I have to say that this month unintentionally became my "splurge month", because well, apparently upon reviewing my activities this month, I discovered that my money outflow was higher than my usual. But looking back after five months, I feel like I made the right decision to be extravagant for myself, for once. 😊
💃 Experiences
- Buying a Japanese tea set. Well technically it's not a full set, just a Dobin (top-handled teapot) and a tea cup. I have been wanting to buy them ever since watching Hyori’s B&B Season 2 on Netflix. Before, I usually looked at tea sets on Shopee. However, I was not 100% all in to buy a full set (which is expensive by the way) and I can't really be sure if the one on the picture on Shopee is the same as the actual items that I would receive. Fortunately, I discovered these accounts on IG wherein they sell Japanese kitchenware for affordable prices! That's where I bought my tea set. 🍵
- Subscribing to Sakuraco. 🌸 For the longest time also, I was drooling for this Japanese snack box description that I discovered online named Sakuraco. Their subscription box was launched just this year and they have the most aesthetic snack box out there. And so this month, I finally gave in. I gave myself a 3-month subscription! If you compute it, you'll see it's expensive (😢), but nevertheless, this was my reward for myself for all my hard work. Also, this was my form of self-care. 🥰. As of this writing, my subscription has finished (June - August) and I can say that the experience was amazing. The happiness that I felt as I opened each snack from each box was priceless. ✨I'm so happy I allowed myself to experience that kind of joy. Now whenever I see a Sakuraco post online, I don't feel a sense of longing or lack anymore. I feel grateful instead. #cravingfulfilled 😊
- Upgrading my laptop. 💻 On the same day that my first Sakuraco box arrived at my doorstep, my laptop also was delivered. I was on a high that day. 😁 I never thought that I would purchase a laptop online and have it delivered to me. I have to say that I felt so anxious and scared because it was my first time buying an expensive item online. The item got delivered after two days, but for me the wait felt longer. Every other hour I was checking my phone to see if there were updates on the tracking. I was always thinking of ways that this decision could go wrong (what if the delivery got intercepted, or I receive a box full of stones or the item is defective). So when I finally got the notification that the laptop was bound to be delivered within the day, I was on high alert. Well, to catch the chase of the story, the item arrived at my doorstep safe and sound.
As of this writing (after 5 months!), I am happy to report that the laptop is being used well. My old laptop finally retired after 8 years of service. 😀
- Discovering the existence of cafe vlogs. ☕ I never knew this niche existed in YouTube... until this month. And now I understand why people love them -- they're so relaxing to watch! This is the first channel I stumbled upon but I have since subscribed to a few more as of this writing!
- Meeting the future brother-in-law. It was my first time meeting him, and overall I think he's a good match for my sister. By the way, huge thanks to my training in Toastmasters because I got to overcome my anxiety and actually do small talk with him. 😅
- Unearthing a new side of me that I never knew I had. I feel like I sway on the extremes - it's either I am so disciplined and reserved or I'm all out and chaotic. Well, I think I got to get a glimpse of my "chaotic" side this month. I was really out of control, and it was both scary and exciting. And as always, I get to learn from this process. Let's just say that because now I know that I have this tendency to "fill out details" and construct an illusion of my reality, I have learned to be more aware of my emotions. It would actually take me 5 months to recover... and looking back at that experience as of this writing, I can say that I know better now. 😉
- Completing a social experiment on my SNS. There was a time in my life that I closed off my world from most of the people I know. There was a time that I was so overwhelmed with my SNS, specifically Facebook. There was no "Follow/Unfollow" option back then. So the only step I could do was unfriend people. And so that was what I did. From a friend count of more than a thousand, I currently have less than two hundred. And I was still not satisfied. When the Unfollow option became available, I unfollowed everyone. For years that followed, Facebook became just my feed for online news.
Maybe because of the pandemic, I suddenly missed socializing with people. What I did was -- I followed back all of my friends. And surprisingly, I enjoyed seeing updates from them again (there were some selected ones whom I unfollowed again 😂). And so my FB feed became alive again and I started interacting with my friends again. This scenario applied with Instagram and Twitter also. I realized that it is a nice feeling to reconnect with my social circle. 👍
⛰️ Accomplishments / Milestones
- I'm now on Level 2 on my Toastmasters Pathway!
- It was during this month that I accepted the challenge of leadership that was presented to me. And with that, I was elected Secretary of my home club! It was also because of this milestone that I decided to upgrade my laptop, because I knew I would be having more work load in terms of my Toastmasters activities (current self's note: yup, I was right... investing for that laptop was a right decision, and it was worth it).
- I joined a volunteering program in our company, and it allowed me to meet both familiar and fresh faces. This experience allowed me to get out of my comfort zone as I facilitated a Zoom session teaching kids how to code. It was so fun and fulfilling. 💗
- My parents got their first dose of the vaccine. 💉 I filed a VL the day after to be ready to take care of them just in case there would be side effects. Aside from a mild flu, there weren't any harsh side effects. Thank goodness. ✨
- I finally finished playing the What Remains of Edith Finch game. This is an accomplishment because I initially aborted playing it. Interestingly, the game triggered some anxiety in me, and the root cause is still unknown to me until now. Well this month I tried again, and the experience felt smoother for me. I actually got to enjoy the game. I'm proud of myself for trying again and succeeding. 🎮
- After several months of setting up and waiting, my Adsense account has successfully been linked to this blog! Finally!
🧠Game Changers
- Binaural Beats. This became top-of-mind for me this month because this was my topic in one of my Toastmasters speeches. I was delighted to know that I introduced something new to my fellow Toastmasters. 💡
- Melatonin Pills. Because my sleeping routine was a wreck during this time, I decided to try something new. I purchased some Melatonin pills to help me fall asleep faster. I found them effective actually. During the first few weeks, I had to pop one everyday. Then fast-forward as of this writing, I only take them if necessary (i.e. it's already 1AM and I am still wide awake).
- You Need A Budget app. This app really changed the scene for me. I usually have a hard time visualizing the buckets that I have for my money, especially for things that I am saving up for in the future. And yes, this app made my life way way easier. Since I now have visibility on where my money is already allotted, I have this peace of mind that I will be able to afford future investments + spend guilt-free on stuff that I want to buy right now! Because I know what my budget is, I know the limit on how much I can spend on online orders. 🤣
- Intellifluence. I never thought I would actually be able to use this blog as a stream of income. I usually receive inquiries for paid guest posts from time to time, but that only happens like once in a blue moon. 🌕I discovered this site through another influencer and I got interested. It's been five months as of this writing and I already earned 5-digit peso value from writing for the site. I'm so happy I got to discover this website because it really helps to have another means of income aside from your day job. It's not as stable though, but for a side hustle, this is more than enough.
- Skillshare. I only subscribed for the trial period but I was able to watch videos about breathing exercises, which again changed the way I approach my singing technique. 🎤🎶
💡 Takeaways
- It is a very uncomfortable process to be open and vulnerable with others, but it is a necessary step that will make you stronger and braver in life.
- You get what you pay for.
- Time waits for no one.
- Striving for excellence will take you to places.
- Structure contributes to sanity.
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