Who does our lives belong to?

The year is 2020. 

The pandemic happened. 

Millions of people died - including some of your own family members. Your grandmother. Your aunt. Your oldest cousin's wife. Your friend's dads.

The year is 2020. It was so, so bad. Everyone just couldn't stop talking about please let 2020 just pass and welcome 2021 already. Everyone is exhausted and devastated. It was a very tough year for literally everyone. No one is spared. Except maybe Jeff Bezos? But surely he had his own nightmares too.

Something that you learned very well in 2020 is about how fragile life is. How it's probably just... a concept? How science probably can't explain how people retain their life and then lose it in a heartbeat. How your life is not yours.

Because when you're gone, it's not you who will miss it. It's other people you leave behind. Those who love you. Those whose lives you touched. Those who just didn't know how much of a presence your are in the world while you were still here.

You watched your friend went from that funny work wife to a person whose life leaves here slowly. She went from bright-eyed girl with bright future straight out of law school in Western Europe, to someone who can barely understand your words. This reminds you of your grandmother - who went from a healthy septuagenarian dropping wisdom every so often that you even wrote here about, to an octogenarian who had been laying in vegetative state for a couple of years before her life left her body. And you cried over it for two days.

This life - this entire experience, doesn't get better with age. It doesn't get easier as time goes by; you just learned that now, having spent 27 years on earth and 8 months of that mostly at home avoiding a highly contagious deadly virus. 

But that's the best - and worst - thing about time. It has complete disregard of whether or not you excel in things that happen in your life. It doesn't care how you are coping with it. It doesn't give a fuck how you are doing. It keeps going at its own pace. It moves on no matter how much you want it to stop. So no matter how you are doing in life... you are unlikely to stay in the same place forever. It will bring you somewhere. Maybe not geographically or physically - but you just won't be the same person forever. Because no matter how bad or how good you are in this life, time is bound to throw something at you. It's all completely up to you what to make of it - or what not to make of it.

I'm rambling here, I know. At the time you were writing this, you just watched your friend slowly disappearing inside the body of someone you know. It's the same body; a little different because it retains more water now, but it's the same. And yet you don't know her. You only know parts of who she is. 

She is disappearing, and you feel so helpless. You don't know what to do. Or how to help.

You want to cry, but there is really no very good reason to cry now. She is there. And you will be a horrible person to go ahead of time and think of the worst possible outcome.

You don't know why you're writing this, mostly out of worry and feeling guilty for think what you are thinking. You hope that when you read this again in the future, you remember how it feels to still care. To not lose any care in the world. To appreciate life again. To always, and forever, be grateful of the life you have.

True Love Will Find You (In The End)

Is it too early to start contemplating about 2020?

I feel like it's not, of course. But this is a short but somehow very significantly packed year in all of our lives, and the pandemic has affected every single one of us in one way or another, so I think maybe there are still things to happen in the 30+ days to come. Alas, let that not stop me from writing about my favorite topic of all time, and it is something that somehow I have avoided talking about since 2019: love.

I don't know if you know - well, if you're reading this then I suppose that we are very close in real life so you must have known - but in 2019 I had one of the most painful heartbreaks I've ever had in my life. Granted, I don't have that many heartbreaks in the first place, but it was... painful. Almost two years later, I still carry some of that pain right now, as I'm writing this.

Almost two years in, and somehow I can't get over the idea that he's probably one of my greatest loves, and I think all that pain - all of those long nights of not being able to sleep well or breathe easy or get my mind off him - it was mostly because I was afraid that I will not be able to find someone like him again. I will never love again. I've missed that one great love my life could ever get. That it was probably all the love I'll ever get.

And what's more - I never stopped missing him.

But then I have learned, through many tears and breathlessness and drunk nights out and talking about it with everyone who was willing to listen... that I don't have to stop missing him just because for some reason he can't be an active part of my life anymore. I can separate the desire to want to have him in my life, and the fact that I love the person, wherever he is; no matter how much he isn't in my orbit anymore. This way,  I can just accept the situation as it is and keep on missing them. I can still hold the love, without any of the side effects. 

This year, I lost someone who may or may not love me - but if I'm being brutally honest (and this is my page, so I'm allowed to be if not mandatory) even though I would never admit this... I guess to a certain extent, at least from my side, there was some love there too. Because when he walked away from my life while exercising the hot potato game, I too, was hurt. Did I know that I love him? Well, I did tell my best friend (and this is verbatim) that "...if I only have to think about him the the past month, yes I love him. But that means I'm completely ignoring the fact that the past 11 months, he had been horrible and I never even once think of love or even care about him. And if it didn't do it for me in 11 months, then it's just not gonna happen."

I stood by that still. But do I miss him now? ...yeah. Yeah, I do. And sucks as it is, this time is still better because at least I get to tell him that I actually miss him. And he knows it (although he might also think everybody loves him). The only thing getting in the way?

The person I actually love, and don't want to lose.

You know how there's all of these love stories where someone eventually meet someone they never thought they would ever end up with. Someone who doesn't look, or sound, anything like they ever thought this person would be. Someone who came from the most unexpected place, at the most unexpected time. 

And yet, somehow, fills out all of the expectations.

This person is it for me. He made me want to clean up my acts and change the way I live my life - bit by bit, but I do want to get better. Not for him, but because I just appreciate my life more. Knowing that there's someone who loves me for me - and I just don't wanna let this person down. So ultimately try to stop doing whatever I was doing; and start looking at that era as something utterly pathetic. As a result? I'm happier than I've ever been in a long time. Maybe since my last week in Chicago; which was well spent with the first person mentioned in this post.

