Well, the year 2022 began with not-so-good news – I received a notification that my personal Facebook and Instagram accounts were taken down by Meta because of an apparent violation of community standards. That shouldn’t be a big deal, really.

However, since I didn’t have full-time work at that time, I was just relying on my blog as well as on social media brand collaborations for my income. Plus, I had contracts to fulfill at that time so I had to work fast in growing my social media pages. 

Above anything else, I’d be losing a decade of photos and memories with the deactivation of my social media accounts. If only there was a way for me to recover all my photos, I'd do it. I did my best to make appeals, even shelled out a decent amount of money, just to recover my pages but to no avail. In the end, though, the best course of action would be to accept that fate and move forward with my life. I was still able to secure more collaborations and continued to earn as a freelancer.

By the second quarter of the year, we were finally able to buy our first family car. We bought a second-hand vehicle after years of saving for it. It was such a liberating feeling after years of borrowing a vehicle from my in-laws. We were also able to go on our first family trip to Pico de Loro since the pandemic began. The happiness on our children’s faces to finally experience swimming on a beach was priceless.

During the middle of the year, I received good news when I got a job offer from a company that I really liked. It was also exciting because it was from an industry outside banking. Then again, it wasn’t smooth sailing at first because I felt like a fish out of the water.

The period of adjustment in a new office, a new industry, a new way of doing things, plus months of doing freelance were just too overwhelming for me that I almost quit. I almost went back to the banking industry but a small project gave me the self-confidence that I needed. Slowly, I began to learn the concepts until I was able to do things confidently and more independently. I still have a lot to learn but I’m loving the challenges and being able to solve things in a more efficient manner.

On a further note, perhaps the one thing that I’m grateful for this year is Miguel’s continued schooling. Our biggest challenge in the last two years was the changing community restrictions in Metro Manila because of COVID-19. Thankfully, in 2022, the restrictions have eased and remained constant throughout the year. We still have a lot of catching up to do because of the lost months but we’re taking it a day at a time.

I also remain grateful because this blog remains profitable. In fact, I was able to pay for Miguel’s school tuition in 2022 using only my earnings from this blog.

Lastly, I continue to be grateful for the gift of life, love, genuine friendship, and health. May the year 2023 usher in many wonderful opportunities for all of us!

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