Hello, everyone! I am once again back with a year-end blog post. It feels good to be able to write and reminisce about my year, and I have been doing this for nine (9) years now since 2014.
Come to think of it, every year feels different, although its moments feel analogous to some other particular year. This year 2023 feels just like that.
Well, I can say that 2023 is filled with first times, breakthroughs, and some wins, big and small, just like the previous years that I have lived, so I am thankful for all these.
Here is how my year 2023 has been~
Year-end photo and video dumps are a trend nowadays, so I decided to make one for myself. It is an advantage though that I decided to take more pictures and videos this year and be active on Instagram.
So yes, here is my year-end memory dump for the year 2023:
Well. of course, I will not stop there since I would like to give you some context on what I included in my 2023 recap video. Feel free to continue reading if you're interested. :)
Here are my highlights for this year 2023.
January 2023
- My first Real Estate Appraisal assignment
To those who do not know, I am also a Real Estate Appraiser by profession. I passed the Real Estate Appraiser Board Exam last 2016. However, I never really got to practice this profession, not until this year. As someone who was not able to practice being a Real Estate Appraiser, I was hesitant to accept this assignment, but I did my best to review and do some research.
I am glad though that I was able to finally exercise my real estate profession. I just hope that I made an acceptable output for my client.
I won't post more pictures due to confidentiality.
So yes, here's to more opportunities to exercise my real estate profession.
February 2023
- Received gifts
- Letting go
- Met a life lesson
This was kind of an eventful month for me, especially when it came to letting go and meeting new people.
I received flowers for the first time from an admirer, whom I had never met before, on Valentine's Day. Honestly, I am not really open to receiving flowers on that day because my parents are very strict and will not let me have a love life even at this age (LOL), so I did my best to hide those flowers from them, but I still ended up getting caught. Some other things also happened which I would rather not disclose for personal reasons and for the protection of the person involved.
Well, days after Valentine's Day, that admirer who gave me flowers on that day suddenly texted me. I had a good feeling about him, and in an effort for me to move on from the past, I decided to give him a chance, so we got to know each other little by little, until we eventually met each other in person, and the rest is history.
Little did I know that he was going to be a life lesson, probably. Haha. But we'll see.
March 2023
- Got my Driver's License
- Medical check-ups
- First time getting an X-ray
Yes, I just got a driver's license this year, but I still cannot drive because I do not have my own car. Haha. Hopefully, before the renewal of this license, I could have at least driven a vehicle already. I still need to gain confidence in driving though.
This is my first time going to the hospital all by myself. Talk about adulting. Haha. I actually had a hard time finding my way in the hospital and I got lost along the way. Thankfully, though, I eventually found my way and I was able to get myself checked. The reason for my check-up was that I had a really bad cough that could once again potentially last for 2 months. This is actually my first time having to undergo an X-ray examination because I was never really required to get an X-ray back when I had my check-ups at our university clinic, but at least now I got to experience it. It wasn't that much of a big deal though, it just adds to my list of first-times. Now I know what to do when a terrible cough comes at me once again.
April 2023
- Winning a raffle draw after nine (9) years
This month, I tried new food, visited new places, and caught up with my friends, but I would like to share with you my lucky moment as my highlight.
I have won a raffle draw after nine (9) years. Why nine (9) years, you ask? Well, back in 2014, I won a washing machine. So yes, it has been nine (9) years since I won a raffle draw.
It's funny though that I simply bought a blazer set from an online shop, but I unexpectedly won the said raffle draw. I really got lucky back then. I just hope that I'll eventually win raffle draws where I could win an iPhone or maybe some appliances. Haha.
May 2023
- First time getting my hair colored
I never really planned on getting my hair colored but I thought that maybe it would be nice if I get a new look once in a while, so I decided to have my hair colored when I was already at the salon. The hairstylist at the salon recommended that I get my hair rebonded, but I declined back then because I still wanted to keep my natural waves, so I opted for a Brazillian Blowout instead. Unfortunately, though, Brazillian Blowouts do not last that long, so my hair came back to its dry and frizzy state after a few months. Because of this, I decided to save up to avail of some services for my hair to get better and more manageable soon.
