Thank you, 2013!

It has come to this. Another year reached its end. And instead of saying goodbye, I’d so much prefer to just thank it for everything – the good and the bad, the wild and the chill, the little and the big, the old and the new.

So here goes…

2013, thank you for:

• All the firsts in my life in the past year.
• The special birthday treats I got.
• The Hot Air Balloon Fest. It was my first time; it was colorful, and it was awesome!
• Letting me experience Cagbalete Island. It was so beautiful, too beautiful it almost felt otherworldly. And for a moment, it was ours.
• All the unplanned adventures. They made 2013 so much more memorable than was expected. There’s always something exciting about not knowing what lies ahead and just acting on impulse.
• My family. Pure love. Only now did I realize how much love I have for my family. It’s not even something I can put in words or measure in any way.
• Mommy for being her most selfless and most patient self that I have seen her.
• Letting Daddy go home and spend some time with us. Precious three months of my life!
• My nieces and nephews. How did we get this close again? J
• My dearest friends – high school and college – the extensions of my family.
• The people who chose to stick with me through it all. They have always been like that.
• The new people I have met. Having new people in my life feels refreshing. And so far, they have been such wonderful additions.
• Justin Bieber. Hahahaha! (I thought a million times about whether or not I should put his name, and in the end, I decided to just keep it on the list. Lol #sorrynotsorry) What can I do? I fell in love. Bwaha.
• The books I’ve read, the movies/TV shows I’ve watched, and the songs I’ve listened to in the past year. They have kept me company during my down days, brought me to places I’ve never been, taught me lessons I never would have learned, and introduced me to characters I didn’t know would have such special place in my heart.
• The last season of Breaking Bad. It was so heavy, a bittersweet goodbye to Jesse and Mr. White. They will be missed.
• How I Met Your Mother Season 9. It has been a dragging season, but I’m not complaining. It’s like delaying my goodbye to close friends in the form of Barney, Ted, Robin, Marshall, and Lily.
• The you-know-what. J
• The long break. Thank you for the free time to let me do what I want or not do anything at all. I have long wanted it, and now I have it. Maybe it’s been far too long a break, but like I always say, what the hell, it’s fun.
• I was still active in all the CAS and LPL activities. There was the CAS Week, the Foundation Week and the alumni meetings. They made me feel like I never left Lyceum after all.
• Letting me pass the Civil Service Exam. It means a lot to me. Now I can say I have passed a certain legit examination.
• The cold breeze of Tagaytay. It jumpstarted all the Christmas cheers and feels of the season.
• Christmas!!! Not only was it an opportunity to celebrate His birth, it was also a good time to get together and bond with my loved ones over yummy meals, treats and gifts! I saw the people I haven’t seen for a long time. It’s the most wonderful time of the year for so many reasons!
• The disasters. Actually, I am not thankful for them so much as I am thankful for the Filipinos’ resilience, strength and faith. Also, if not for these tragedies, we wouldn’t have seen who the people who really care for us are.
• Helping me become better at voicing out my thoughts and expressing my feelings. It must have been the blogging, the watching, the reading, the listening, the listener, the willingness, or all of them that made me feel more comfortable about it. 
• All the beautiful dreams and truths.
• That particular kind of freedom. It came at the right time, and it came in smoothly.
• I have become a stronger person.
• I have become a kinder and more responsible human being. But I still have to work on a lot of things. Now that’s something for 2014.
• I have become more understanding of where other people are coming from. I learned that having more than one perspective allows a person to be impartial and make better judgment calls.
• The humbling experiences. There have been so many of them, and I could not feel more blessed now. They made me see things differently. I am now more appreciative of the things I used to ignore before. They taught me two of the most fulfilling lessons in life – give more and expect less.
• This life. It’s not perfect, but it’s awesome. J
• Your end. Your end leads to a new year. I now have the chance to go back to ground zero and be something different and better from who I used to be in the past year.
• The clean slate, the chance for something new.

It’s true what they say, a lot can happen in a year, and I never would have imagined that I will be where and who I am right now a year ago. Wild! Thank you, 2013! We had so much fun.

Hello, 2014! Whatchagot? Lezgeriron! ;)

Time to start the New Year with a bang! 

*Browse previous posts for photo credits.