2018 Highlights

Along with several highlights of my 2018, first of all, I would like to jot down the things I learned the whole year.

• Learn to forgive yourself. We are in a constant battle with the world, yet we forget that most of the time, it's ourselves we are battling with. This is something I learned the hard way this year. I was so mad at myself for making decisions without weighing the pros and cons. It took a lot of tears and gloomy days before I snapped out of it. 
• Discern before finalizing things. Generally because of my laziness, I forget the wonders of discerning. Sometimes, even in making decisions, I get lazy. I'm not proud of it, and this is one thing I want to leave in the past. I've had it with snap decisions that make things worse.
• Learn to differentiate big and small things. Just like you, I do overthink. I overthink almost every time, sometimes I feel like it's therapeutic; but it's not. It never is. This is different from being lazy to think about certain decisions. This is me overthinking small problems, which in turn makes them all big problems.
• Learn who to trust. A bit too late of a realization, but I guess we never really learn. 
• Being kind pays off quite generously. I chose to be kind(er) to those who obviously don't deserve it, but I've gotten quite a number of good karma for being kind. 

So... here are my 2018 highlights:

HONG KONG

Though I was with my mom, this trip was the first time I walked the streets of a foreign country all alone. I have been to Hong Kong several times already so I wasn't scared. I knew all I had to do was read. Read my blog entry HERE.

PRIVATE ISLAND

Can't really say much about this. But on this day, I got to be with one of the Philippines' richest. Beautiful, beautiful island!

Fine, white sand. Better than Boracay's, I swear!

A GLAMOROUS VALENTINE

I'm really not your typical girl when it comes to Valentine's. I'm still under the impression that it's not really something to celebrate and that it's just a Hallmark marketing. Being the sweet person Rab is,  though I don't ask for it, he's always had presents for me whether he's here or not (thank God he knows I don't like flowers). Whenever he's here, he surprises me with the most romantic dates but we both agree not to post it and, well, show off. 2018's Valentine's was rather special. There was an event at his mom's office and we were invited. We were all glammed up and I love seeing Rab in his suit.

7 DAYS IN THE HOSPITAL

Not all highlights are good, that's for sure.

This has been a rather emotional highlight. 

My boyfriend, now fiancé, caught dengue last July. I was horrified because it was my first time to experience having someone so close to my heart go through it. It was heartbreaking. He needed sleep, he needed to rest, but nurses and doctors would come in and out every once in a while and they would take blood from him and so on. I prayed so hard for his recovery and thank God we were only there for seven days. I was so relieved to know that the tawa tawa leaves and pills helped on the process.

First two photos are in his room the night before he got admitted. We were just chillin' in his room and then he started to get a jacket, and then the blanket, and then another blanket, and then literally started chilling. He was scorching hot so good thing I bought him a thermometer for his room and then his temperature was 39.3! I had to call my nurse friends to ask what to do and immediately suggested for a blood test.

The next day, he was so stubborn about it. He said he just needed to rest, etc. The bossy side in me was unleashed. First two hospital photos were at UP Diliman. I had to seek help from my dad to make expenses a lot lesser than it's supposed to be. Next photos were at World Citi Med already, where they always go. In this case, I had to seek help from my godfather (who's BFFs with my dad and who still never forgets about my Christmas gifts LOL). He has been an angel.

MY UNCLE'S SURPRISE PARTY

My family has always been big with birthdays and so I didn't consider this as a highlight because of the actual event but because I love glammed up nights with Rab and of course, Carol!

MEET & GREET

Both our parents are always busy, and this meet & greet has always been delayed. With plans of tying the knot soon, Rab insisted for them to meet already. Though some expected a proposal, I didn't expect for him to propose during that night because I knew he wanted them to finally meet for him to finally be able to propose. LOL!

PRAY FOR THE WICKED

The first time Panic! At the Disco visited Manila, I wasn't able to watch them because the tickets were so expensive and I think there were 6 bands and I only liked 2 of them and I was afraid I wouldn't enjoy that one. I prayed for a  P!ATD solo concert and my prayers were heard!

It was a very extraordinary experience because Brendon and the whole band were extraordinary! Along with their awesomeness, I also had an awesome concert date! See my Pray for the Wicked blog entry HERE.

MY FIRST "IKEA" DESK

As shallow as it sounds, this means so much to me. I put a quote on Ikea because the site Rab got it from says they're from Ikea but I wouldn't know, would I? Along with the beauty of this desk, this was Rab's surprise birthday gift to me. It came a month earlier, but he ordered it before he left for work and I was ecstatic! He knows I needed a desk in my room (I gave my college desk to my brother because it was too big and when I bought a new (bigger) bed, my room shrunk. LOL) because I always end up working on our dining table and my mom wasn't happy. Hahaha!

ROBBERY AT HOME

Again, another heartbreaking highlight.

Whenever we hear robberies, we fear it may happen to us, but in the back of our heads, we always think it won't happen to us because "we're safe", and we put trust in our village security and so on. Two weeks before my birthday, this happened. They took a lot from us and I was very devastated for my parents. I couldn't sleep for more than a week, and my mom insisted I see a doctor because I think I was the most affected.

MY 28TH

With the help of Rab, family, friends, and of course my Harry Potter addiction, I decided to have a simple celebration.

THE CHURCH HAS BEEN BOOKED

Like I said, even before Rab proposed, we have been discussing about spending the rest of our lives together and so a few days after he arrived home from work, we visited this parish and I saw it in his eyes. I saw it. I know he felt it.

Back story:

My dad suggested this church because he knew I was looking for an air conditioned church for our wedding. I never paid attention because when I googled it, I didn't like the colors (I think it was emerald green). A client from I think 4-5 years ago contacted me again to cover their daughter's Christening at this church. I was surprised they still hired me given I hadn't talked to them for so long. I arrived very early so I decided to check the church out and I felt something different. I shrugged the feeling off and then continued to pray. After the Christening and lunch, Nikki and I were going back to the parking and someone stopped us from walking and said, "wait lang po, papasok na si bride". What!? A wedding?! Wow, what a sign.

When I brought Rab there, and as mentioned, I saw it in his eyes. Surprisingly, there was also a wedding when we visited to site see. He was tulala. He told me he had goosebumps and he knew he wanted to get married there. We paid the reservation fee the next day. Sparks were real.

...so yes, we had a date way before he proposed. Hehe!

BONDING WITH THE PARENTS

I was told not to post photos of this so here's one. Hahaha! This was two days before Rabi proposed. This was in Tagaytay. Like I mentioned on my proposal blog, my parents made sure I was already in Tagaytay just in time for his proposal. Hihihi.

THE PROPOSAL

I will not write much. See my proposal blog HERE.

Along with all of 2018's multiple breakdowns I chose not to put here, I always told Rab I hated this year. I told him that no event could help me change my views about 2018. I underestimated Rab - he did it. He made my December, 2018 rather, one for the books. 

In the end, I realized how important the lows really are to be able to feel the highs. It's just more meaningful that way.

Here's to an even greater 2019!