Hey, everyone. I hope you guys are having one hell of a comeback welcoming 2017. I just got back at work today after an amazing 2-week vacation in my hometown. And as much as I want to postpone work, I can no longer fend off the tremendous amount of work and non-work related emails that are haunting me, lol. But before I do, I want to take one last look at 2016 and round up all the things I’m eternally thankful for.
Admit it, 2016 was a shitty year. Personally, it was because of politics—and every issue that came with it that I don’t even want to talk about. Personally though, it has been an amazing year, and at least that, I want to focus on.
1.
Travels with the boyfriend.
My past partners weren’t as
supportive of my love for travel. All of that changed with le current boyfriend
since we practically have the same goal of taking the world one destination at
a time. We explored amazing destinations and shared a ton of mouth-watering
food from all these places. It was an awesome year for travel!
2.
I learned how to drive!
And both A/T and M/T at that! I’ve
been meaning to learn how to drive for the longest time, but it wasn’t until
the boyfriend pushed me inside a car and started the engine that I really
learned. Driving M/T is still a struggle until now, but I’m getting the hang of
it. This year, I plan to finally get my Non-pro license!
3.
Conquered stage fright!
A lot of people think that just
because I speak in front of an audience all the time, I don’t experience
stage fright—I FREAKING DO. And all the fucking time! This year, with the help
of my boss, I was involved in a lot of work and non-work related stints that
helped me deal with my nerves before facing an audience.
4.
I learned how to edit videos.
Earlier this year, the boyfriend
got me a GoPro as a present. And while I enjoy taking photos when we travel, I
realized watching our travel footage is twice as fun! I started with Sony Vegas
Pro and now I’m slowly working my way to Adobe Premiere Pro. More travel videos
for 2017!
5.
Became serious with writing.
I’ve been a part of When in
Manila’s writer pool since 2009 but never really took it seriously—meaning I didn’t
take assignments nor did I bother communicating with the group. This year, I
became active and involved myself more with writing assignments. So far, it’s
been great!
6.
Blog work, projects and events.
This year, I also upped my
blogging game. Even if sometimes I still don’t get to post as often, I made
sure I produce noteworthy content. And with it came a lot of sponsored posts,
invites for events and collaborations with brands. And while vlogging may
already be the new thing now, I’m still committed to improving my tiny space on
the internet.
7.
Started eating clean and healthy.
I may have gained a lot of weight
last year but I started eating my veggies, also drank more water (ack!) and did
a few exercises every now and then. I wasn’t consistent with my workout since I’m
a lazy person but I made sure I compensate by eating my greens, hehehe.
8.
Gained new friends.
Both online and offline. Since I
became more active with the blog, I’ve met a lot of interesting people which I
religiously followed all through Instagram and Twitter, lol. Hi, you know who
you guys are! I also started becoming more friendly at work. A lot of people
think I’m maldita or suplada, and I wanted to change that last year.
I’ve been wanting to go
mirrorless for a while now but at the same time couldn’t find it in me to let
go of my DSLR. I couldn’t afford one—unless I sell my SLR. It was just wishful
thinking when I told the boyfriend about it, so I couldn’t believe my eyes when
he got it for me this Christmas. Ahhhh, more than the camera, it’s him paying
attention to the things I say that made my heart melt.
Our first year was difficult. We
discovered things from each other that we don’t particularly like; but in the
end, we learned to compromise. A year later, I can say we’re definitely
stronger and still so smitten with each other. I can’t wait to start making
more memories with this guy!💗
And there you have it. Most of the items in here involve my boyfriend because to be honest, he inspired me a lot in the past year. When he tells me the stories about everything he has been through when he got sick a few years back, my problems seem so meager all of a sudden—it’s like anything is possible as long as he’s beside me. Ugh, too cheesy! Before I go all out dramatic on this post, I shall end it here. I have an upcoming boyfriend appreciation post lined up, lol! Hope you guys had an awesome holiday vacation as much as I did. For now, back to the hustle and bustle of the metro. Here’s to making awesome memories this 2017. Cheers!
Ochi is a twenty-something Corporate Trainer who loves to cook, take photos and videos of her food, eat and travel. On weekends, she's either drunk or snuggling in bed watching her favorite crime drama. 
