Year 2015 has finally closed its curtains—another year has gone by almost unnoticeably and looking back, I can't help but feel a little emotional for recalling the countless memories I’ve made this year, for the new people I had the good fortune of meeting, for the friends whom I had known better and had bonded with, for the thrilling ‘firsts’ I boldly tried out, for the beautiful places my feet brought me to. Simply worded, I can’t help but acknowledge that bittersweet sensation of the riveting idea of one year finally ending and of a new one blossoming right in our midst. Indeed, New Year truly has the knack of putting one in a contemplative and melodramatic mood so much so that it led me to writing this: a recollection of fond memories through a compilation of random photos I managed to scour within my phone files and Facebook account. Let’s begin the review of year 2015, shall we?
This was one of our random lunch-outs with colleagues (from left to
right: Arvin, Ate Pau, Ate Haydee, Tania, RC, Karl, Kevin, Me, Glenn) during
our P&G (Procter & Gamble) engagement days. Our P&G fieldwork
lasted for about 4 to 5 months wherein we were basically stationed at P&G
Headquarter in Makati. With a total of roughly 100 staff, I was grateful to
have been part of the said engagement and to have met new friends and worked
with fellow Deloittees. One thing I couldn’t forget about this client is their
incredibly fast (yes, strongest I’ve seen in my life) internet connection!
This year I started taking a liking to mountain climbing so much so
that I was able to climb a total of 3 mountains by the end of the year. The
photo above was my second climb at Pico de Loro in Cavite last September. I was
with two of my college friends, Gladys (leftmost) and Janelle (rightmost); and
two officemates, Tania (in dark blue) and Kath (in pink shorts). The highlight
of our trek was climbing the top of the famous “monolith” (the towering rock
formation behind us) which we all managed to accomplish successfully.
Everyone that knows me knows that I am a super fan of Ed Sheeran. And last March, I had the amazing experience every Sheerio in the world has ever dreamed of—to watch the ginger himself strum his guitar and spit out his lyrics during his concert. I was with my officemate and frenemy, Alou, who is equally as die-hard on Ed as I am. And to express how exhilarated we were, we even proudly sported our Ed Sheeran shirts that night! When the night was over, I had concluded that it was the best 2 hours of my life!
My batchmates in Deloitte all have that innate wanderlust in them so much so that they have unknowingly infected me with some of it. Last May, even with wobbly finances to back us up, we still managed to sneak our way out of the concrete jungle of BGC and travel to Baler. It was a relaxing experience, one devoid of any thoughts about audit. There was a lot of sight-seeing, eating, joyriding and picture-taking! Some of us even tried out surfing for the first time! Oh how I miss the bunch!
A group wouldn’t be complete without the “kaladkarin” members. You
know, those friends who aren’t necessarily the organizing cause but are almost
always present in every “gala,” especially those random, unplanned ones? Glenn
is the most high-maintenance and figure-conscious of us, while Taniabelles is
the neutral, composed and analytical one. I’ve gotten closer to these two during
P&G days—planning for things we know will never happen, and sharing
anything under the stratosphere of social media. I miss these two!
This year I also went all-out in manifesting my artsy side by visiting various museums such as Pinto Art Museum, Art in Island and National Museum. Honestly, I’m not really much of an art junkie—I was just dragged by my friends to these “galas”. And to sound even more poetic and artsy, I even attended Juan Miguel Severo’s (yes—that famous slammer in OTWOL) gig just to see him perform live Spoken Poetry. And you know, when surrounded with such Instagrammable spots and atmosphere, one cannot help but unleash his hipster mode and either pretend to be a model or a pro photographer in capturing even the most trivial of things or the most boring of sceneries. Check my IG account (@heraldthestar) for proof of me on hippie mode in such art-inspired places! Haha!
As mentioned above, this year I began getting fond of hiking. And as I was in a hiatus from work at the last quarter of this year, I decided to climb Mt. Kitanglad in my hometown which is the 4th highest peak in the country. I was with my friend, Tisay, as we paced ourselves up to this gigantic mound of earth. It was breathtaking up there, what with all the sea of clouds and majestic communication towers at the summit. Personally, it was a much-needed isolation from all the daily bustle of life. I got the chance to be one with nature, and reflect on various things. I truly encourage everyone, especially my friends from Bukidnon and CDO, to at least try this one. And to guide you (chos), I’ll be making a separate blog post of my Mt. Kitanglad adventure one of these days.
On the last quarter of 2015, I made the bold decision to leave
Deloitte and move back closer to home. Deloitte was my first job after passing
the board exam on October 2014 and I was beyond grateful for the opportunity.
I’ve gotten firsthand experience of audit and the proverbial “busy season” that
comes with the work. I’ve made a lot of friends, been to many places, and
enjoyed and struggled like how a typical yuppie—and an auditor at that—would
enjoy and struggle. It was indeed an unforgettable phase of my life—a segment
that will always sketch a smile on my face whenever I look back. I definitely
miss everyone, the work itself, the clients, the office, Mang Ed’s
‘lutong-bahay’, BGC and its always active lifestyle, the traffic, everything. And now that it's fast approaching, I
just wish my fellow Deloittees a strong stamina for the upcoming busy season!
Hehehe.
-oOo-
Personally, 2015 was a year of self-discovery, of epiphany and of
manifesting audacity. It opened my eyes to the many things that lie outside my
comfort zones and it has given me fresh perspectives on the different facets of
life. 2015 taught me that the smooth-sailing way isn’t necessarily the best
way, and that breaking the pattern can make you see things in a different
light. Getting restless is the soul’s way of saying that there are still many
more things to be explored, discovered, tried, and conquered. I also learned
that finding one’s passion in life is the utmost task one could possibly be
beset with. The choices we make may seem uncomfortable—and unreasonable
even—for others. But life isn’t about pleasing others. It is what you make it,
you plan for it, or even what you do not plan for it. It is making moments
matter and making decisions that truly, deeply, make you happy.
Happy New Year 2016 everyone!
Oodles of love,
Herald
Oodles of love,
Herald
