11 Greatest Stories of 2011: A Year-Ender

this year has amazingly surprised me with the best things that life could offer.looking back, it wasn't a very smooth start and i was even afraid because of what people say that when a year starts out bad, it will always be bad (or even worse) for the rest of the year. i beg to disagree. yes you heard me right, i do not agree at all. a rough start is a challenge that you do everything in your might to prove to the world that 'life is what you make it'.

new year of 2011, i remembered on the strike of 12 when the world welcomed the year with noise and lots of festivities, i was alone in the attic of my grandma's house admiring the bright lights in the sky. i talked to God and begged him to make me happy, truly happy this year. it wasn't very specific but i know that He perfectly knows what my heart was looking for.

so this is a list of the 11 greatest stories this year.read on. and just a disclaimer, this is in no particular order because you can never compare great happenings (:

**i was elected president of the graduating class-- Splendor 2011! the whole experience was very humbling. i get to work closely with the mentors i look up to in school and they inspire me to be a better version of myself (:

**i finally graduated (: it was tough but i was awesome! haahaha (sorry but just give this one to me, braggin rights baby)

**boracay summer! everybody who truly knew me could attest how much of a beach lover i am. boracay was the ultimate vacay!

**imperial visit! one of the nicest places you can ever go to. and i was with family! this was joma's birthday. i was sick but i still get to admire the place!

**helmet diving (: it was a spur of the moment adventure getaway with kambal and her friends from work!

**meeting new friends and keeping old ones!

**my mactan beach trips! yess, i have completed the must-go beaches in mactan already.of course, without any bias at all, shang-ri la was the best.i rate crimson second.maribago bluewaters and portofino was so-so. but BE resort will always be special to me (:

**my friendship with Venus! i met V at work and it's amazing how we were sooo compatible as friends. she was like my lost soul sister. thank you soo much V for being with me all throughout. thank you for being the friend that you are. i want you to know that you are treasured..always!

**i finally said YES to braces! the whole ordeal was very discomforting but well i got to do it. it was a NOW or NEVER decision. im glad i said yes even if it means being very extra careful whenever i eat!

**surprise at radisson! i'm going to spare you the details on this one just because i just want the experience to be mine alone (selfish much?) this is one of the most romantic thing that could ever happen in a girl's lifetime (:

**JP- loving and being loved back in return! sometimes it would only take one person to make you believe in LOVE all over again. i'm glad that the best part of my 2011 came in at the almost end part because with that, i will always remember this year as a 'happy and very fulfilling year' for me! i love you baby!

as i was drafting this, i came to realize that there were still a lot of great stories i would like to include. i wanted to share to the whole world how this year has been a totally surprising, evenful, and amzing..just amazing year for me. to all the people who have been a part and will always be a part of my 2011-- THANK YOU!

2012, bring it on! i'm more than ecstatic to experience what you have to offer! HAPPY NEW YEAR LOVES! X

my top 5 phobias

look at me i'm 23 beautiful a sight to see tonight ♪♫ i know i am more than a kid but there are still things i am afraid of. and i know that i am a legend in progress (ahemm) but for now, i can't help it-- i still freak out whenever i am faced with my fears, these evils i am still trying (and will forever try) to overcome.

1. cockroaches! (esp the flying kind)

-there is this one anecdote i will never forget back in hs.i lived in a dormitory and that place was not your typical-hygienic-comf'table living quarter.we are not to be blamed because we were teeners then and crushes and sports and physics were far more important than cleanliness (eww!) so i have this classmate (which luckily was not my room mate) who never failed to have food in reserve everywhere.she kept them in her locker, in her bags, and yes on her bed.one time, it was minutes before lights off when her scream echoed the whole dormitory because a cockroach had interested on her junks and guess what?..(i know this is horrible) that cockroach went inside her left ear!! yaykks! when she tried to let it out, that lil scary monster flew around their room for 2 mins then finally went out to continue to fly around the hallway where we were hanging out to study.i literally jumped off from my plastic chair and shouted more than anyone else.