June 2023
- Start of my weight loss journey
- Sudden acne breakout
Since everyone is already telling me to lose weight, and seeing that my Body Mass Index (BMI) is already on the borderline of being overweight, it alarmed me, so I decided to take measures. I ate way less rice, tried to consume fewer sweets, made it a point to sweat more by getting more physically active since I was always in a hurry in walking through courtrooms as I usually have more than one hearing per day, and in catering to clients in the office, more so that our office did not have aircon back then, and doing some exercises which are heavy enough to make me lose weight.
However, when I was sweating more, and probably using some soap that irritated my skin, or maybe because I had some relapse and ate too many sweets, I had a sudden acne breakout on my face.
I panicked when I saw that whiteheads were starting to grow, so I watched YouTube videos on how to make these whiteheads disappear and saw a product with salicylic acid which I tried, but it did not really make a difference and it somewhat made my acne worse, so I decided to consult a dermatologist.
The dermatologist that I consulted prescribed me a lot of meds, but at some point, my acne seemed to worsen, because apparently, being stubborn about not wanting to give up on drinking Milo for a few weeks backfired on me. There is this antibiotic prescribed to me that I had to take where I had to give up on dairy, so since Milo contains dairy, I opted not to take that antibiotic since I thought that this acne could be fixed just by Epiduo alone. But unfortunately, my acne just became worse each day. Eventually, I had to really give up on Milo for about eight (8) weeks starting late August, which was difficult because chocolate drinks are my favorite, and drinking them kickstarts me for the day.
For months, I have been suffering from this acne, and as of this day, my face is still not as flawless as before. There were nights when I would cry and pray that my clear skin would be back. I just hope that my acne will be gone soon. I don't really like looking at myself in the mirror nowadays. I hate how I have to experience this, just as I was about to give myself a glow-up by losing weight. I always took pride in my clear skin back then, but unfortunately, for now, it is yet but a dream. It felt like a curse, maybe some karma for breaking someone's heart, I guess. JK
July 2023
- Received chicken as attorney's fees for the first time
- Won a case
- Moved into a room separate from our main house
Here is now my fair share of experience in receiving chicken as attorney's fees. Haha. I am also happy that these are not the ordinary type of chickens. The client who gave me this said that these are American Silkies, but other people who see these chickens say that these are Chinese Silkies. Either way, they are silkies, and that's all that matters, I guess. Haha. As of this time, the female silkie has already laid some eggs. Tell you what though, I also won this client's case, which I would like to talk about more later.
I managed to obtain a judgment of acquittal for my client in this criminal case. This is one of those cases where I exerted a lot of effort and was forced to really argue my way out of some objections and fix those lapses that could potentially ruin the cause of my client. This is why winning this case is a big thing for me, and with that, I am so thankful to God. Here's to more winning cases~
My old room was in dire need of renovation since it was not anymore in a liveable condition, and since I wanted to try living semi-separately from my parents and have a bit more freedom, they decided to let me move into our treehouse which has been unoccupied for years. It feels good to finally have a key of my own for my room. Soon enough, I will have the keys to my own house and car. God willing.
August 2023
- First time consulting a dentist as an adult
Well, the left part of my teeth has been hurting for as long as I can remember. It has been hurting for years every time I eat hard foods such as crispy pata, so I decided to consult a dentist. I never really cared about my teeth until now, which is why this is commendable for me, as I decided to take measures to take care of my teeth. Honestly, it has been about twenty (20) years since I last visited a dentist. Haha. Well, it turned out that I had impacted wisdom teeth which had to be removed. So, this is how my first dental check-up as an adult went.
September 2023
- My birth month
- Weight loss progress
Yes, September is my birth month, and my age for this year sounds kinda serious to me since I turned twenty-eight (28) years old. I really wish for me to be able to earn more and try to live independently at this point, but unfortunately, circumstances do not permit me to do so, at least, not yet.
At my age, I can see that my peers are already independent and responsible enough to get married, or at least live alone comfortably, but as for me, I feel like I am still behind. It's not that I am in a rush to get married. All I wanted was to have more money, to be able to afford the lifestyle that I wished to have and to gain new experiences along the way. I want to have a better outlook in life and gain more opportunities as well by exploring more. But unfortunately, I can't even attend the concert of my ultimate KPOP boy group, ATEEZ.
It feels kinda sad that I will be turning thirty (30) years old in a couple of years but I am still not like my peers who seem like they are already mature and got everything figured out in life, and free to do anything they want without worrying about any restrictions. I just hope that I will have my breakthrough soon enough.
