On 2016

This might be a little late (or maybe not), but Happy New Year, dear reader/s! I said it already in my instagram birthday post, but I will say it again. 2015 was a very great year for me. 2015 was the year that I made many of my dreams come true, such as going to Universal Studios for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. I honestly admit that I teared up when I stepped on the replicated cobble stones of Hogsmeade, drank butterbeer, and went on the "Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey" ride. I also cried when I almost lost my Hermione wand (but the staff found it!).

I was also able to get a working visa here in Japan, so I can now live in my dream country. I still consider Philippines as my home, and nothing beats home. But for now, Japan is where I need to be. Here, I am my own woman. Here, I rely on myself, and it's a very liberating feeling. 

I do get sad and lonely sometimes. I look for my mother's touch on days when I am sick; I miss being driven to places by my Kuya; And I miss the ruckus and noise of my family on holidays. But I just think of the sadness and loneliness as experiences that I need to become stronger, and I believe that I've become more stronger than when I was in the Philippines.

I'm looking forward for this new year, because this year, I am open to new things. Last year was all about fulfilling my dreams, and I did it. Thus, for this year, as I live my dreams and continue to fulfill more, I want to see new things, feel new things, and experience new things. So I say, bring it 2016!

Spring

Spring is settling in in this part of the world, and it actually feels like it's battling with summer already (blame global warming for that). It's my second time experiencing spring and, for me, it's definitely not the same as before.

3.28.15

Today marks my first year here in Japan. The picture above is the same picture I used when I blogged about my arrival. It was my morning view. Back then, everything was fresh; everything was a challenge. I was scared and sad at first, being away from home and all. Now my morning view has changed as I've moved to a different apartment. Most streets are familiar. Routines are engraved into my being. I've achieved a lot and failed a lot. I quit from a job that was my only lifeline here. I was terrified. I was a bum for a few months. Found a better job. And now I'm just starting to get back from being "stable". There's such just so much that the future holds.

Life abroad has taught me so many things. But I think what struck me the most is how much sacrifices a life here would cost. It has been the best year, and I can't still believe that I'm here. But honestly, I'm currently homesick. I miss my own bed. I miss my own bedroom window. I miss how the summer sunshine wakes me up instead of alarm clocks or the bitter cold during this time of the year. I miss  having food in the table when I go downstairs for breakfast. I miss watching TV. I miss the grocery drives. I miss Jollibee. I miss the silence of our house whenever I go down in the middle of the night to pee or get a drink. I miss the smell of home. I miss my friends. I miss my family. I miss my mama.

It's a little sad but whenever I see myself going back to the Philippines, I see a dead end. There's nothing for me there. That's why I have to continue. Through all this, I'm happy that I still have the inspirations to go on with this life. That,  I think is the most important. Inspiration.