26.

This birthday post is around three months delayed and for good reason: Unlike last year, I spent my birthday back in Cebu with my family and shortly after departed to start a new chapter of my life here in Vancouver. As of this writing I am officially no longer a student, but by God’s grace, now part of the Canadian working force (on a post-graduate work permit)!

My whole summer in the Philippines was my very last stretch of an afforded vacation. I knew I wouldn’t be able to spend a whole season once I started working. It was a blessing to be able to spend time with my family and friends. I went out almost everyday! That’s crazy draining for an introvert like me, but well worth it as I look back on all the memories I’ve made (board game nights were the best). Although Fritz and I aren’t together anymore, I am glad we remain friends. Despite the love and care we have for each other, our priorities have caused our paths to diverge into an incompatible future. Last summer we already called it quits, but he treated our last months together in friendship as nothing but self-less. He killed me with kindness. For that and more, he will always have a special place in my heart. I have grown and learned so much in our four years together and I will always be thankful for meeting him. If ever you are in Cebu and get to hear of his catering or cooking, you’d be wise to give it a try. He is a very talented chef and that’s no bias.

Nat and I celebrated our birthdays together at the BIG Hotel, owned by our good friend Kate Ngo. We had our high school classmates and their significant others join us for dinner. A few birthdays ago I had the idea to make a time capsule for us. All of us wrote our goals for our 25th and 30th birthdays and when it was time, we’d open our papers together to reflect on our life progress. Charlie said we should read our goals out loud to each other when we hit 30. I’m not sure everyone would want to but that would be really interesting!

If I could be painfully honest, I now feel more at home here in Canada. If I could have any crazy one-time wish it would be to bring all of my family and friends here. I can truly testify how much God knows my heart because he’s brought me to my own paradise here on earth. Even a routine walk to work brings me so much awe as I pass by pigeons flying towards the North Shore Mountains. I am not sure if my future lies in this country, but for now my heart is.