Hello, friends. It has been a long time, hasnโt it? To be honest, I almost forgot how it felt to sit down and let the words flow. Iโve missed this space dearly, but for a while, I just didnโt know how to start again.
In the last few months of 2019, I stepped away. I went quiet on social media and stopped blogging because, truthfully, I was suffocating. My โto-doโ list was growing longer than my โto-liveโ list, and it became overwhelming.
During that break, I traded my laptop screen for family time and tried learning things just for the fun of it. It was a breath of fresh air. Now, as we stand at the start of a new decade, I want to look back at the moments that redefined โfreedomโ for me before we dive into new adventures.
Taking the Leap into Full-Time Freelancing
This was probably the biggest risk Iโve ever taken. I left a steady 8-hour job to pursue graphic design, a hobby I barely knew how to turn into a career back then. It wasnโt easy. There were days of doubt, but watching it grow over the year was so rewarding.
I even started MK Studio (@misskstudio on Instagram), my own one-woman creative team. Learning to manage my own time was a challenge, but I found myself addicted to the growth.
Falling for Siargao
How can anyone ever forget Siargao Island? I fell in love with its raw nature and that slow, โlocalโ way of life. They say the island takes a part of you, but it doesnโt make you feel incompleteโit makes you feel like you belong. Leaving a piece of my heart there was one of the most freeing things I did all year.
Finding my Breath in Negros Occidental
I went to Negros Occidental just to pick up my nephew, but I ended up finding a piece of myself there. I had been so focused on work that Iโd forgotten how freeing the salt air feels. Standing by the sea reminded me that the world is so much bigger than my office desk. It was the โbreatherโ I didnโt even know I needed.
The Dark Days: Battling Chickenpox
Not everything in 2019 was a postcard-perfect moment. I went through a severe bout of chickenpox that left me struggling with post-illness anxiety and depression. There were days when things felt truly unbearable. I tried to stay positive, but it was a battle.
Overcoming thatโand the scars it left behindโtaught me that freedom is also about mental peace and being kind to your body when itโs hurting.
Salty Hair in Siquijor
We donโt travel as a family often, so our quick trip to Siquijor was a major highlight. It was exhaustingโonly one night and one day!
We rushed through the sights so fast it felt like a dream, but Iโll never forget waking up in my own bed afterward with lingering salty hair. I even filmed my first vlog there! I was too shy to speak to the camera, so itโs mostly just me walking around looking awkward, but it was a start.
Committing to the Journey of Becoming a Travel Blogger
I want to travel more, so I can write more stories and guides.
If thereโs one thing 2019 whispered to me, it was to stop holding back. For a long time, I treated blogging like a secret diary I was too scared to share. But after seeing the beauty of the islands and feeling the rush of a new city, I realized that these stories arenโt just for me. They are for the girl who is still sitting in an 8-hour office job, dreaming of the sea. They are for the traveler who needs an honest guide to the raw, unedited parts of a trip.
Is Travel Blogging Hard? Top 3 Challenges for Travel Bloggers (And How I Overcame Them)
Iโve decided to lean into this fully. No more โmaybe next month.โ I want to write more travel guides, share more coffee shop finds, and be more consistent with my blog. Whether itโs a big mountain trek or just a quiet afternoon in a local cafe, I want to document it all.
2019 was the year I found my voice and my own space. Now, Iโm ready to use it to take you all along on the journey with me.
What Freedom Means to Me Now
Looking back, 2019 taught me that freedom is a privilege. Having the option to quit a job you no longer want is a privilege. Having a family reunion and watching my Papa enter his senior years with grace is a different kind of freedomโthe freedom to appreciate the people we love while they are here.
Freedom is having options. Itโs the peace of mind to choose your own path.
Happy New Year to all of you! Please, give yourself a pat on the back for getting through another year (and another decade). Chase that inner peace and keep fighting for the life you want.
Now, I want to hear from you: How are you doing, and what changed the way you see freedom last year?
Aww, to more success for your business!! ?
Btw, will it be fine to ask how much the scar treatment was per session?
Heyyy thank youuu, Amielle! ๐ Yes of course, umm, i don’t know sa other clinic but from where I’ve had it treated, it’s 1,500 per session.
We are so back in blogging this 2020! Nawala rin ako for a couple of months late last year. So glad I’m seeing a new post from you na! ๐
HIIII OMGGG! YES WE ARE! Idk why I got so excited to see you here again ๐ HAHA I miss youu and I miss writing and syempre reading your blog. Nagcheck ako sa blog mo agad eh and omg I am so happy that you are posting a lot na again :)) parehas talaga tayong nawala that’s why I follow you narin on IG. Alam mo, I feel like I’d be writing more this year (kung hindi tamadin) Sobrang malaking tulong yung internet break sakin talaga eh ๐
Oohh!! Have to check my IG. Hahaha. Push natin ‘tong pagsusulat ulit this year. It inspires me knowing people who somehow feels the same and yet keeps on moving!