#3cmt

Today, you picked me up before a meeting para I can watch Finding Dory with you. And then we don’t watch Finding Dory but we go buy our tickets for some unknown movie just because it’s cheaper. We LOVED the movie. The Rock + Kevin Hart: sabi sa inyo funny eh haha then we went to Banawe to avail a pound-for-pound promo that’s too much for us. Then kahit busog, we just had to have dessert.

Today was such a typical “us” day. Yung mga tawanan, yung jokes, even yung mga pagdedesisyon natin sa mga bagay bagay. It was just so us. So us to switch movies last minute. So us to go all the way to Banawe just to eat some wings. So us to walk the streets in order to find what we want.

Nothing was special today, but somehow that made it more special. Nagmamake sense ba? I just feel like it’s been a while since we had a day like this and I feel like it’s mundaneness is what makes it so special, so nostalgic, and so close to home.

Here in the unfamiliar territory of the city, you guys are my home.

Countless nights we spent outside just because we didn’t want to go home. Endless of stories we shared from our childhood to our future. Sobrang dami ng tawa, stress at kung ano ano pang pinagdaanan natin together and you guys still proved to be the best. From every resto we’ve ever dined in, to every night we spent sa field, to every LSS that we sang, to every adventure we had, to every joke we made, to every viral video we shared online, to every selfie we took and to every day I spent with you, wala akong niregret. And ever since our Thomasian Welcome Walk and I’m pretty sure until our Baccalaureate Mass and long after that, you guys will still continue to be one of the greatest blessings in my life. 

I wrote this 3 years ago, after one of our after school dinners. Noon pa lang alam ko na, na this will be long term. A lot of things have changed, ang dami na rin nating pinagdaanan pero somehow, we still find our way back to each other. The parent chain, sabi nga natin. Sobrang thankful ko talaga na I have you guys, people na isang chat lang pupunta na. People na hindi ako pababayaang tumaba mag-isa. People na laging andyan para samahan ako kung ayaw ko pang umuwi. People na sumusuporta at nagmamahal.

I don’t know how I got so lucky with you guys pero I hope that I have somehow touched your lives and made you feel loved as much as you did to me. Kasi there’s nothing more na I would have wanted to do. You guys have given me so much-- time, happiness, love. So much na I don’t know where to put them but all I know is that it wouldn’t be fair for me to just keep them. I knew that I had to give it back because that’s the least that I could do for everything that you have done for me. 

I don’t know where I’m going with this but I guess I just really want to say and emphasize how much you mean to me and how much you have contributed to the person I am today and how much I am grateful to have you and how much I love you. 

I love how in sync we are and I love how we can finish each other’s punchlines. I love how we always stay by each other’s side and I love how we are so “g” with whatever the plan. I love how spontaneous we are and I love how we never run out of “firsts”. I love how we got each other’s backs and I love how we make fun of ourselves. I love how with you, everything seems so light and happy and funny and I love how you constantly make me smile.

I learned...

1. That nothing beats confidence and that we are our biggest fan.

2. That there are times when we have to step up and take charge in order to lift up the people around us.

3. That just being there for the people we love is enough. 

(and that forever exists omg)

4. How important it is to say what we truly feel. Bago mahuli ang lahat huhu (anek na te gurl)

5. That we all have our own opinions, and we must not be afraid to voice them out.

6. How to love. (CHAR) (but srsly) how to love myself, how to love others, and everything else in between.

7. ---

8. That hardwork may be underrated, but it pays off.

9. The importance of keeping your feet on the ground, no matter how high you may find yourself to be.

10. That beating around the bush gets you no where and being a good friend means complete honesty. 

11. How to speak Malay hehe and that sometimes the word hate can equate to love (huhu love u my mortal enemy)

12. To be practical and accept reality for what it is, and what it would probably be. I LEARNED SO MANY THINGS, but most importantly, I learned how great platonic friendships can be. 

13. That even the most quiet ones have their own stories to tell.

14. That we all have that one person/thing that we are passionate about and would make us ~kilig~ any day.

15. That we all have different sides of us, some out in the open, others only visible to those we trust.

16. That wit and humor makes the best combination.

17. That loving doesn’t necessarily mean getting loved in return.

18. That even the oldest person in the room knows how to party with the young.

19. That canceling van rentals must be at least one week prior to the actual date.

20. That keeping notes is a good way to immortalize memories by giving you something to look back to and make you feel nostalgic. #kwowts

21. That people who don’t deserve the middle finger can have it out with the ring finger instead.

22. That everyone has their own voice, some just take their time finding it.

23. That asking questions and being genuinely curious is not a bad thing.

24. That people with short tempers just need one special person to calm them down.

25. To appreciate the saying, “better late than never.”

26. That how we present ourselves doesn’t always mirror how we feel.

27. That a little bit of drama is needed in life and that car rides can lead to so many great adventures and so many unforgettable memories.

28. That boredom with a pen and a paper can result to beautiful art.

29. Just how much you can discover about people by spending a night (or maybe more) with them.

30. That “The One” may not be the one after all, but it’s okay.

31. That friends you’ve lost can always find a way back into your life in ways you wouldn’t expect.

32. That nothing brings more #regrets than the morning after.

33. That no matter how many times we fail, we must keep on giving our best and working on our dreams.

34. That people genuinely care, even if you don’t expect them to.

35. That it is never too late to find friends in old acquaintances.

36. That big things may come from small packages.

37. That simplicity often equates to beauty.

38. Never to lose passion and drive for something that we love, even if sometimes, it’s the thing that tears us down.

39. That sometimes we just need to find the perfect person to make us realize how amazing we are.

40. That nothing is ever too corny or too cheesy when you’re trying to make someone you love smile.

41. How our gut feeling is almost always right.

42. That CHINESE FOOD IS THE BOMB.

43. How to roll with the punches.

44. That when we are lucky enough to find someone who loves us and sticks with us through whatever, we must try our hardest to keep them around.

