top ten things i learned from my two-week leave


My work shirts are starting to smell like my closet. My leather shoes have been untouched for almost half a month. I’m starting to doubt if I can still teach English (Don’t English me very deep. I did not study very high!) I’ve been on vacation leave since the end of August- the first vacation leave I’ve taken, uhm ever. I have a few more days left until I have to go back to work. So far, it’s been a blast. I learned so many things and I’m sharing a few of them with you.


1. When going on leave, have a plan but be prepared to break it. I was supposed to go to the beach. I originally took this leave of absence to clear my thoughts and find myself yaddah yaddah yaddah. My ten precious days off work was supposed to invigorate me and all that. However…


2. Do not spend all your money within the first five days partying. While it may seem like a good idea at first, remember to pace yourself. My first week on leave was a sick cycle of sleeping, drinking and being hung over. Pa-ulit ulit lang. Your body can only take so much abuse and you wouldn’t want to be stuck broke and sick for the remainder of your leave. Oo, ako yun.


3. The strangest things resurface when you clean your room. Sometimes, it’s the timeliest of reminders. I found an old journal from right after my last, err… car crash. In between movie tickets, pictures and haphazard movie reviews, I found this:

02.23.08
I once said that one day, you too will lose your power over me. I no longer walk in pain. The stars no longer remind me of you. Even your face, the one I longed to see for the longest time, begins to fade in my mind’s eye. The arch of your nose, the squint in your eyes, even the taste of your lips- all these are slipping from ‘memories’ to ‘lessons learned’.

And as I walk away from the car crash that was my private heaven and hell, I pick up the pieces of my sanity which I scattered like confetti when I was yours. A piece to restore my mind, returning self-awareness and self sufficiency. Another for my heart, so that when the time comes, I could love again.

I survived then. That was ten times more powerful. I will survive this. Especially because…


4. Lose a lover, gain a few friends. It all works out in the end. You may think the world is ending but the age-old adage is true. When God closes a door, He opens a window. (Cue Joseph the Dreamer) I may have had my heart broken but the Big Guy upstairs didn’t want me to be alone. So He sent in a few friends- really good friends. People I didn’t expect na madadala ako. Seriously, thank you so much for putting up with me during my darkest hours. You guys taught me that…


5. Emo-ness subsides. Skeeter Davis is a liar. The sun goes on shining, yes but it’s not the end of the world. Kasi nga the world doesn’t stop turning. It only feels that way when love ends but every morning that you wake up is another opportunity to prove your worth to the world. Sulking doesn’t get you anywhere. The sooner you shake it off, the sooner you’ll be fine. Also…


6. There’s no such thing as an easy break-up. You may think you’re fine but then a single text message can totally throw you off*. Relapse is a bitch* but that’s not your only problem. After you’ve given everything to ensure a sane and mature break-up, magugulat ka nalang, may mag-rereply sa isang post na naka-all caps. Hamuna. Ganun lang talaga yun. Hindi naman yun aalisin ni God if makakabuti siya sakin, diba?


7. There’s nothing that a long walk cannot fix. Aside from my really good friends, these long walks in Salcedo really kept me sane. Umulan man o umaraw, it felt good to have a routine. When your mind’s heavy and your heart knows no reprieve, just take a long walk. No phones, no Twitter, no connection to the outside world. Just you, your iPod and the pavement. You’ll be surprised at how therapeutic it is.


8. Eating fifty butter and cheese sandwiches* with non-fat milk will give you diarrhea. Seriously. It may seem like a good idea to eat and eat and eat pero I learned that my body has limits pala. Haha Another lesson (although it didn’t make the top ten) is if you have diarrhea, don’t leave home. Otherwise, you may find yourself in the middle of Ayala fleeing a cab and running for the nearest toilet. Err, no. Di ako ‘yun. Uhm, friend ko yun. Haha


9. Sleep. While it seems like a good idea to spend all night bloghopping or watching Sex and the City reruns, sleeping at 6AM with the sun in your face is hardly relaxing. Ooh, naps are also the bomb. It’s like a mini vacation within a vacation! I used to sleep 10 hours a day. These past few months, I could survive on just four. I’ve forgotten how good it feels to wake up after a really, really long nap.


10. When all else fails, there’s always Facebook. My goodness. After years of avoiding Facebook, I finally gave in*. If you’re bored, there’s sooooo much to do. I haven’t given in to the whole farming and mob-building craze but I am having tons of fun reading status updates and links and whatnot. It’s like having a window into everyone’s lives. When you want to tune out of the world, escape is just a few clicks away. Plus, when there’s no one around, it’s the only one that will ask you ‘What’s on your mind?’

Katy Perry
Waking Up In Vegas
One of the Boys

29 comments

  1. when all else fails...

    i have my rice cooker to help me deal with my depression

    ahihihihi, luto luto lang ako

    btw, ahmm, hindi ko maresearch ang YM ni kuya,

    magaling naman kasi siyang magtago ng identity niya

    he's a bit elusive kasi

    tsaka, ampangit naman ng dating kung bigla ko na lang siyang iwa-YM ng hindi naman niya binibigay sa akin yung YM niya di ba?

    i respect naman po yung personal space niya, ayoko naman kasing magmukhang nakikialam na sa mga agnuong aspeto.

    ill just wait for his 'trust' at ibigay yung YM niya at cp number

    btw, sino po sa inyo ang empleyado sa lungsod ng makati? your daddy po?

    i work in media kasi.news dept.

    ReplyDelete
  2. this is a really cute post. emo pero cute. haha. and i agree with the facebook part. kaka adik!

    ReplyDelete
  3. sarap naman 10 day off. I loved number 1, ganun din ako nung nag 5-day leave ako. Supposedly, were to go to Baguio, but I ended up watching dvd marathon of tv shows I missed last year.

