After college, I tried my luck in finding a job in corporate offices. Submitting my resumè to every job posting that I thought I am capable to do. Days that I would go from one place to another just to save a penny so I can afford to buy a food, days that I questioned myself if I was really ready to stand on my own and days that I would tell myself that better days are coming just to cheer up myself. Then one day, I applied as a personal secretary for a young entrepreneur based in Manila but she had an office at Davao. I passed her standards but the catch is, I need to be with her in Manila. Everything was ready from my plane ticket to my accommodation but I was scared of standing on my own. I respectfully declined the offer. She understood and I was back in the street looking for a job.
Few months later, I was hired as a Facilitator for a Non-Government Organization. I worked at far flung communities facilitating women’s organization and teaching them to become sufficient. From places to places I traveled together with our team to serve communities. From Kidapawan City to Ozamis City, Surigao City to CALABARZON and there nearby municipalities. I’ve met inspiring people, beautiful places and taste amazing delicacies. It was one of my most cherished memories.
Time had come and the journey ended. I went home to Davao City. I rested for a while. Applied again to corporate offices until I got a job. I lived for the past years relying on alarms and schedules. Office, work and sleep- my daily routine for five days in a week. I wasn’t really living, I was just surviving. Little by little I started to grow in corporate but the pandemic happened. I went home to the province. Adapting to a rapid change is difficult. I became more active outside of my comfort zone. Seeing an earthworm wiggling on the soil was scary. I started harvesting sweet potatoes then corn. Until I decided to plant sweet potatoes and it yielded great.
I really haven’t planted anything for the first two months of the year since it was raining almost everyday but now I got a vegetable garden with different kinds of vegetable in it. Okra, pole beans, bitter gourd, bottle gourd, soybeans, leeks, ginger, malabar spinach, winged beans, raddish, peanuts and even garlic from our kitchen. Hahaha! I also started growing sunflowers. The recent project I have is culturing straw mushrooms. I may write about it in few days here on read.cash.
Right now, as I am writing this, I am lying on a bench we made out of bamboo grass under a tree with fresh air and unlimited sunlight. I gave up my dream of having an awesome job but I ended up being a farmer- and that made me live my life not just surviving but living to the fullest!
To more sunflowers to come!!!!