Note to Self: Letters from our 2015 selves to our 2016 selves

Hello there everyone!

Happy New Moon day!

As you may all know, my moonsister Yang and I have this annual tradition of writing to our future selves every New Moon day of November. So without further blabbering, here's my letter to the 2015 me which is today from the 2014 me.

Letter of 2014 Me to 2015 Me

Dear 2015 Rhio,

Hello there future me! I somehow don't know exactly what to tell you or ask you. As you can see, I just finished answering the questions of our 2013 self. Her few questions we're really good but a bit lengthy. And as you know that as I'm currently writing to you, I'm feeling a bit weird for not being quite myself. Anyways, you must know that a lot of things happened this 2014 that a bit unforgettable but you really wouldn't want to experience all over again (the bad ones). And somehow, you feel that you really are 'growing up' even though you still want to relish the kid in you. But as you may doing your best, life balance is what our goal these days. I honestly don't know have any gut feelings for you my dear 2015 self but somehow the word 'ready' keeps popping in my head every time I think of you. So tell me, is you my dear 2015 self, the time when you really are getting ready for things for 2016? Do tell me please right now. I really want to know. :) Somehow, I wonder if you're still in the same place as you answer back to your 2014 self. But I'm hoping that you are somewhere new and in the place that you can truly call your own. If I'm correct, 2015 will be the last full year you'll have in your work so I hope you do get to make the most of it. As for the questions I want to ask, well, just tell me a lot of things about you and the all the things that happened especially all those wonderful things. I'm sure you are much better than the me I am now. And I do hope that you are attaining and maintaining the life balance you've always wanted and needed for. 

Do keep going and keep moving and keep believing. Never forget to be always grateful and appreciate especially all those little things because it's always the little things that matters the most. And because sometimes God gives you more blessings when you have a grateful heart and when you take good care of what you have. Pray everyday. Say what you mean and mean what you say. Listen more. Be always there for the people you love. Live in the moment but do keep some for the tomorrows that come. Never stop dream. Persevere more. Always pursue excellence in anything that you do. Hope for the best. Silence is good sometimes. And always, always, always, have faith!

Of course, I don't want to end this letter without this finale question:

What would you do if you can do anything at this very moment?

:) ☀ ♥

Letter of 2015 Me to 2014 Me

Hello there 2014 Rhio!

Look at how time flies! It's been a year and yet so many things happened already. I swear! Both literally and figuratively this time that in fact I don't know how to begin telling you the stories that led up to the moment that is NOW.. me writing back to you and should I say definitely way better than ever. So how about a high five? Oh yeah! Awesome! Hahaha! 

So let's begin with that slumber party with your high school girlfriends which you've been planning as a tradition of sorts to catch-up, bond and spend time together since you are all allocated geographically that this kind of traditions are a must. 

Then of course, the 1975 concert (which by some stroke of Universe's magic we were able to go to rows below the concert arena after surviving that stampede.. LOL) that somehow catapulted this year for you to watch a lot of awesome concerts with Karenade and Yang.. Hale's album launching and mini concert last March, the free Owl City concert last May, Zedd's True Colors Tour which is accompanied with an awesome story because after talking to Yang that when Zedd comes back to the Philippines, we somehow promised ourselves to watch him and then a few days later.. tadaaah! Universe surprised us with the news that Zed is coming, and of course that spontaneous spur of the moment decision to watch Sheppard for free again in Mall of Asia and that wickedly awesome Walk the Moon concert in TriNoma for free too and funny because just was when I was telling Yang of when will be the time that we will be able to watch a concert at the pit area, the Universe again surprised us because we found ourselves at the pit dancing and singing to the music. Ah.. so much to thank the Universe for this year.

And then not to mention the Spoken Word poetry by Sarah Kay and Phil Kaye which really tug your heartstrings and of course, Singing in the Rain Musical which made you feel like singing and dancing in the rain as well. Not to mention those pockets of sunshine and pleasures that The Big Guy Up There gives us to remind us that life is beautiful after all.

