Baby Steps

Happy new year! I hope your first week of the year 2016 went well. I'm back to regular programming and my boss just handed me my proposed work schedule for 2016 yesterday. We went through the list of events lined up and all the work that will be assigned to me. I'm starting to write down some of my goals for this year, wishing I'd be able to accomplish them, one baby step at a time.

Travel and family time
My travels for the first quarter of the year have been sorted out. I had no vacation days since the second half of 2015 (yes, that long already) so I'm making use of the Chinese New Year holiday next month to visit my aunt in the US. PAL had a 50% off Independence Day sale last year so I grabbed the opportunity to buy a roundtrip ticket to LA. I'm really excited to see my aunt and tell her so many things about my life. 

My dihia- my second elder brother- will be home in April. I'm looking forward to spend time with my brothers again. Virtual togetherness through Viber and Facetime can get boring and tedious at times. He said it will be an easy vacation, no need to go somewhere else. Although I really want to visit Palawan with the family, we all decided to let it go and just enjoy the company of each other at home. We haven't done that for so long. I also plan to give my mom a trip to Bali as a birthday gift, perhaps during the second half of the year. Still crossing my fingers on this.

Faith, hope and love
Each year presents challenges that will lead us closer to Him. I remember kneeling in prayer and lifting all my fears and worries on New Year Eve's Mass. And until now I can still feel that peace inside of me- peace in knowing that He is in control of everything in my life.

I'll share one funny anecdote: My mom and I are very close, but I don't tell her about my love life (because there really is nothing to tell haha!) or dating life. So one afternoon out of nowhere, I sent my bestfriend a message which went something like this "I think this is the year I will fall in love, and this is the year you will give love another chance." I pushed send. I got a funny reply which didn't sound like my bestfriend at all. It said, "I'm so happy to hear that from you!" I double checked the message. It was from my mom. Daaaaang. I accidentally sent the message to her. How can I be so stupid?! But I hope that made my mom happy hahaha. Well, bahala na po kayo, Lord. 

Health and financial well-being
After a bout of illness last month, I realized how important it is to seek professional medical help and to find a doctor you are truly comfortable with. I've learned to take care of myself more and to prioritize my health above anything. I'm still scared to visit hospitals and schedule a doctor's appointment, but I'm getting there! Health is wealth so take your multivitamins daily!

And speaking of wealth, I think I did relatively okay financially the previous year. I wish I could have done better but 2015- specially the last quarter- taught me to be good with money.  My small goals for 2016 include adding a substantial amount to my PH and TW savings account, to finish building my PH emergency fund, and to continue funding my COL, VUL and AXA accounts.

I hope these goals will remind me each day to work hard and never stop dreaming. May 2016 be our best year- a year to love, to hope, to dream!