I hate to say this but I think so far, 2014 has been the busiest one in my life. Just when I thought I was to go back to school, plans changed at the last minute because of a nation-wide project which got my attention and where I ended up being a volunteer after a grueling one month certification period. Another important decision is moving to a new company, where the culture differs vastly from my previous one. I did ace my adjustment period, which is a surprise, but which I owe to my frequent travels where change and mobility is the only constant thing.
After becoming an official volunteer in a built heritage mapping project, I found myself visiting new places and gaining new insights in revisiting old places. Just within Metro Manila one can walk around Santa Ana which is already declared a heritage zone. The initial deployment period saw me going to Bulacan and I have yet to go back to see more of its heritage structures. It did feel great to see Malolos Church again, a place I had visited way back in elementary school.
In August this year, I went back to HK. It was supposed to be a trip with a highschool friend but I ended up going alone. It was probably for the best since I was able to meet relatives I have ever seen before. It was my first time to visit relatives who live overseas and it was a liberating experience to do so since my siblings and I were raised by strict and overprotective parents and yet I turned out to be the misfit among us, being the adventurous type and the academically inclined one. I just never thought that I would visit the same country in two consecutive years.
This week, I'm glad to have braved the horrendous traffic just to set foot on Malabon again. This time, there's only me because I wanted to explore it alone. It was tiring and smoke from vehicles was all around, not to mention the noise pollution. It was humbling to see and recognize the architectural beauties I did not seem to have noticed in my visit last year.
And then of all surprises, I am very happy to have had the opportunity to reconnect albeit virtually to an elementary friend. It just so happened that I was browsing through posts in a Facebook group and I saw her post asking for backpacking tips. Right then and there I messaged her and she remembered me! Of all my elementary friends, she sent me the most letters which I loved reading because at our young age, her penmanship was admirably beautiful. My 2014 would be ultra grand if ever we get to meet up despite our hectic schedule. Being able to chat with her on FB already got me excited, so what more if we saw each other!
In a nutshell, 2014 has been about revisiting places and reconnecting with old friends. One lesson I got out of this whole experience is about striking a balance between sustaining existing relationships and forging new ones. I have to say that I met some of the coolest people this year and I am not about to just let them go. Because just as I wouldn't want people to let me go, I would love to nurture those nascent relationships. These days it's easy to meet and discard people but I never liked the idea. Maybe it's what they call separation anxiety. Or maybe it's one's plain desire to get close to people with whom one has an affinity. Either way, I'll just enjoy the ride and see where it takes me to.
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