the aughts

2000-2010 is my most important decade so far. it saw me officially becoming an adult. here's how:

1. Got married
2. Had my first child, then second and third
3. Had my first major adult acquisition (a toyota revo)
4. Flipped houses thrice (first in a suburb 2 hours away from MM, then to one nearer by an hour, then to a condo unit in the metro)
5. Moved in to our first house and lot which is likely going to be our longtime family home
6. Got into a true adult financial mess then thankfully got out of it
7. Got the job i wouldn't mind retiring from
8. Kicked some bad habits learned from my riotous teenage years
9 Traded old unproductive beliefs for new personal truths

i love how this decade has shaped my life. i love the experiences it brought me, both the good and the unpleasant ones.

i can honestly say i am happy even with the mistakes i made all these years, because i think i learned from them, and because i feel i made them at the right time and age: when i was old enough to face them with the right perspective and young enough to still have the time, energy and confidence to manage the consequences.

i am thankful for the crises i went through because they have forged my most valued relationships: with myself, my husband, my family and most important with my God.

i am thankful for marriage and parenthood because of the love, sense of belonging, and perspective these gave me. and, if you haven't noticed yet, i am a big fan of Perspective.

i think i know a lot more about love now: how to give it generously, how to receive it gracefully.

i also have found my access to joy and inner peace. i can spot it now in me. i find joy when i am truly grateful for everything life has thrown me. i find peace when i surrender to my God's Love.

thanks to this decade. looking forward to the new one.

the sights (part 4)

Yosemite was my ma's most memorable stop in our road trip. why do you think?

the sights (part 3)

i could live in san francisco. really.

it's not called America's Finest City for nothing (update: oops. apparently, that title belongs to San Diego. but to me, SF deserves it more ;p)

it's beautiful, vibrant, relevant. and it's got this conscious living vibe. plus, it's got everything. i love its rolling hills, the rows of quaint victorian houses, the fog, and the Bridge!

some people who've seen the Golden Gate think there's nothing really spectacular about it, but when i saw it half-covered in fog, i just thought it was the loveliest thing. it looked like it was floating in a sea of clouds, like a gateway to heaven. i couldn't stop taking pictures of it.

if i were given a chance to pick a US city to settle in, it's gotta be SF hands down.

the sights (part 2)

views from my ride's window. nice, aren't they?

the sights (part 1)

seeing all these beautiful landscapes the past two days, i think i know my one word for america: expanse. everything i've seen so far seems so wide and open. and clear.
i thought i knew so much about this country already but when i saw it, it still felt like a total stranger to me. beautiful but empty (could it really be?)
later.