this one’s for the girls

Last Sunday marked ten years of living abroad for me which also aligns with the ten years I’ve spent with the firm I work at. Colleagues have been immensely generous with their time and well-wishes that it’s really felt like a week-long celebration - and if there’s anything I’ve learned during this pandemic, it’s to celebrate what you can when you can because the world could - quite literally - shut down the next day.

It’s also been a week of looking back and reflecting even if all I really want to do is look forward and move forward; but I guess that Filipino saying holds true: “Ang hindi lumingon sa pinanggalingan, hindi makakarating sa paroroonan.” (Loose translation: “you can’t get to the future without glancing back at the past.”)

Well, the last decade has certainly left me with enough namascray to last a lifetime!

So this one’s for the girls who have been there for me all these years - the ones who’ve taken the (Tequila) shots with me as I’ve cried both tears of sadness and joy! It hasn’t been easy for me to keep and make friends as an adult, so I’m grateful for the ones I’ve kept and the ones I’ve made along the way. It is difficult to share specifics without self-incriminating, but simply put - I would never have made it through the last ten years without you! You’ve supported and cheered me on as I’ve lept into every adventure and were ready to mark the occasion whether it worked out or not. You have listened to me vent, hated on the people who had done me wrong, and provided advice when I was ready for it.

To the girls in Manila, who have grown with me all these years - thanks for keeping in touch and never failing to say “kaya mo yan, ikaw pa!” (Loose translation: “of course you can do it!”) - you serve as constant reminders that there was once a time when I could dream up everything and anything to set my heart and mind too. Thanks for making me feel like my unorthodox (relative to what’s expected in Philippines society) life choices are ok, and making me feel like you’re proud of me for having the courage to make them.

To the girls in Singapore, the people in the statement “we live for the nights we'll never remember, with the people we’ll never forget” - thank you for the best stories that make every listener drop their jaws in disbelief! I met you all at the right place and at the right time which I roughly refer to as formative adulting years. I’m incredibly lucky that you also all happen to be so formidable in your chosen fields that career advice is always just a message away. While my liver may fear you, my heart absolutely adores you.

To the girls in New York, the ones who’ve taught me to be comfortable in my own skin - thank you for helping me keep my bearings in a city that runs at warp speed. You make me feel badass, even when I can still end up lost in the subway. Ironically, it was here that I truly appreciated what a night in, just chatting on a couch could do for my soul.Thank you for listening and saving me dollars in therapy.

To the girls in Amsterdam, the ones I managed to find in the midst of a pandemic - thank you for helping me navigate some of the most uncertain times the world has offered and helping me find the good energy whenever I need it.  We are almost to the end of this crisis, it can only get better from here… the adventure is just about to get started!

I was saving this for International Women’s Day, but why wait to show appreciation to the people who mean so much to me?