45. That we shine the brightest with the right company.

46.  That despite the mistakes, we must always give 101% in everything that we do.

47. That 2x2 pictures are not just merely photos, but memorabilia. (also for Yolanda victims lol)

About a month from now, we will be wearing our new uniforms, walking in completely different hallways and greeting brand new people. I’m so proud of us, guys!! Finally!! Our #roadtointernship is coming to an end. This has got me feeling so many feels. So allow me to give you a tour in my hormone-induced emotional whirlwind. Let's keep it short and sweet. 3 feels for our 3 years.

Angry. I am angry that I took us this long to finally be able to legit call our block “solid” or close. I am angry that we wasted 728 days that we could’ve used to create thousands of memories. I am angry, but grateful. I’m grateful that it took us this long, because it won’t be the same if it didn’t. Ika nga nila “ang ginawang minadali, maraming mali” and boy, did we take our time. We didn’t force for things to happen so we would look like the cool solid block. We allowed ourselves to slowly open up to the people we were comfortable with, even dividing into different barkadas. We knew how different we all were but somehow, everything magically fell into place. Oo, we still have our own little groups pero now, those groups mingle. We're not confined to the people we consider as closest friends anymore kasi now we finally realized that we really are just one big family. A family that has differences, but comes together so perfectly. Hindi ko alam kung ako lang, but this year, especially these last few weeks, has been the time when I can finally say na YES, SOLID ANG BLOCK KO. SML FOR 3CMT. ❤️ 

Proud. We've been through a lot. A lot of lessons, exams and even profs we didn't particularly like. We've been called the "GC block", and more flatteringly, the "cream of the crop". Other people seem to think that we're immersed in our books, reading and highlighting 24/7. Akala ata nila lahat tayo Cachuela. (Hehe jk Neill) But just like how this is a misconception for our beloved The One, the same goes for us. Don't get me wrong, I know how GC everyone really is deep inside, but I think that's nothing but a sign of how good of a professional we'll all be when we walk out of UST. It just shows how passionate we are of what we're studying and how dedicated we are to the craft that we chose. We choose to excel because we know we can. Being put in this block, I can say that you guys subjected me to the right kind of pressure. Just enough for me to push harder and study better, not because I wanted to beat you guys in terms of exam scores or grades, but because you have influenced me to be the best student that I can be. You guys showed me that we all have potential; that we can always achieve more. Through all the coffee-driven nights, and group study sessions, nothing else makes me more proud than seeing everyone survive through this academically-challenging year. Lapit na guys! Onting gapang na lang sa finals then walwal na!! 

And lastly, loved. Sabi nila, sa college daw kanya-kanya. I honestly entered college with a fear of not fitting in. I feared that upon entering the unfamiliar rooms of the main building, I would be greeted by judging eyes and uncomfortable silence. Ang lala ng paranoia ko no'n, guys. I always asked myself, "Pa'no kung wala akong maging friends?" But the moment I saw those purple color coded freshies that day sa harap ng main, I knew I wouldn't be alone. You guys gave my college life a whole other meaning. More than the late nights and piles of reviewers, the bond that we've formed in the last 3 years is something that I am happy to take with me even after we leave this university. The memories we made from every awkward pharma week parade to shooting The Conversion to pouring our hearts out in our variety show performance, those memories will forever be something that I would keep in my tiny little pocket. Something to take out in times of sadness, something to hold on to when I feel lost, something to look back to — a reminder of the best years of my life. So thank you. Thank you CMT for giving me a lifelong present. Thank you for making me feel like I'm a part of something great. Thank you for making me feel loved. 

As I finish writing this, it's 12 midnight. I'm sat on a table for four, with three of my best friends. They're studying for our Hema quiz daw on Monday. This is us. We are just a group of students trying to put as many information in our minds as we could so we could pass the next big exam. But as they have their heads bowed down while they seriously write their reviewers, each listening and mindlessly singing to a different song, I pause for a while and just try to look at them and take in their presence. These guys, along many others, have contributed so much to who I am today. You guys have impacted my life on ways you wouldn't even understand. You have given me tens and thousands of memories to remember every time I see the old piano sa 210, every time I rewatch (though I doubt I'll ever will) our first block movie, The Conjuring, every time my voice echoes sa 133, every time I eat at mcdo lacson where we had our kiddie party, every time I hear someone mention TB, every time I go to Laguna, every time and every place. I would see you. I would see us having the best times of our lives, but only for a split second. A split second enough for me to smile, and remember what it's like to have you guys around. 

Hindi pa naman tayo graduating. We've still got a year ahead of us before we attend our baccalaureate mass and walk out the arch. We still have next year to walk around hospitals, practice all the theories we studied, and live out the essence of being a medical technology student. And as we embark on our internship, separated from the friends we were so used to having, we will once again be the anxiety-filled, eager newcomer, but this time, in the real world. We will be clueless on what lies ahead of us, but we'll push through it anyway. Not because we don't have a choice, but because we know that we have been preparing for this. We'll eventually learn to move on, to accept the new and exciting, without forgetting the old and familiar. And when we see each other on Tuesday's, when pass by each other in the hallways, when we give each other a quick wave or a tight hug, and when we rave about how so much have changed, we'd realize somehow, the important things remained the same.