The month of April was full of adventures and new experiences, despite the unbearable heat (though compared to last year, that heat was truly unforgivable). It was a complete contrast to March, which I described as boring and uneventful—in a good way, mind you! I loved how April was all about family and fun. For a moment, I even forgot about my anxiety because I was too exhausted and preoccupied to entertain intrusive thoughts.

But of course, once we got back from our grand vacation, my brain’s first order of business was diving straight back into that familiar anxiety. As the song goes, “Anxiety keeps on tryin’ me”—oh dear, does it ever! Anyway, here’s what April looked like for me:

Life Lately

• Adulting and errands before the big vacay. I made sure all the important stuff and deadlines were handled before going into full vacation mode. I didn’t want to forget anything since they were time-sensitive, so I made it a point to cross things off my checklist early.
• First time in Mainland China. Here’s the big reveal: we went to Shanghai, China! It was our first time in Shanghai, and for most of us, our first time in Mainland China. My mom and sister had been to Shenzhen before, and the same sister had also visited Beijing but Shanghai was a first for the rest of us! And you guys, it was amazing. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed China! Can’t wait to share more of that adventure soon.
• Old favorite local destinations. Of course, no vacation is complete without a quick local getaway. We went to Subic: our favorite childhood vacation spot. After a short swimming escape, we headed up to Baguio! It had been nearly two decades since I last visited PH’s Summer Capital. It’s still cold at night, but daytime weather was just fine. Compared to Metro Manila’s concrete jungle, I’d take the city of pines any day during summer! Totally loved it! Especially since everyone joined in, including our doxie. It was so nice seeing her run around in the greenery and clean air!
• Nephew’s and youngest sister’s birthdays. Their birthdays overlapped with our vacation dates, so we just celebrated early or late (whatever worked) so that everyone could be there. For our little sister, we still did a quick dinner during after trip since we already had an early celebration with the whole fam beforehand!
• Anxiety, shake it off of me! Now that the vacation adrenaline has worn off, I’m back to my regular routine and so are my intrusive thoughts. I hate how easily my anxiety gets triggered these days, especially my health anxiety. I really want to get it under control, but resisting the urge to obsess is hard. The self-discipline to not self-sabotage is tough (oooh it rhymes!). But I’m working on it: affirmations, checklists, a bit of strategic ignorance (yes, ignorance is bliss), and channeling my energy into other things. One big lesson from our two-week vacation: when my mind is focused elsewhere, it doesn’t wander. Time to find some new hobbies, maybe?

May Agenda

• Renewing my domain & continuing the redesign. I didn’t blog much in April since it was a packed month. But I plan to keep brainstorming for the new design for my blog’s upcoming 15th anniversary! Speaking of which, I usually renew my domain early (May at the latest) just to get it out of the way. Hopefully, I can blog a little this month too.
• Mother’s Day surprise. My little sister has a surprise planned for our mom (I know she’ll love it!). We haven’t picked a place to eat yet, but since Mother’s Day is a Sunday, we’re going for an early dinner after church and a grocery run. Fingers crossed for a successful surprise!
• Oldest sibling’s birthday (from afar). We usually prepare a small dinner for our oldest sister’s birthday, even if she’s not in the Philippines anymore. We still like to celebrate her because she’s always been so supportive, especially to us, her younger sissies. She helped put all three of us through college! We want her to feel special even from miles away (besides, she was just here last month so she probably doesn’t miss us too much yet).
• Savings, savings, and more belt-tightening. Now that travel is done and some unexpected expenses popped up, I’m really tightening my budget this month. I have a lot to pay off, and I want to make sure my savings don’t suffer any more than they already did last quarter. That’s why I kind of like boring months: they’re budget-friendly, haha!
• More productive stuff? When I’m busy, I forget about my anxiety so I want to find new things I could dive into! I’ve already caught up on my current anime season. I’m only watching three series now: Wind Breaker, Kusuriya, and Kowloon Generic Romance. I’m thinking of checking out Anne of Green Gables next? And maybe once it’s done airing? We’ll see. For now, I’m looking into something new to keep me occupied.

Praying for blessed and amazing May! May (no pun intended) your flowers bloom this month! 💖🌹