My 2016 Highlights

2016 has been a wild ride in many levels! On a personal level, I am overwhelmed with how generous this year has been to me. I'll be sharing some of the wonderful things that happened to me this 2016-- all after the break!

Before 2016 even came, I already knew that it would be a big year for me. I stepped into this year with a heart full of hope and mind full of determination to make things happen. Let's do this month by month, shall we?

In January, my parents got me my new camera-- the mirrorless Fujifilm XT-10. Ever since, it's been my go-to for taking pictures and videos (especially in our travels). 

The next few months passed with me dealing with my last term in De La Salle University as an Accountancy student. My journey as a BSA student was a bit rocky, but I was definitely blessed to be able to complete my undergraduate studies on time.

Come April, I was officially "grad-waiting". I embraced my freedom by dyeing my hair full blonde-- one of the colors that I have always wanted to sport. And to celebrate the end of the school year (and my college life over all!), my family and I traveled to Japan. It was our first time there, and we definitely had a blast touring Osaka, Kyoto, and Tokyo. I am grateful to be able to check Japan off my dream destinations, but we will definitely be back! (Read: Ichiran, Universal Studios Osaka, an outfit post, Osaka Castle and Tenjimbashi-suji, Kiyomizu-dera and Gion, Shinsekai district, Kuromon Ichiba and Dotonbori, Fushimi Inari, and more soon)

After getting back from Japan, it was time to gear up for the upcoming October 2016 board licensure examination for Certified Public Accountants. I started attending review classes which stretched on from May until the last few days before the exam dates. Weekdays were for hustle, and weekends were for rest (supposedly). I managed to squeeze in some time to head to Rizal with my family to see the windmills at Bangui. I also got to attend my first ever blogger event-- boy, do I feel legit!

Each and everyone has his/her own study techniques (mine are not the best, really), but I was very diligent in attending the classes everyday. I only missed on a few occasions, such as when we had to attend rehearsals for and the actual DLSU recognition rites in June, and the commencement exercise in PICC that followed. Oh, and also that one time we went to Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar in Bataan. Such a beautiful place!

Then came October, the biggest month of all for me. I took the board exam-- composed of six subjects all in all-- on October 1, 2, 8, and 9. In between those dates, on the 3rd, I turned 21. There wasn't any celebration, just a simple dinner with my family, because I had to focus on the more important matter at hand. Sacrifices were made for the boards, but it was all worth it when the results finally came out. Right then, my biggest wish for the year came true, and it was one of the happiest moments in my life. It was truly fortunate too, because my friends and I had a planned trip to Hong Kong, and we had the right reason to celebrate. (Not too mention, on the first week of the month, we also rescued a frail kitten in front of your house. We nursed it back to health and took her into our care. Her name's Pepper because she has a grey and black-striped coat. She's such a joy to have around!)

Then together with my peers, I took oath as a Certified Public Accountant in November (but the official results were released on the last week of October). It may not be a title recognized globally, but it was definitely a milestone in my life-- a culmination of many efforts not just on my part, but also of people who supported and helped me along the way. Also in the same month, I landed my first job ever in one of my dream companies. The days leading up to my onboarding were filled with feelings of both excitement and nervousness. Thankfully, the first few days went by with a breeze. While I am still getting a hang of things, I am definitely happy to be welcomed by such kind people at work.

Last but not the least, December! We stayed for three weeks in the United States, specifically in the West Coast. It was our first time spending Christmas away from home, but it was lovely being reunited with our relatives there. Also, I was delighted to experience the holidays in Disneyland (truly magical!), and finally be able to experience Las Vegas at the legal age. Will post about those, definitely!

2016 has been really great, and I could only wish the same for 2017-- not just for myself, but for everyone. A big thanks to everyone who were a part of this year, and looking forward to the following year!

Cheers,