Some years back, a friend has suggested for me to write 100 goals in a paper. It could be a long term goal like buying your own car and a house and lot and it could also be a small one like waking up earlier than usual. It could be a substantial goal or an intangible one and more of a mental fitness goal. It is up to you but the gist is that you have to write 100. ONE HUNDRED? One would think that it’s such an easy task (I sure did) but at that time I still didn’t come up with 100. I was only able to write 52. And out of the 52, only 9 has came into fruition.
WHAT IT ENTAILS
To be honest, I lost track of the things that I wrote back then so I was pleasantly surprised that 9 has came true and I am already grateful. Things may not have happened exactly how I wrote it and I cannot even remember writing some of it for it’s been that long but the fact that some of it really became a reality and went even better than how I would have wanted it to happen is something to be grateful for. God is just so good and He always provides the best. Perhaps some things really is not intended to happen because He is even preparing us for something that is even bigger than what we are hoping for.
As we grow older, we want our lives to lead in a certain kind of way sufficing our wants and needs. We wanted to improve. We all wanted to gain (money.. experience... memories..) There are things that we also want to lose.
Writing them down feels cathartic no wonder people have been sharing their goals and all.
So here I’ll be sharing some of my old bucket lists (not necessarily the ones that came true) and the most recent goals that I have.
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do” ~ H. Jackson Brown Jr.
1) Travel to different countries in Asia — CHECK
It is with God’s endless provisions that we, along with my best friends were able to experience different cultures and were able to travel to different countries in Asia prior to the pandemic, the most precious being the land of the Rising Sun, Japan.
It is one of our greatest dreams to go to Japan together and visit The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Osaka, Japan (since visiting the UK feels like a pipe dream just yet). We even made a friendly pact while we are still in the university to go there together. It took us five long years since that pact but we made it happen. Through proper saving of our resources, planning and time management we realised that it is possible. And it is indeed, possible. And we had the best of time.
I briefly went to Singapore for work so technically it wasn’t for travel but I also had the best memories in there, as well as in the neighboring countries, Malaysia and Indonesia.
Taiwan is one of the biggest surprises. Maybe because I have zero to low expectations that its natural beauty has amazed me by a mile. From the food to its actual people, we had the nicest experience while traveling there.
The most recent one and probably the one that’s been most taxing because of the worries of the visa being disapproved (SoKor Embassy is stricter, I think) is South Korea. But all the worries flew out of our minds as soon as we step foot in the country as the experience is a good one and it all felt like a breeze — all the time we spent waiting is so worth it.
God-willing, I truly want to come back when the situation is better.
One of the best perks of traveling, at least to me, is getting to try out different kinds of matcha green tea. You can read my separate posts about it on the links below:
2) OH, Canada
It’s always been in the back of my mind to settle down in Canada. While the process may be long and right now is not yet the time, at least that’s what the current situation feels like telling me, there still is this vague hope that maybe someday, I could make this happen too. But until then.
3) To finish the knitted sweater and other side knitting projects
We tend to procrastinate sometimes (or is it most of the time?) but this is one of the short term goals of mine. During the quarantine I was able to finally learn how to knit. It is easier to learn these days because there are a lot of tutorials available online and because I have extra time in my hands. However, my impatient self is being tested.
The only problem is being distracted by other things that occupy my mind like trying to bake or learn playing the piano and the ukelele. Sometimes an inspiration would strike so I’d have to write it down. Sometimes I play games with my cousins. Sometimes I play with my cats and the list goes on. It felt like there’s so little time and there are a lot of options and I don’t know what to do next. It is a nice distraction from reality, though. I am also aware that I am luckier than most who is struggling because of the current pandemic situation. Some don’t even have a place to live in, some are stuck while some lost their jobs. We are still blessed to have the luxury of staying at home and doing all of these things.
4) Learn to bake a marble cake
In my defense I did try to do it once but my mind was probably off to other places that time that I got the amount of ingredients wrong so it ended up looking like an egg pudding instead of a marble cake. There’s still time to try and try again so I am positive that I will be able to tick this off my list in no time.
5) To be able to write in a publication / Be a journalist of sorts
Writing is one of the things that I am also passionate about. Even though it is way different from my field and day job, but it didn’t stop me from achieving this dream of mine. Through proper connections and opportunities taken I was assigned to cover a couple of great music acts and write about them for my friend’s website. I AM IN CLOUD NINE. I get to have two birds in one stone (as I am a huge music enthusiast as well). I guess God works beyond what we can imagine and it’s being given to us in its proper time.
6) I’d like to see my favourite musicians in a concert (again)
Because of the current situation, this became a long-term goal as it is not possible because of the growing numbers of people infected with the virus that is still mutating at the time of this writing.
Watching concerts is a therapeutic experience for me. There’s this certain feeling of euphoria in getting to hear the songs that touches your soul being sang in a live venue. There are still things that I’d like to experience and one of them is watching concerts in a stadium. Maybe BTS (I am yet to experience the purple ocean)? Maybe on a music festival with my favourite rock bands? We’ll see. But I am willing to wait until that time comes.
7) Lastly, achieve 1BCH
I think most of us in here are aiming for this milestone (if you also have not achieve it yet) and through hard work and proper connections, it is possible. And until that day, I will also strive harder.
DREAM BIG. SET GOALS. TAKE ACTION.
Like a mantra, may this be our mindset all the time.
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Thank you to my recent sponsor, @TengoLoTodo . I truly appreciate it. I think there’s a notification from @CrazyRichFilipina but I couldn’t find it. But I am grateful for you and for everything that you do.
To reaching more heights together,
A
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Here are some of my previous works if you are up for some short read:
Oh I think I have a bucket list somewhere. I certainly have to do lists in my phone. Haha.
One of the places I also want to go to is Japan and Taiwan. Ah kelan kaya... Sana agad agad! Hahahaha.