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Life’s been super life-ing hard lately. So I decided to just go for it and try my first hike.
I joined a group of strangers at Mt. Batulao—my “mother mountain” here in my country, the Philippines. 🇵🇭
Sometimes the care and love you give doesn’t take root where you thought it would, but love still shows up in so many ways: in plants guiding your path, flowers, friendly dogs that greet you on to that scenic trail, a breeze of cold air, a view that’s totally new but somehow feels like home, and strangers-turned-friends who literally lend their hands to help you up and show you which rocks are safe to step on.
The shared “bulalo“ meals. Our Filipino Laughter. The process was challenging but beautiful!
Honestly, the peak wasn’t even the highlight for me during the trail.
It was realizing that what you put out into the universe comes back in different forms and tenfolds, and my connection with nature reassure me that I still have a place in this world. 🤍
So, yes, take a hike. Nature finds its own ways to heal.
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It’s free and brought my overall anxiety down. After spending all my hours in front of a screen (work or voluntary), it’s nice to be apart of something bigger, fresher, and that’s actually beautiful. It’s also nice to bring my friends along for morning hikes because it bonds us outside of usual nightlife stuff or things where we don’t have to talk to each other.
More accessible activities (for people who don’t conveniently live somewhere where mountain bike tourism is a real thing) includes waking up super early and also doing yoga. I usually wake up at sunrise which gives me a bunch of free time (for half a year).
Mar 19, 2024
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Last year in July, I left my whole life in Paris. My parents cut me off and stopped paying for my flat in the city and I was so depressed about it all. I used to go out a lot, party in the coolest places with my friends whom I adored... I had to leave all of it behind, the glitter and the joy. I moved to a place in the middle of nowhere with my boyfriend, like literally sheeps right behind my house haha. Everything was hard, I had to do physical labor that I never experienced before and I was bored out of my mind.
Connection is not the best here so I had to pick up something to do. I went swimming a lot, I started making pearl bracelets like my mom did in the 70's in the DRC when she was a kid. It felt nice :) We adopted a stray cat and named him plantain in lingala "Makemba", his owner had left him behind. My parents and I made peace, we all grew up...
I'm moving back to Paris to resume law school after years of wandering in the abyss of my future. I'll miss the sheeps, the big tree in out backyard, coloring books and sleeping with the door open. What I thought was the worst punishment of my life grew to become bittersweet memories... Even when everything is shit, something nice can come out of it... I wish I knew that when I was crying cause I didn't want to leave 🐸
Aug 1, 2024
Like many who came before me I also have been busy experiencing life™️ I went camping with like 25 other lesbians, had an entire no tech day(phone died) and it changed me fundamentally. I work in digital marketing during the week so the thought of my phone being completely inaccessible is beyond my imagination. Having now been able to just completely unplug made me realize how little work life balance I have and so i’ve been working hard to change that.
Outside of that, the camping trip also introduced me to a lot of new people I’m particularly excited to get to know. I felt like I was able to connect with several others for a wider variety of reasons than usual, tapping into even more niche interests to create bonds with new friends.
I’ve become tired of being on the grind 24/7 and having to crunch activities in between or before shifts. I told my boss at the restaurant that i’ll be cutting back, which hopefully means i’ll have a full day off once a week starting in September.
I still have plans to get a cat in the fall, aiming for October as a safe bet. Will be asking more cat related questions here soon!
I also learned some shit and keeping learning shit about my family that continues to age me at a more rapid pace than usual. There are the horrors, but we persist!
I also got a tat this weekend :) I posted it on instagram and a friend from college that I had lost touch with told me they got Haku in the same spot 🥲♥️
Anyway, missing all the PI-friends i’ve made and sending you all hugs, especially those who have been experiencing life too
Aug 13, 2024
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It’s my birthday! 🥳 And there’s no better place to announce it than here—PI.FYI just feels like a big group hug, and somehow, announcing my birthday here feels safe and kinda lovely. 🫶
Another year of getting influenced by all of you (from the simple stuff to the cool stuff), and honestly, life just feels richer because of this place. 💙 Big love to @TYLER for creating the best corner of the internet!! I LOVE U AND PI.FYI 🤟✨
1d ago
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It’s sweet and sentimental—you’re up, ruminating and thinking just like when your taking yourself with a good walk, but with less physical activity.
++ you can reflect with a good song and hear the sound of the bus moving, in transit.
Aug 24, 2024
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It really helps. :)
Oct 8, 2024