2021 Year in Review: Ups & Downs | The Ride

Before anything else, HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Now that 2021 is over, I decided to make a Year in Review post just for the sake of making one. I’m taking you with me on a quick trip down memory lane for today.

My 2021 Year in Review: Looking Back to Move Forward

1st & 2nd Quarter | A Truly Transformative Time

Overcoming Obstacles

Dealing with the pandemic hasn’t been easy for the majority of us. Many were left jobless, homeless, isolated, and bankrupt. This global crisis hit us all in different ways. I’ve had friends who opened up about depression, financial issues, serious health concerns, and anxiety.

As for me, I was distressed for quite some time due to isolation and intense environmental stress. If you remember, I briefly shared about my racist and verbally abusive father-in-law in one of my posts. He was a sad, cruel, and miserable man who inflicted pain on a lot of people; including his own family members (and it reflected on the dysfunctional relationships he built). After his divorce to my mother-in-law who is overseas, he started taking out all his anger on us. My husband and I dealt with everything. We basically suffered the consequences of their separation. Hubs and I were also left to take on their responsibilities out of circumstance, which was very taxing in itself as our personal goals were made secondary. I had to stay calm during the moments when everyone was having angry outbursts or when the police would come to check. We live in a resort where you can watch amazing sunsets, but at that time, the grueling chain of events left me drained and feeling restrained. It's almost like I wasn't myself. I won't get into details anymore, but you could just imagine how crazy things were for the police to have to constantly check. My mother-in-law is amazing, and we love her, but I’m not sure if she understood the gravity of what took place or how excruciating it was for us to take the bullets for her. She's does what she can on her end, though; something we appreciate.

To channel my emotions, I made YouTube videos, cleaned the house, sang my favorite songs, updated my family members, made Kimchi, experimented with making different coffee drinks, and did some artsy stuff. My favorite books also came in handy by putting me in the right frame of mind. 🌸

God knows what happened and all that had to be endured. But, as hard as it was, I write this entry with a stronger mind and a grateful heart because I’m still so blessed, and we’ve all come out of it wiser. I opened up about my experience because I know someone's going to relate.

With that, if you’re feeling unwell or are going through something right now, chin up and do your best not to worry (virtual hugs). Everything will be okay. Our challenges are designed to mold us and match us to the vibrational frequency of our goals. It may not make sense at first, but it eventually will. The best reward a person can get from any challenge is the opportunity to improve oneself. 💯

The bigger the challenge, the greater the reward

Celebrating Milestones

While some months have been very stressful, I cannot deny that great blessings also came my way. I won't be as specific, as I made a personal commitment to keep certain things in my life private, but allow me to share some of the best things that have happened to me this year: I got hitched (yup! hehe yieee), made significant improvements on my website, and received a lot of appreciation from clients who were happy with my work. On top of this, I was able to reconnect with some old acquaintances, including those I never thought I'd hear from again.

But wait…there’s more! Our former helper AJ has also made it to the Middle East safely on her own. I know that milestone isn’t exactly mine, but that’s how it felt because AJ shared her dreams with me when she was still working for us, and that included working overseas. I feel so proud because I’ve seen her during her struggles, and it’s so admirable of her to remain determined and optimistic despite the things that have happened to her in the past. The last time I checked, she’s enjoying her new life there, so that’s good news. She deserves it all because she's very industrious. ☕

3rd & 4th Quarter | Catching Up with Friends & Spending Time with Family

Life Goes On

The third quarter of my year was spent doing more work and longing to visit family and friends.It was also the busiest and most productive time; if I wasn't checking online articles, reading a book, or learning about crystals, I was writing or making all sorts of modifications on the website. For our vaccination, we kind of had it late when we returned to Manila (better late than never, I guess). But that’s okay because it only took us thirty minutes to get our vaccines (both for the first and second doses). I was impressed with how organized the whole process was.

The rest that took place during the remaining quarters before we left were nothing adventurous, just the everyday things like eating, working, bonding with the dogs, watching spy movies, and the like. As for the whole in-law situation, let’s fast forward and summarize it in three words: it's all good now. He sent us a message via Messenger expressing his deep regret over what happened in the past and has apologized to us recently. It was long and full of guilt. As much as I don’t like him for all that he’s done to us (and to our workers), I know that his apology is sincere, so there's no question about forgiveness; he's still my in-law. We’ll just need space to heal from what has transpired. Everything sure does get better with time. What matters is that we benefited from the experience in a way; Hubs and I got closer than ever and have improved our crisis management skills (hehe). 💃🕺

Truly, prayers work and miracles happen. I’ve seen it many times in my life, and that’s what keeps me optimistic; when you pray with intent, hold the vision, and take inspired action, the universe finds a way to transform misfortune into opportunity. 🏆

A Friendly Reminder

Change topic...I know it sounds random, but here's a friendly reminder to take care of your teeth. I've always loved sweets of all sorts, but now that I'm scheduled for a tooth filling replacement next week, I'm considering giving up my sugary favorites. I don’t know about you, but the sound of the dental drill in action makes me nervous. It's like my heart wants to jump out of my chest huhu. I’m just watching videos from local dentists on YouTube, like Doc John the Dentist and Dr. Arkhe De Leon, to make myself feel better and educate myself about dental matters. Their uploads are very informative, you'll learn a lot. 🦷

Bye 2021, Hello 2022: HAPPY NEW YEAR!

At present, I’m back here in Pasig to spend the holidays with my husband and my family. I really missed them so much! My parents and my sister, they're the best. I’m glad that we’re here. I’ve also met up with some of my friends who were available for lunch or coffee, all while observing minimum health protocols. I was supposed to see more, but I'm also trying to minimize going out unless my friend lives nearby, works close by, or is also careful. As for my mother-in-law, we're looking forward to seeing her soon. I guess that would be all for today.

However your year went, I hope you’re ready to embrace 2022 with a loving heart and a renewed perspective. I wish you all the best in life as you journey through the months ahead and stretch to your best self. I believe it’s time to go. It’s almost 4 AM now and I’m getting sleepy hihi.

Happy New Year! May God bless you and your family!

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Love, Andi 💖