But of course, despite those wonderful and awesome moments, these were balanced by that emotional ordeal you have to go through that made you decided to hold ourselves altogether and face front all our fears, cry our hearts out, feel every emotion there is that needed to be felt and accept it and work our way with it and through it, embrace the many changes that came and somehow becoming the person that you are now. Of course, there were a lot of times when you have to ask so many questions with exclamation points beside it before finally regaining the commas that you are having right now. And somehow, the Big Guy Up There placed  a period on one aspect of your life this year.

I guess, this year was the continuation of our transition stage from all aspects of our lives. And I think this is our 'quarter life crisis' (if that is the correct term) and I can say that we are a 'Quarter Life Survivor'. So, hooray for us! And yes, we are still in the period of commas right now. And patience my dear, it will be a month and few more days till 2016 so hold fast to your seat because 2016 will be definitely our year. Right now, we are still in the adjustment and transition period gearing up for 2016. This is our way of definitely honoring our pace and making things slowly but surely.

Oh, and I think I know now why 'Ready' is our word for this 2015. It's because this year was the culmination of all the experiences that we needed to experience to better equip us for the coming years ahead (I'm talking about the next 5 years of our lives). Aren't you excited?! Coz I can already feel the excitement right now as I'm typing this. All positive energy.

Well, as to some of your questions as to the place we are talking about, well, we are still in the same place. Though, fret not, we will get there. I Promise. :) You just have to think right now, that where we are at the moment is where we are meant to be for now. :) 

Ah, one change you shouldn't forget to happen too this year was when you finally transferred from your first workplace to your current workplace then resigning to your previous position that you held for four years which I somehow realized that we quite predicted ourselves again right there. And right now you are a Consultant and was assigned to be an alternate on meetings, orientation, seminars or workshops on Child Rights which is a big responsibility but I know that we can handle this and we are up to the challenge. 

Remember, when something closes there's always something that opens just for you. ;)

And now that we finally meet, I feel like giving you a hug while I get teary-eyed from all the things we've been through. And can I just say, I love you. I love us, definitely. Hahaha!

peace, love, light and happiness,

2015 Rhio

Letter of 2015 Me to 2016 Me

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Hello there 2016 Me!

Oh my goodness! My hands are quite trembling and feeling cold and somehow teary-eyed but all these feels are really in a good, good way.. because just typing every a,b,c's of this letter to you just makes me feel giddy and happy and excited all at the same time to finally write to you.

Let me share with you something. You see, when we went to Quiapo Church 2 years ago while we were closing our eyes and having this heart-to-heart conversation with the Big Guy Up There.. I don't know if it's a vision but 2016 popped into our mind. We don't know what's with 2016 exactly but it's just so funny that the 2016 Olympics will be held in Rio. How cool is that right?! I mean, is it just a coincidence or is it also a sign that great things will happen for us. 

Ah.. this feeling I'm having right now like having joyful tears and tearful joys and my heart feel like exploding because of all the blessings that is coming our way. I'm sure that we will be doing great than ever and we will be getting where we should be.. where we are meant to be. I'm so positive of this. 

And here's what I want to tell you that hopefully will surprise you when you read this..

Let your dreams (both when you're asleep and awake) guide you towards the path that you needed to take. Let every decision of yours be aligned to God's will. 

Take every sign (literally and figuratively) that you come across along the way as your life guides.

Pray for discernment.

Take those leaps of faith, I promise it will surprise you in a really, really, good way and in ways more than you expect it. (Best surprises ever ;) )

Say YES more often. (This somehow came from your inner voice like an instinct. So I think, you must follow this.)

Just as you learned to let go and have your inner happiness grow each day, you will blossom into a woman you always needed and wanted to be. 

Smile and stay graceful despite the adversities. C'est La Vie. ;)

Be grateful every day and savor each day and each moment because all that you have is a gift and a blessing from the Big Guy Up There.

There's good in every day.

Have that joie de vivre in you always. like romanticizing each day as if it's your last. 

Have that great balancing act.

