It still hasn’t really occurred to me that I’ve been back home for almost half a year. Being in quarantine in my childhood home has been hectic, but a lot of good things has also come with it. I hate to linger on the bad things and on things I can’t do, so why not reflect on the good things that the past 6 months of quarantine has brought?
I feel like there’s already been a lot of things written about this whole quarantine season, so I’m not going to make this complicated.
Last April, I got back to the Philippines after a long journey from Colombia. Both countries are on the opposite sides of the hemisphere, and it’s been such a tough time accepting that my South American journey was over. Just like that, it was done, and I was home. I kept on asking myself how this happened, but it’s life. Sometimes the journey comes into an unexpected halt. When this happens, we can choose to sulk or we can choose to rise above it.
I’m not going to lie, the first few months of quarantine were spent sulking, and stalking my travel friends who’ve decided to stay out there and wait out, and hoping that this nightmare would end as soon as possible. Lo and behold, half a year in and I feel like COVID-19 isn’t really going anywhere any time soon. So by July, I knew that I really needed to do something worthwhile and not mope around my house because that really hasn’t gotten me anywhere.
I get it, being stuck in quarantine is hard. Sometimes I’d stalk my friends from Europe and I’d get all jealous because their lives have seemed be back to normal. They’ve been travelling all around the European Union. Meanwhile, Filipinos are currently banned from the EU…great. What can I do? I can’t be sucked into this ball of jealousy, so like I always do, I went back to work.
Instead of writing about how annoyed I am that I haven’t been able to travel for the past 6 months, I guess I can tell you the things that I’ve been up to.
Well I’ve started apply for Grad School. I know, my five-year gap year is almost up, and this year is supposed to be my last year of full-time travelling. But at the same time, this year is the year where I’m supposed to be applying. If I were out there, I’d probably lose track of the whole application thing and I’ll probably be applying very late. So it’s been a good thing that I’m home for this application process, because there were requirements that I didn’t have and I needed to request by myself here in my hometown. So it’s been great when I think of it that way. Hopefully, I get in to my dream Grad School.
What else?
Oh, I’m writing two books! Well, the first is a novel about my time living in Mexico. It’s kind of a travel memoir, and that’s about everything that I can say…for now! The second one is a children’s book, and it’s going to be published early next year so I’m pretty excited about that!
I’ve also been working very hard. As per usual, content writing. Oh, I’m also starting a new full-time job. Still working as a content writer, and I’m very excited to work as a professional writer. Looking back, I’ve always wanted to become a writer, and having all these jobs doing the thing I love the most is quite thrilling. I wouldn’t trade it for the world!
The Following Paraluman Podcast Series is also on full blast! I’ve been really busy trying to produce quality content for all of you, and I’m super excited to announce that September is going to be a one woman show. I’ll be talking about topics like working unconventional jobs, travelling as a solo female, and falling in love on the road. It’s going to be quite fun and controversial, if I may say so myself. So, stay tuned! For now, listen to my podcast’s previous episodes by clicking HERE.
Oh, YouTube! I’ve been posting a lot of travel films lately. I’ve uploaded my travel films for New York City, Cebu City, and Taroudant. For September, I’ll be uploading by travel film for Singapore! Stay tuned and click HERE to watch and subscribe!
Honestly, I’ve been doing so much and I’m really grateful to be home during this pandemic. I’ve been mastering yoga too…to no avail, but I’m loving it and it keeps me moving, so it’s great.
This quarantine season has been super hectic, I know. But we can choose to linger on the bad things and not do great things…or we can do the opposite. I say we should do the latter.
I hope y’all are doing really well, and I’d love to hear about how y’all are doing during this whole quarantine season. What have y’all been up to, and let’s talk! Be safe out there, and I’ll see you on the road very, very soon! Blessings!
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.”
Ephesians 6:10 NIV
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