2. crossing the street

-i have 2 near street accidents in grade school.luckily, my guardian angel stopped the car just in time to protect the not-so-careful me! despite that, i can still vividly remember the nervousness i felt in those 2 incidents.i know i had ice chills running down my spine and my heart was throbbing like it was about to explode literally.from the normal lubb-dubb, it went a crazy boom-boom-boom! and realizing that now, i guess the reason why i can't get over that fear is because i never tried telling andy or mama or any adult at that time because more than anything, i was afraid of being scold for carelessness :(

3. needles and the like! (and i took nursing at that)

-admitted because of hypokalemia, i embarrassed myself at the ER more than once because of being a cry-baby over needles and IV's.hypokalemia is when the potassium level in our bodies deplete and it is very important to replenish it asap or else, the heart, kidney and our muscles in general would cease to function.i was to have an IV whether i like it not or i like it not! *lol** it took 3 nurses and 3 screams before the IV was put in place. it maybe psychological in nature or i may just have really low pain threshold, needles will never be a good experience for me.

4. getting lost
-it is very important for me to have a personal guide and a map whenever i go and check out a new place.generally, it will take me 4 or 5 times to go back and forth from point A to B before i can go there alone.yes, i am a self-confessed no sense of direction.apparently, being in an unfamiliar territory still gives me a knot in my tummy.

5. death
-you know how people say you have to live your life each day as if it is your last? even if i try hard to do that, i'm still afraid to die. it's not an everyday thought but sometimes when i'm alone i think of death and it frightens me. there are a lot of things i still need to prove, tasks i need to accomplish, and dreams i need to fulfill. if we were given the chance to know when the inevitable would come and take us i know i will beg for another chance at life. i had my chance of pain and heartaches and mishaps but i rather experience it than not feel it at all.

i want to be bold and strong and fearless (i'm a legend in progress, remember?). and these 5 things are just few of my many other weaknesses. when my rational mind takes over, i realize how stupid these phobias are. but i know too that no matter how insane and weak these things make me look, these are the very things that make me human! i wonder how the world would turn out if no one is afraid of anything. it wouldn't be as thrilling and exciting as it is now perhaps. so yes, we are all superhumans in our own right and we may get embarrassed for the phobias we have but remember that life is better this way! superman ain't superman without his kryptonite! x

thoughts leak..yet again

i have been into an emotional and psychological struggle lately.yes, i know people around wouldn't believe that i still go through a hell lot of struggles because i mastered putting up a good front.i could still muster a smile outside especially when i'm at the office or i'm with colleagues because i don't really want to share negative vibes as much as possible.so, if i can still hold it all together, i will.that's just me, you know.

so yes, i have a lot on my plate these days.the upcoming board exams, my career, my family, my relationships, and just about every little thing that mattered to me.everything seemed to be crashing down on me and added to that ordeal, i'm hurting and trying to mend a broken heart.(that's because i never learned) and yes, i'm feeling empty and inadequate altogether.i know that for the past years, my faith has taken a backseat and i think days like these are perfect opportunities to grasp what's really missing.

i have been raised in a conservative christian home.and back in the day, my mom and dad would not allow a day to pass by without reminding us to talk to God.they have been very consistent about it and it's one of those things i will always miss them most.when things are crumbling down it wasn't so difficult to fix back then because there was always mom or dad to remind me.

right now, it's different because i have to realize that on my own.i know i have not been really faithful to my God and it makes me feel awful.not 1 million gummy bears could make it feel any better.the good thing though   is that, even if i haven't been faithful, he remains faithful to me! i realize that he is still the same God i prayed to when i needed the confidence for my first piano recital.he is the same God, i pleaded to take away the pain when i had the worst chickenpox in the world.he is the same God i haggled with to give me a baby brother because it was what my dad wanted.

bottomline is, no pistaschio ice cream, no gummy bear, no frosty chocolate cake, no chicken wings (although it's better when there is), no comfort food at all can make me feel better unless i rekindle that little faith in me-- believing that there is some BIG GUY up there who watches and does things that would either better me or mold me into the kind of 'hearty' HE always wants me to be.so there's no heartache or struggle too big without me overcoming it!

this song spoke to my heart :)