    ReplyDelete
  4. @period bigay mo sakin. magaling ako magresearch. haha

    my dad's not an employee. he's a senior citizen. kakainggit nga eh. libre din sine niya.

    @herbs thanks. halata bang bored?

    @mikhael is it emo? di naman. haha thanks! and yeah, FB rocks.

    @engel diba? pero parang di sayang oras. kahit na tinapon ako sa night shift next week dahil sa long leave ko, ayus lang.

    ReplyDelete
  5. i am most fascinated by when you take a break from work, your relationship breaks. sodnds like a good thing overall with or without the addition of more friends.

    ReplyDelete
  6. haha actually whenever i take time off from work (whether it's a sick leave or a vacation leave) something always happens. haha

    what i would like to explore is how when a part of your life is going really well, another part almost always goes to shit. haha have you ever had one of those?

    as for more friends, they really helped. i think if left to my own devices, i'd still be wallowing in my own spit. haha

    ReplyDelete
  7. what i would like to explore is how when a part of your life is going really well, another part almost always goes to shit.

    If only we could be happy all the time, eh, cb? But happiness would lose its value if we had it on tap.
    I think it, too, is subject to the laws of supply and demand. Sometimes we have scarcity, sometimes surplus. The ideal, of course, would be to have just enough of it to tide us over. And maybe a little squirreled away for emergencies.

    Thank God for friends, though, indeed. That's a resource one can never have enough of.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I like this post. Ang galing. :D

    Starbucks Pacstar ba yang nasa picture?! Hahaha.

    I love taking walks esp around Salcedo Park. Nakaka-alis siya ng stress. :D

    I should take time off from work. Gayahin kita. Sana sooner than later. *LOL*

    ReplyDelete
  9. if when you pause work apparent disaster strikes, sounds like you are using work as the ultimate avoidance/denial function causing innumerable ways to avoid the rest of life. maybe...?

    ReplyDelete
  10. oh no the beach plan was a no go. However at least you spent your leave quite worthwhile(?) hehe :P

    ReplyDelete
  11. kainggit talaga ang two weeks, hehe. sana pwede din sa min. ;)

    ReplyDelete
  12. @rudeboy ~ i wish we could be happy all the time pero you're right. haha i hate to quote an ashlee simpson song but i think it's really apt. in say goodbye, she said 'there is beauty in the dark side. i'm not frightened for without it i would never feel the sun.'

    supply and demand? wow that takes me back to senior year economics. i suppose if u look at it that way then it all makes sense. the little we keep for emergencies, you could call that an SOS to friends. :D

    @ruby ~ nasa blogger ka na?! wow!!! :D ndi, di to pacstar. this is the one at 6750, yung unang starbucks sa pinas. haha miss ko na yung sa pacstar. balik nako dun next week. panggabi pa ako. :'c

    @lance ~ you have a point. it works inversely as well. when everything turns to shit, i have work to keep me sane. :D

    @nash ~ yeah. couldn't afford it na. pero ayus lang din. at least i had a lot of time to introspect.

    @pie ~ yeah, i had to really convince them to let me go. actually di talaga pwede samin. kaso at that time, i was feeling burnt out na and stuff. kaso pagbalik ko, wala na yung perfect shift for me. nilagay na ako sa gabi. oh well, the price you pay for r&r. :D it's all good.

    ReplyDelete
  13. buti ka pa nagbabakasyon. ako, napaka-stressful ng week ko. anyway, enjoy ka lang. you deserve it. :)

    ReplyDelete
  14. stressful ba? naku relax relax ka muna!

    ReplyDelete
  15. ang haba naman ng break. kaingit!

    nakakataba ang break-up. yun lang! =)

    ReplyDelete
  16. haha sobra! proof niyan ang number 8. stress eater ka rin ba?

    ReplyDelete
  17. agree na agree ako sa lahat ng mga insights mo! galeeeeng!!

    ReplyDelete
  18. thanks markie! that's so nice of u to say.

    ReplyDelete
  19. wakokokokok!

    i like your simple philosophies regrading love, break-ups, moving on, friendship, sanity and stuff. i hope you really did enjoy your vacation.

    salamat sa comment. i know dad is not the usual superman type around. i know his flaws. yun nga lang, i need to vent out. he's the same sweet guy who puts katol under my bed everytime i opt to turn off the fan. it's just that i like him working and active. that's all. haha!

    this feeling shall pass. for all is passing. :D

    ReplyDelete
  20. let's go party tonight... minsan pa bago ka bumalik sa work hahahahahaha

    ReplyDelete
  21. God. I won't survive a ten-day off. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  22. @elyas thanks! :D and regarding ur dad, i hope u guys work it out. yeah, it'll pass.

    @yj awwww i wish i could!

    @makmak bakit naman? it's easier than you think.

    ReplyDelete
  23. i love facebook. it never fails to cure my stress :))

    ReplyDelete
  24. so true. it's always there for you when you need it. hehe

    ReplyDelete
  25. Plus, when there’s no one around, it’s the only one that will ask you ‘What’s on your mind?’
    --eh ung gusto ko 'to? hehehe. kelangan patanong eh no. lumabas nga ba tayo nung naka-leave ka, hijoh? hemingways, about sleeping ng 6am, tinamaan ako dun. slightly. 7am or 8am na kc ko natutulog. yikes!

    ReplyDelete
  26. di nga eh! i wanted to kaso parating busy lahat ng peeps.

    hirap matulog ng umaga no? buti nalang ni-night shift ako ng 1 week pag balik ko. at least di ako masyadong na jet-lag. hmm.. pwede ba majet-lag na di naman umalis ng pinas? hehhe

    FJ's na to!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment