semper ad meliora

091721

It took me a long time before I finally had the courage to write an article, or an essay rather, about me. But just like what the title of this article means, I want to push myself toward better things. Thus, here I am writing this article about my ongoing journey while striving for better things.

I discovered this platform through my best friend (should I tag her or not¿). She kept on encouraging me to make an account here in readcash because I told her that I want to write again. Honestly, I was in doubt if I can write here because most people write articles in the English language; I'm more comfortable with writing in Filipino. Nevertheless, I realized that I should still try to improve my writing skills, and the only way I can achieve that is to write!

I kinda regret the username I have, but pen and steth (stethoscope) are two things that first came into my mind while thinking for a username.

Pen represents my passion for writing— literally and figuratively. It started when my mother was teaching me how to write. I was amazed at how the different combinations of letters become words that can have different meanings and the different combinations of words that can create ideas and expressions. It's limitless and magical. As I grew up, I realized that I want to have good handwriting. So, I always practiced using my pencils, until I got calluses on my fingers.

This interest ignited when I became a representative of our school in one of the categories in campus journalism. It was a lot of pressure and the training takes up too much of my time. But everything is paid off when I was announced as a winner. It felt like a sign for me to continue writing, whatever topic it may be. And so I continued throughout high school.

It was until a big opportunity was given to me, but I had to turn it down because my parents won't allow me to pursue journalism further. It pained me so much that I couldn't write for quite some time. The poems, stories, and articles I write seem foreign to me. I always end up deleting them, or just throwing them away. Today, after almost four years, I picked up my pen again and willing to start anew.

The second part of my username is dedicated to the path I chose when I entered college. I am studying a health allied course, nursing to be exact. I am in my third year and I can say that nursing school isn't caring at all for its students. It has just become much more difficult for everyone since the pandemic commenced. I had countless breakdowns, sleepless nights, and rants about the academic pressure and personal life. So hard, I always think that I won't be able to have that RN after my name.

But when those days come, I immediately think of the reason why I chose this in the first place: the art and science of nursing. The care that we give to our clients is not just to treat them but for them to attain wellness and independence. I fell in love with the complexity of anatomy, physiology, and microbiology. I fell in love with the holistic approach of nursing in assessing, diagnosing, planning, intervening, and evaluating patients. I fell in love with the diversity of roles that a nurse can play. I fell deep and there's no chance for me to just give up. After all, I'm halfway there now.

Pen and stethoscope are two sentiments of my very very very very complex life. They play a big part in who I am right now. Just like the Latin phrase, my life motto right now is to keep getting better. It may not be a linear process but a small improvement is still progress. What important is to be patient and consistent, always.

As I continue to write more articles soon, I hope that I will be able to share more of the things that happen around me, my thoughts, experiences, and also my personality. I plan to share my hobbies, likes and dislikes, some series and/or movie recommendations, and random thoughts while drinking coffee.

Oh and maybe I'll write in pure Filipino or Taglish soon. I wish it won't be too awkward to read and not sound conyo ^-^

If you have questions or thoughts after reading my introduction, feel free to comment below.

Thank you very much for taking the time to read my write-up.

Stay hydrated, bestie!