, I shifted to The Ordinary to see if there is a difference. I bought the Niacinamide and Ascorbic Acid 8% + Alpha Arbutin 2%. I had skin purging during the first few weeks just like what I experienced with Nacific, but now the breakouts have diminished. Let’s see if turns out more suitable for me and my desired skin improvements. I’m actually aiming for anti-aging and brightening.

More frequent IG postings

This pandemic, I did not have foodie events so I thought of just sharing my cooked dishes in IG. At the start of the year, I diverted the platform to showcasing my personal recipes than mere resto food trips and reviews, which I enjoyed more because I know it’s a labor of love in cooking and styling.

New savings scheme and financial planning

I bought an acrylic coin bank with the 2021 Ipon Challenge attached to it. Let’s see if I can do it! Aside from that, I’ve been preparing my funds for a retirement plan. I’ve wanted to start a business but none of the plans materialized, so let’s see if I can build first my emergency fund. I’ve also converted my credit card balance to installment. I’m aiming to be debt-free in two years by God’s grace. In my pursuit to lessen my financial stress, I turned over the responsibility of doing the family groceries to my mom. Nothing beats the budgeting strategies of a mother.

New hormonal pills

I’ve shared to you before that I have endometriosis and adenomyoma which makes my period extremely painful every month. After experiencing terrible pain with Visanne, I decided to consult with a new OB Gyne in Makati Medical center and she changed my pills to Qlaira. So far, the pain is more tolerable now compared with Visanne.

Career

The third week of January marks our peak season at work so I became busier with my office tasks, alongside drafting my proposals for a Six Sigma project. Shifting schedules is causing a slight strain to my body clock that I can’t build a fixed sleeping pattern.

Feelings of restlessness

I can’t elaborate enough, but it’s just the start of the year but I feel tired and restless already. There were times that I questioned my self, my worth, my capabilities, and wondered when will I have my breakthroughs.

I just keep reminding myself of God’s goodness, and the answered prayers I had in the past. No matter how unclear the path may be for me, I will continue to trust in Him.