On a lighter note, my efforts in losing weight paid off, and I just lost a few kilos. I just hope I can keep this up. It feels good to know that I am almost back to my pre-pandemic weight. Maybe soon enough, I just might reach fifty (50) kilos. I hope I can achieve that this year 2024.
October 2023
- Attended a Taylor Swift concert in a movie theater
- Got my wisdom teeth removed
- Voted in a barangay election just two (2) days after the wisdom teeth extraction
- Appeared in an out-of-town hearing just a little more than a week after the wisdom teeth extraction
This was really memorable for me since I got to experience what it's like to be in a concert, despite being at a movie theater. I sang my heart out to Taylor Swift's songs, along with my sister and my fellow Swifties who attended the film concert. I hope to have more moments like this soon.
Since the pictures I got from the wisdom teeth extraction are not for the faint of heart, I'll emphasize this picture instead. As you can see, I have four (4) impacted wisdom teeth, and this month, I managed to have my two (2) wisdom teeth on the left part taken out. The operation itself was not painful. Surprisingly, though, the recovery period was not as painful as I expected it to be, and I was able to fully eat normal food on the fifth day. In the first few days of my recovery, it was hard to laugh since there was a bit of discomfort. It was also hard to talk, but it became more manageable as time went by.
There was always that paranoia though that I might suffer from a relapse if I accidentally do something that I am not supposed to do such as carry things that are a bit heavy. I was pretty much lying down most of the time during my recovery period and did not move much, except when I had to go out of the house to vote in the barangay elections, just two (2) days after the operation. Thankfully, despite that, I did not experience any relapse and I recovered just fine.
I was even able to appear in an out-of-town hearing just a little more than a week after my wisdom teeth extraction. This picture of an egg drop serves as a remembrance of that, since aside from being able to survive that out-of-town hearing, I was already able to enjoy this good food. Haha.
November 2023
- Won another case this year
- Had a reproductive health issue due to stress
This is the case of my client who gave me those silkies. This client may not have paid me a lot, but I'm glad that I was able to secure a favorable judgment for him. This winning case also means a lot to me because, despite the very limited time given to me in writing his position paper and reply, I was still able to win his case. As per the decision, I received additional attorney's fees as well. I thank God for this achievement.
Some things caused me a lot of stress, both in work and personal aspects, and because of this, I had my period twice this month, which made me panic and I had to consult an OB-GYN. Thankfully, though, the results of this transvaginal ultrasound seem fine and I just had to observe if this episode comes back again. I just hope it won't so that I'll never have to take birth control to fix my hormones.
PS. I am not pregnant.
December 2023
- New hair
I have finally tried getting a balayage hair color. I am aware that this is really pricey, but I did my best to save up for it. After all, I see this as an investment so that I will become more confident and presentable. I am so thankful to the staff at Elysian Salon for the service. I availed the balayage and kerabond, and it was worth it. My hair became more manageable, and I love how the hair color turned out.
Other matters
This year 2023, I did my best to gain more experience and make the most out of them. I tried new food, went to different restaurants and places, and also caught up with some friends. I had some bonding moments with my siblings as well.
In terms of investing, I just hope that I will be wiser in where I put my money since it seems like I have been spending too much this year. I honestly have been earning a lot this year, but I have not really saved much. Maybe it's because I helped with renovation expenses and bought a lot of things for my new room. In that case, maybe it's money well spent, I guess. I just hope that I will be able to save more this year 2024 and be able to buy a house and a car.
This year 2024, I will focus on making more money and funding my ever-increasing lifestyle. I will do my best to have a fruitful career. I shall have big properties under my name, hopefully, this year 2024. I shall become a career-driven independent woman in 2024, and I will not let anyone or anything take that away from me.
Ending credits
Well, I am glad I have at least gotten through this year 2023. I had my fair share of health issues and I have consulted different doctors this year, and I am thankful that things did not get too serious. When it comes to being a lawyer, I really do have to manage my stress better so that I do not run into more health issues in the future.
Also, I am thankful to everyone around me for being part of my life this year. I thank God for His never-ending guidance, as well as my family for their love and support.
Here's to more money and opportunities this year 2024.
Thank You so much, Lord.
Stay healthy and safe, everyone.
Wishing everyone a happy and prosperous new year!
See you in the year 2024!
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