This year I planned to be somewhere every month.
I wanted to take advantage of the “work from anywhere” perk that company proudly advertised on its hiring lists. Last year, I worked from Cebu and Bohol over Christmas break, and a week before that I worked from Isabela as a volunteer counselor for this youth camp. A month before that, I worked by the beach and tried surfing for the first time.
This year, I was supposed to make traveling and working a monthly thing and see how things go from there, and, oh, was I surprised.
Here is how the past 6 months have gone so far:
Month 1- January: a Wedding, a Country Club, and the Beach
Start of the year. My brother tied the knot and booked us in Baguio Country Club for 2 nights. It was a night of changes and realization. Check out my post about being on the sidelines of other’s milestones here.
Life is going faster than we all know, tears, laughs, and even spiteful words were said that day. But in the end, it was a celebration of love and a love grounded on something way beyond my brother and his wife.
I started the year on a high and ended the 1st month on another high with an overnight trip to the Surfing Capital of the North. With some yogurt, a glass of some tropical lady’s drink, and talks and tears over sugar-free ice cream, the year felt different—in a good, exciting way.
Month 2- February: a Lake and family visit
Relatives from Canada visited and celebrated our grandfather’s 105th birthday earlier than usual.
As we made our way to Manila, picked people up from the airport, and before we found ourselves back at our hometime, we visited the newlyweds in Olongapo City.
Another month of adventure made me work in the vicinity of the beach again. Instead of the sand, we explored some mountains and enjoyed the clear water of the Pamulaklakin River.
Who knew my dog liked the mountain and cool river water better than the beach? It was a sight seeing a dog who hated baths—and water in general—bravely hop on rocks to get across the river and casually step into the water (but only about 2 inches deep) to explore the new terrain.
The family laughed as he ran away from things that startled him and were amazed at his command to lead the “pack” —show my mom and aunt the safest place to step from one rock to the next.
An early celebration brought us to this forest, one my dog recognized as a safe place to run and explore. Now I look forward to more adventures on mountain tops with him—I learned to fall in love with nature (check out my post here) again this month. The year is young, so many things can still happen.
Month 3- March: Another Trip and Another Celebration
Other relatives arrived, and we once again traveled to Manila to visit our grandfather for the official celebration of his 105th birthday. His feet danced as we sang the simple tune, and he, once again, optimistically promised he will walk again. He just needs to build more strength.
He smiled, recognizing all our faces—if not our names. We could see the delighted sparkle in his eye at the company and the joy in the conversations with people beyond my uncle’s immediate family. The moment made me wish I had visited more and hoped I could converse with him. But with his troubled hearing and a childhood far from him, the voices of other cousins and the stories of my uncles filled the walls of this tiny house in the middle of the start of some heat wave.
The month was also filled with a trip to someone’s wedding, a trip to take relatives to the airport, and another trip to check out an abandoned old house in Cavite.
Going back and forth from Manila to Baguio just a few weeks apart, all while working despite being on leave was starting to tire me.
I was just a quarter into traveling as I worked, and I was beginning to feel the effects on my stress levels, work output, and motivation. I was losing faith in the genuine care and support of colleagues who should have pinch-hit for me, the understanding of my immediate supervisor, and the service I provide our clients.
Working from anywhere does have perks, but all good things have a price.
Month 4- April: Missing a Trip and Staying Behind
So I got sick and missed a year-long planned trip up Mt. Pulag (see the post here). After years cooped up and keeping my immune system strong against Covid-19, I officially caught a cold, and my sinuses were unforgiving. My head felt like it was about to explode.
I wish I could have pushed through. Sadly the universe sometimes has other plans, and I spent a weekend alone recovering from the cold and all those tiring trips we took in the last 2 months.
Alone and free from other responsibilities for a weekend, I was able to catch up on reading, feeling as if I could face work head-on than in the past weeks. But 1 weekend is not enough. Work was still overwhelming from all the juggling the weeks before.
This became a month of catching up.
I wanted to be on top of all my work. I decided to dedicate the full 8 hours a day to work, without the distraction of traveling or other commitments on the side. This meant not only getting things done in a day but also going above and beyond within the dedicated working hours.
Slowly, work consumed my life. Yes, I was all caught up, but everything else was pushed aside. I only published once this month and haven’t picked up a new book. I barely stretched or worked out. I was now trapped.
The month was discouraging—missing a trip, feeling like I am about to drown with work, and lacking motivation to do anything else.
Month 5-May: Korea and Burnout
5-months into the year, work was feeling tiresome. The people were feeling unsupportive, and my mind was done working while on leave and working while on holiday break.
Enough is enough sometimes. My brain and body were on the edge of burnout. So I decided to take the plunge and book last-minute tickets to Seoul. Check out my post about running away to Korea to escape burnout.
Not a K-pop fan in the least, it may have been strange to be my 1st trip abroad since the pandemic. Even if I was no hardcore fan, Korea has so much more to offer. With the friendly people around the tourist spots, solo or not, you will definitely have a blast!
Solo traveling was always on my bucket list, and I got to try it out (but only for 1 day)! Now I have confidence for longer, more adventurous destinations alone. I just hope I don’t lose heart!
But all that running around to catch buses, planes, and trains in a foreign country is exhausting. So the next month was one of rest both physically, and mentally and also a month of rest for my pocket.
Month 6- June: a Ataycation and a Slumber Party
Or so I thought! I had to splurge on a slumber party right before the semester of my Alma Matter ended. We gathered together in celebration of encouragement and love for the young women completing a school year to graduate or enter another year at the University. It was the first year of face-to-face classes since the pandemic it had to end with a blast (even if it was a small one)!
Although tired from catching up on work since I was away in May, I still enjoyed a night at some AirBnB with young women who were simply happy to be around each other doing mundane things.
Life is not about the out-of-this-world adventures and the crazy activities other parties push the envelope on. But it is about the people, the conversations, and the support we have from a community that refuses to look down on us even if we mess up.
So far, the year is looking like a mess. It sped by in a blur, and I am still trying to grasp where I am today with all I hoped to accomplish this year. Even if things could have worked out better, I am happy staying put—slowly brewing plans for a new adventure next month. I hope you are too!
Busyzi 