Not surprising, considering I am a millennial-Gen Z cusp, but I was in an industry I loved. I had the job some can only dream of– and it didn’t hurt it paid well either. Not too much that I had a hard time leaving, but enough to fund more than half of my gadgets or what I liked to call “investments”.

I’ve always been a rational guy. Too rational, some would say. Lately rationale seemed to be on the financial side of things, that I was okay living a life of routine to get a paycheck every 15 days. 

Or so I thought. There I was, pretending I needed help on a sales report, presenting my notice of resignation. 

(An illustration I made for this week’s Young Star. See the article here.)

My now-ending job required me to do a lot of things: from number crunching, to creating social media collaterals, the occasional front of house work. These didn’t bother me, but after a year, I hated waking up. I woke up for gym and not for work. The long lines for the shuttle home, the way I’d only have a quarter of my ass sit in the shuttle... I hated all of it. I thought I wasn’t getting enough sleep– I was getting 7.5hrs to 9 hrs every day. Maybe it was Makati’s fault for being so draining, but every Sunday I’d stroll around Legazpi and I’ll get reminded how beautiful the city is. I really just hit the wall.

So here I am, posting something every day for the month, to help me in my next job where I would be mostly taking photos, creating art, going to events and taking IG Stories (the highlight of the job, really), and yes: writing. 

The Sunday Currently // Got this idea from the great Maine Manalansan, who in turn got this from SiddaThornton.

Got to fly to Korea over the summer and I haven’t posted anything about it here! Looking back, this trip couldn’t have scheduled itself at a better time- a perfect detox over one hell of a sem and my last hurrah before internship.

Of course we had to try the local cuisine... and by that I meant their local versions of giant fast food chains. We were lucky that below our hotel was a KFC! Their default KFC chicken is spicy so if you’re not a spicy kind of guy (like I am), be sure to say not spicy!

Our first day in Korea was dedicated to touring cultural landmarks in the city (and walking and walking and walking) We only got to visit three: Changdeokgung, Jongmyo Shrine, and Deoksugung.

Got to design this year’s In Diem Vivere planners for Sigma Alpha Nu UP Manila! Nothing can compare to seeing your work printed out and being used by people + I loved the concept of having to sign up for volunteer work/causes to get the planner. Thanks for trusting me with this, Hershey!

Took our AIESEC exchange participants to some (kanto) ramen from Erra’s. If you haven’t tried, Erra’s is along Adriatico street. It looks downright sketchy but their ramen is gold.

It took me two hours to get to Ayala from Vito Cruz (!!!) so naturally, I took out my camera. Also, I had a great conversation with Kuya Driver about how much time and money is being wasted in traffic. While I pointed out that its the amount of cars on the road and Makati being a CBD, he said it’s also  because of lack of road discipline- an absolute truth. Really hope this traffic problem gets solved soon!

Had the privilege to attend a 99U Local event in Ayala Museum! With the goal to shift idea generation to idea execution, 99U serves as a platform for creatives to start creating and collaborating with the community through talks and networking. One of my favorite lines of the night, as quoted by director Pepe Diokno from Neil Gaiman, was to “make glorious mistakes”- something new to live by!

Got to catch up with my achi, Abbey + eat pizza (absolutely one of my favorite things to do in life HAHA) in Project Pie! 

This gift from FILED, I couldn’t wait until the 25th to open! FILED has always been a favorite brand of mine, since I’m a huge sucker for office and school supplies. What sets FILED apart is that everything they have is so stylish and really, really, innovative! 

Being the (trying to be) organized person that I am, this 2015 Doodle Plannerwill definitely come in handy. It even comes with a customizable bookmark, stickers, and a planner-sized backpack for your pens! 

Planners and other cool stuff from FILED are available at Fully Booked, Powerbook, Bibliarch, and Scribe Writing Essentials. Check them out onFacebook and follow them on Twitter and Instagram @getfiled.