Hello's are coming your way. So say each Hello with a smile and embrace it. ;)

New beginnings it is indeed. ;)

Pray always my dear. No matter how simple it may be as long as it from the heart and from every fiber of your being.

Always have a review of your goals to see how far you've come and set new goals from time to time. It's the only way we know we grow and blossom. ;)

Have more adventures, wherever that might be. (Hello there KaRhiAdventures, Moon Sisters Moments and all other adventures) ;)

Believe and Have Faith all the days of your life. :)

I know this has gotten quite long but I think I just wanted you to be really prepared and well-equipped. Somehow, we are currently loving the mysteries of life (balancing it to our gift of quite predicting things) to leave room for the surprises that life has in store for us.

Ah.. so many words are quite popping in my head right now.. surprises, yes(es), hellos, beginnings, going places, miracles..

I will not have any questions for you young lady, but do tell me the stories of how our 2016 is. I'm pretty sure it will be wickedly awesome and far much better and one of the best years of your life. Like literally (and figuratively)  jumping and taking those leaps of faith one day at a time. Because we just know. ;)

And we are already getting there. I promise! ;)

So, to ask you again..

what would you do if you can do anything at the moment? ;)

Peace, Love, Light and Happiness,

2016 Rhio

:) ☀ ♥ 

*******************************************

Dear 2015 Jhun,

So, how's life lately? Still writing that stuff you're not sure where you're getting the emotions from? Right now you're still drowning yourself on these weird emotions, I wonder if you're still feeling the same way or will you find your old self too silly. ;) Are you still feeling confused as you are  now? I hope by now you finally found the answers that you were looking for.

How's work? Are you still on the same job that you've learned to love, though the kids are making you crazy, or have you finally tried looking for a job in a hospital or someplace else? 

I won't ask you alot of questions this time. I just want you to tell me what had been the greatest turning point of your life starting this time. I'm not sure why, but I'm feeling something big is going to happen. I know, it might sound scary. It might even sound funny because who knows, maybe nothing would happen. But just in case there will be, I hope you've already gained enough courage to face it. Keep your chin up girl, we can make it. Tell me your story. What were the crazy, selfish things we did for ourselves? Any spontaneous decisions we did that somehow turned our world upside down or did we still keep on acting on the safe side? Now I'm curious about the stuff that we did. Trust me, it's okay if it's not all good. Just remember this:

 No regrets. 

Got it? 

I wish you'd have a blast this coming year. Make it good. Turn it into something worth telling stories about. Okay? ;)

Till We Meet,

2014 Jhun

*****

Dear 2014 Jhun,

Funny how in a span of one year, your world could really suddenly turn upside down. Here's the thing, we really had a blast this year. Too many things happened, and all of them are memories worth keeping. So let's start a trip down the memory lane, shall we? ;) 

First off, we had a good and not-so-good headstart with our year. Remember when we bought our tickets for the "The 1975" concert? And how we ended up having a case of chicken pox two weeks before the said concert. I mean, seriously?! We were already resigned to the fact that we will be missing the concert that we've waited for a whole year. But being the hard headed little brats that we were, we ended up telling Rhio that we've decided to join them even if we're all covered up in that freaking constellation of scars and what-nots. So for cover up, we swaddled ourselves in layers of clothing and face mask instead. Just like your typical bank robber strutting her stuff in broad daylight.:P (And it was a huge success!It doesn't matter how we almost got ourselves killed in a stampede though when we rushed four or five flights of stairs just for a free seat upgrade. Hahaha! We still felt amazing.)

It's also kinda little bit weird how this year was full of strange coincidences. Like when that time when you and Rhio were watching some random stuff on the internet, then suddenly thought of Sarah Kay and Phil Kaye, and you just randomly mumbled "If these guys will ever perform here, we should definitely watch it. Okay?" Then just a couple of days later, you skimmed over your Twitter newsfeed then like a Jackpot sign, you read the post "Sarah Kay and Phil Kaye in Manila." Really. What were the chances? And also remember how when you were talking again about that show of Zedd that you missed while you were still in college, so you made yourselves a deal that if ever he makes a come back, you said that you would never miss it? Then after a couple of weeks, voila! He announced that the True Colors tour was coming.

So many things happened that it felt like a roller coaster ride. From music concerts (The 1975, Incubus, Owl City, Us The Duo, Zedd, Walk The Moon), and spoken word (sarah Kay and Phil Kaye); to musicals (Singin' In The Rain) and out of town excursions and food adventures with friends (too many to mention. :P including our spontaneous beeline to the karaoke just to relieve ourselves from stress). Add to that our scheduled runs around UP and that day when you let your friend drag you to a Zumba class, which admittedly, was kinda fun. Truth be told, if this was the last year of my life, these things made it all worth it. :)

I hope by now, you feel proud of what we did. Are you? ;) Anyway, on to the serious stuff though. Yip, we're still writing. And no, we still don't have any idea where all of these ideas come from. Reading too much books, probably. You know how you get that feeling as if you're writing to someone or for something? Don't worry though, I don't find our old self silly. I'm even happy that she started doing these things because now, we felt more lighter - freer. Though we don't write on a daily basis anymore, but we try as much as we can to post regularly. We stopped scheduling posts because we decided that it felt more real and more honest for us if we post the things that we created right on the spot because it reflects on what we feel for that specific day. I hope we can keep doing this as long as we can, for as long as we need.

On with our work. Yeah, we're still here. Though now we've finally decided that after two years in this job, we've already reached our peak; and it's time for us to plant our roots someplace else. We'll definitely miss this place though. We made new friends and we're thankful because here we've learned to face many of our fears and we learned to conquer them. And I'm proud to say that we didn't have any regrets. And I hope that made you proud of us too. :)

Yours,

2015 Jhun

P.S. By the way, I forgot to tell you about that selfish, spontaneous, thingy that we wanted to do even just for once in our life. We decided to join this guided road trip that will happen on the last week of December. >(^o^)< It's a three day road trip that will end up on a full moon beach party and here's the catch: the destination is random. We won't have any idea where we're headed off, and we'll just trust ourselves to the hands of the tour organizers. Good luck to us and hopefully I can still comeback after this trip so that I can meet our 2016 self. :P

*****

Dear 2016 Jhun,

First off. How was the road trip?!?!?! I seriously want to know. Were you able to make it? I hope to god you did because if you didn't, I promise I'll swear you off to the deepest darkest ends of the earth. Just kidding. For a moment. :P

So kiddo, how are we? I wonder where you are currently seated right now while you're reading this. Are you still surrounded by the books we've collected all these years? By the same walls that we've painted and written poetry on just a couple of weeks ago? Remember how you felt when you started repainting these walls and your heart just twisted a little bit because you knew that you're letting go of a part of you to the backseat of this ride because you felt that you have to do it to make space for new memories? I remember that after finishing this room and I looked around, it felt like the room became too small because my roots have finally grown too big for this place and they're longing to spread themselves in another place. So what did you do about it? Did you ignore that call or did you listen to it? What were your reasons? 

I wish you had yourself get lost. But not lost in the sense that you didn't know what to do with your life. I'm talking about getting lost in living - in fully experiencing your life not just by surviving it. When you let your own self decide where you want to go without the help of planned maps and  unwarranted advice. It doesn't hurt to listen to them from time to time, but I hope that the choices you've made are the ones that you wanted to do in the first place.

So where are we working now? I'm kinda curious as to where we've finally landed our feet on. Did you miss working in school? The holidays and class suspensions? I hope you didn't turn yourself into a workaholic idiot though. :P

What did we do? Any grand vacations that we had? What are the new things we've tried? Tell me your story. I promise I will be here to listen.

Yours,

2015 Jhun

P.S. Another weird coincidence. Because you wrote this post at home last night where the internet connection's still down (raawr) and was about to post it here in the office and when you opened up Tyler Knott's blog, this was his typewriter for the day. Need anymore signs my dear? :P