Birthdays. They say 33 is the happiest age. Most people don’t buy it, but having spent the last 365 days testing this hypothesis, I agree. Your 30’s are a point in the continuum of life when you’ve worked out the kinks, found your stride, cultivated meaningful relationships, and you’re finally benefiting from all those wonderful life lessons.

Of all these, meaningful relationships are the greatest gifts that I am extremely grateful for. I’m not just referring to romantic ones but also the relationship we have with our family, friends, coworkers, and even furbabies (I have 2 new pups named Liempo and Cooper)! I’m practically surrounded by crazy people. Now don’t get me wrong, when I say crazy, it means creative, exciting, invigorating, and challenging. In short, it’s a good crazy!

Prior to the pandemic, my birthdays were a week-long celebration (specially when I was in college) and I hardly ever stayed home but now I’m a self-proclaimed recluse. In fact, I recently earned the titles “Queen of Quarantine” and “Queen of Social Distancing” due to my continued refusal of any sort of invitations and prefer to roam the metro on my own.

Since last month, these crazy people started reaching out more often and some even sent presents (which I think is very touching). In these dark times, what we need is a bit of cheering up and they surely accomplished it. I’m not hard to please, just give me a bottle of beer and we’re insta-best friends! Or a pack of Combos if you’re feeling generous.

THE PRESENTS

• 2 canisters of Lysol – Pink!
• 3 packs of KN95 masks – Pink!
• 1 tornado mop – Pink!
• 600 ml Jim Beam mug
• 1 bottle of Absolut Vodka 750 ml (Grapefruit) – Yup, it’s pink!
• 6 cans of Stella Artois
• Mauviel M’Heritage cookware set

Crazy Creative right? I mean, who in their right mind gives Lysol as a birthday gift? – It took me a while to recover from laughing and I ended up having a 3-hour conversation with this person. Remind me to send a pack of mothballs on his birthday.

The Beau (the craziest person I know) got me a bright star that can be seen in the constellation of Leo – my zodiac sign. I cannot stress enough how romantic this guy is despite his aloof personality (and his persistent denial). First, he made me Lady of Glencoe. second, he introduced me to a traveler named Isabelle. Third, we adopted rescued koalas in Australia. I also got addicted to building Gundam model kits last year and he helped me with my book collection – The Little Prince in different languages. Oh, and for putting up with my ‘Hamilton’ obsession (yes, the musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda).

Wish List

#1. Good Health and Well-being

I wish for good health and a clear mind. Maybe adapt to a new routine or continue to live a healthy lifestyle. Not just for me, but for everyone.

#2. More Wisdom

I can be stubborn at times, and when I believe in something I push for it. I just hope that I’d be better at making good decisions and judgments.

#3. To Travel Again

I know this may sound selfish but I truly wish to travel outside of the Philippines again and hopefully tick each of the items on my bucket list. I already got my second jab but I’d like to be cautious and not contribute to the spread of the virus. To be honest, I’m already sick of this self-imposed isolation. If you’re an extrovert you’ll understand.

#4. To Continue Learning

There’s always something to learn. Whether picking up a hobby or starting a new career, we’ll need to acquire fresh knowledge and skills. And we should be eager to embrace the challenge because lifelong learning has a lot of benefits like it can help us have a healthy brain, stay fulfilled, stay connected and make us happier.

If you’ve reached this point, I very much appreciate you sticking around and spending time to read. I’d like to know what are YOUR birthday wishes and what are the things that you learned as you get old. Thank you and stay safe!

LEVEL 34, UNLOCKED!