To Rest and Recreation

When It Rained, It Poured

That’s what they say, right?
The rainy season is here again.
And I love the rain.
It’s oddly comforting.
I like it more than summer, actually.

When I was a kid, I loved sleeping beside my mom on rainy days, especially when classes were suspended. Sometimes, we’d go outside and bathe in the rain—she’d let us play in it (probably because it saved on the water bill, haha).
And after all that fun, there’d be hot sopas waiting for us at home—creamy, warm macaroni soup to fill our cold stomachs. It felt like a warm hug. A comforting reassurance that no matter how heavy the rain gets, something good always follows.

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Slow and Steady

The café is doing well, despite the rocky start this year.
I’ve been hyper-focused on making sure our marketing efforts and community-building projects stay active—and slowly, we’re beginning to see the fruits of our labor.

There’ll be some staff shuffling soon, as many of our student crew members take a break. I’ve been actively hiring new faces, and I think we’ve found a few great additions to the team.

Hopefully, with the arrival of the rainy season, we can rest, recharge, and perform even better in the second half of the year.

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A Much-Needed Break

Last week, our good friend Christer—who’s currently stationed in Bataan—invited the board gaming club for a quick summer getaway. He rented an Airbnb for his birthday and hosted a 3-day, 2-night board game bash.
It was exactly what I needed.

I haven’t taken a single day off in six months.
Like I mentioned in a previous post, I’ve been trying to take things slow lately.
To enjoy the moment.
To embrace every chance to enrich my life.

It sounds cliché, but honestly—it’s harder than it seems.

Me and my friend Kaloy traveled from Baguio to Balanga. It was 4AM, and I was still half-asleep. I dozed off during the whole trip. By 11AM, we arrived, and Christer, his younger brother, and our friend Sony came to pick us up and bring us to the house.

Province life is peaceful and slow.
The breeze smelled like freshly harvested rice mixed with a hint of ocean salt.
It helped clear my mind. I felt at ease.

Chris's parents prepared a feast.
I’m on a low-calorie diet—but that weekend, I didn’t care.
The food was heaven. Super delicious.
I hadn’t enjoyed home-cooked meals like that in a long time.
I even joked that I was willing to be adopted if it meant eating that well every day.

We swam, played board games, did some work, ate, slept, and played again.
It was a wonderful weekend—one that left me feeling rejuvenated.

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Things I’m Grateful For

I’m grateful for that break in my otherwise monotonous life.
It gave me fresh perspective moving forward.

And just when I least expected it—I got a job offer to work on a project with UNDP and the Philippine Government. I was stoked to find out I was shortlisted!

I’m also working again with my previous NGO on another major project.
It means so much to be given these new opportunities—to share what I know, grow as a person, and learn from each experience along the way.

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Looking Ahead

I’ll be taking more time off from work now and then.
I’ve realized how important a balanced life truly is.
I plan to travel a bit outside the country, explore, spend more time with friends—
and enjoy the rainy days life continues to bring.

No matter how stormy things get, I’ll keep walking forward.
And I’ll keep looking for joy, peace, and a better version of myself along the way.

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