Last Wednesday, I went back to Dagupan City (just after two weeks!) to accompany my grandfather and I originally planned to go to Binalonan (my mother’s hometown) and go with my blogger friends to Bolinao for the weekend, but neither of them happened. I ended up just spending most of my time at a newly-opened coffee shop to work on some blog posts and interact with some online friends.

Dreaming of Manila

I am also quite amused on the developments of my beloved hometown. New coffee shops, food establishments,  shopping malls, hotels among others are being developed. Finally, Dagupan City is open for some big changes!

Five years ago, I was a student who wanted to graduate right away. Instead of taking it slow and study for four years, I graduated one semester earlier than my batchmates. The reason? I wanted to leave Dagupan City immediately and pursue a career in Metro Manila.

Before I graduated from college, I decided to try my luck in Metro Manila for my OJT. Lucky enough, I was able to make it in a software company somewhere in Ortigas. I wanted to be a programmer and as a matter of fact, I used to really enjoy coding and debugging. I don’t really know what happened, but when I suddenly lost interest when I finally faced the reality of being a corporate worker. At least that exposure made me realize that  a strict corporate setting is not really for me.

Then I got employed as a Web Marketing Specialist in a controversial company… a very controversial company. Although i stayed there only for a few months, I can say that I learned a lot from that experience. I even consider myself lucky because I was able to work with such great marketing team. At least I have an idea on what makes a certain campaign effective and how one must set aside business and personal issues. I was a workaholic back then and we were quite trained to aspire more not only for the company, but for self-growth. I learned that at my first year in the corporate world.

Reading my favorite tabloid 😛

My job in an entertainment tabloid is what I really enjoyed doing most. I am a fan of Filipino celebrities and writing about them is more of a leisure than a job on my part. I love the fact that our editors were open to my suggestions and they even encourage me to do whatever I want to do. They also understood my sudden thirst for travelling and I was able to balance my love for entertainment and travel. Although I was not employed in a multinational company, I can say that I am happy and fulfilled.

Right now, I am in the stage wherein I am taking a risk as a freelancer. I was able to invest on some niche blogs about showbiz personalities years ago and I am glad that they’re quite established already. I am about to make more niche sites and i am treating it like my very own business. For it to make money, I have to work hard on it. These are my babies!

I find it funny because years ago, I was this Dagupena Dreamer who really had big dreams – Managerial Position in a multinational company at Age 25, own condominium unit without asking help from any of my relatives, my own car (heck, i can’t even drive yet!) and spend a lot of money in material things. Yes, that was me years ago. I had a lot of insecurities back then in regards to my educational background (i think almost everyone who graduated from a province-based college/university can relate to this) since i’ve been hearing stories that some companies would rather hire those who graduated from Manila’s top universities even if you had good grades. Instead of sulking or feeling sorry for myself, I decided to work on my skills and eventually landed a good job.

Simple moments are Priceless 🙂

Right now, all I want is to travel, earn decent money, have a simple lifestyle, share my stories and ideas through blogs and films and enjoy the company of my family and friends. I guess I am less stressed now compared to the previous years because I finally learned to appreciate the simple yet important things that make life worthwhile. Sometimes, the society gives us this pressure to push ourselves to the limit in ‘that’ world for money and fame. I’m glad that i learned as early as now that it is not the main ingredient to make one a happy person.

Traveling taught me a lot when it comes to dealing with people and adjusting to different cultures. A good backpacker friend of mine told me that he feels that two years from now, I am already wandering around the world with my backpack. I prefer to travel slowly, but i am also open to micro-vacations. It all depends on my situation at that moment. I AM NOT CLOSING MY DOORS – there is a big chance that i might go back to the corporate world anytime soon, but I wouldn’t be as bull-headed as before as I am only imposing too much stress to myself and for what?

The Beautiful Possibilities of Simplicity

This is yet another risk and it is not financially easy LOL. Whether I make it or not, at least I did something. I wouldn’t want to regret later on. I’d rather live a life full of challenges, but no regrets. I want to explore the world and live my life with me in control. This might sound like a simple dream to most of you and some might even say that I am crazy, but i’m not. Maybe my perception towards life just changed as I grow up. I just came to realize that Simplicity leads to less wants and it will even make you appreciate even the smallest things. 🙂

Special thanks to DanO,  Flip, Johnny and Andain’s ‘Beautiful Things’.