I have to admit that the happiness is not the same. Not better. Not worse. Not more. Not less. Just different. That last week in Chicago I felt as if there's fireworks all around me. My mind was bursting with happiness and like my skin glowed in the way it never did before. This time, it just simply feels... comfortable. Like nothing too bad could ever happen, and I will never be rejected. Every day of my life just feels like... like a fluffy cushion. Like I'm walking amongst the clouds of clear bright sky.

The only catch? I've never physically met this person.

I know. It's weird. If it wasn't my own experienced I'd think it's dumb, but I have definitely changed my mind about this particular matter. I hope that it means I've grown? I don't know. I guess I'd just like to believe that change is usually good and that we will only grow outside of comfort zone - and this is definitely both of that: a change, and something that is outside of my comfort zone. 

What Happened?

Today, over one and a half year after I left you on read, never to be heard from again, I think of what you must had gone through.

In wonder. In confusion. Perhaps in anger. All of that in silence.

It still makes me hard to breathe thinking about that night. I still remember everything that happened. What I was working on. The last thing we talked about.

I don't think I'll ever forget.

I didn't know I could tell you

It all started as innocent and unassuming. I viewed your stories - which you have not done in a while, and I honestly almost always do. Then you called me a stalker and asked how I was doing. I felt guilty for making you think I'm stalking you, so I said sorry, and you said, no no, if anything you wish I'd posted more, so that you know what I'm up to. You told me how you recently broke up with someone, and that you interviewed for a job you really want but because of the outbreak, didn't get it. I told you how similar both situations are - I just lost someone and I almost got a job that I wanted but didn't go through because of the pandemic. We talked a little about how you used a fucking Blackberry back in year 2018 -- when iPhone X was already everywhere in Chicago. You were surprised I remember you still used a Blackberry. 

A long term memory is both the best and worst thing about me.

A whole week went by, and I posted again. This time half of my face, and my oldest friends' pictures from our virtual catch up meeting that day. You simply said "Awww" because you thought it was a cute picture. I joked that I know I'm so cute, to which you said, "You are also sweet."

Then there it goes.

I told you that I thought I was being rude, which you didn't think I was. I joked that I am usually very nice that people fell in love with me after the first date. You said "Love is a big word..." and then asked me to refresh your memory of our time together. What I did that was rude. You thought I was hospitable if anything, because I let you stay and sleep at my place. You didn't think I was rude at all, but I was really sweet.

I said it was just the overall interaction. I believe that me reactions were always less than unsavory. I retold the story of the next morning when we went for Yolk, a breakfast place just outside of my building, and even though I KNEW it wasn't a good place (I should've taken you to Wildberry, but that's where I met him and I just couldn't make the same memory of two remarkable people. That would ruin the entire story) I still took you there and I even confessed it there and you said, "Why are you like this?" while looking at me and shaking your head. I told you I felt bad, but... I didn't know you anyway. So why bother.

"If we are being honest now... I really liked spending time with you. I don't know, I just felt you are a sweet person to be hanging out with. Not sure if you felt the same way. The sex sucked though, to be honest."

I laughed. Harder than I have laughed in this trying time we also call year 2020. 

"I honestly kinda felt you were an asshole but whatever. Yeah the sex sucked... But I also never had a guy told me sex with me sucked before, so thanks! This is another first in my life! Haha!"

"You felt I was an ashole? No way. That's bad of me, I'm really sorry. I didn't mean it like that. It wasn't your fault or anything. Like, I don't know. We didn't have condoms at first and stuff like that. And the next day I was exhausted. Listen, no joke. If you were in the US, I would totally want to date you. I really liked you. But now obviously you are at the other side of the world. So we can just be friends."

I recalled the memories of why I thought I was being rude the whole day to you, and you just told me to stop overthinking about it. I told you that I felt like you were a lot like me, and I hated to meet myself.

You told me that you just simply thought I didn't want to spend time together. You thought it was because I didn't like you as much, and then you thought maybe I was a bit conservative, or worried about the bar exam... You weren't sure, but you felt that I was not into you as much. "But thanks for saying you hated meeting me. It's okay, you can be honest. It is not likely we will meet again anyways. But I don't think we are similar. In some ways, yes. But you're not rude. You're just blunt."

I tried to explain that I hated it because from the way you talk, you sounded a lot like me, and I just hated to meet that bitch in person. But that was it. I don't hate you anymore. If anything, I added you on Snapchat first. I do think that you'd make a good friend. 

I didn't know I could tell you all of this. I just didn't. Being honest about it was honestly very liberating, strangely.

Somehow, you keep on saying, "Seriously though, no pressure if you don't want to talk anymore. That's cool. But I feel weird now that I said I would date you, but you said you wouldn't date me. Awkwarddddd."

I laughed. Again. The hardest I could remember in 2020.

I told you that's not what I was saying. I still wanna talk. I probably would say yes to date you if you live nearby, but you never were. Even when I was in Chicago, you were not nearby, and I don't do well in distance. I had to mention two cases of my failure with distance (that is not so painful anymore now suddenly). And if you weren't so remarkable honestly I wouldn't remember anything about that day anyway, so you're actually quiet something for me.

You feel flattered, and the mentioned that you've dated a few girls but things didn't work out. Mentioned again how it was just a couple of weeks ago that you broke up, and that long distance aren't practical. "Cool cool. We are friends forever!"

I mentioned my own version of the break up, which also happened 2 weeks ago. You asked me what happened, I explained, and you said that was a stupid excuse to break up. I said it didn't feel like a break up, there was no relationship there, but just the end of an era. You told me to be careful of any infection, and suddenly you said, "I don't know, [back then] I felt you were clean and also you were a good kisser so I couldn't resist the temptation. But I really try not to sleep around with girls until I know them for a while."

I laughed. Again and again. 

"Yeah I remember that kiss. Really polite of you to ask 'Can I at least kiss you now?'"

You laughed, "You disturbingly remember a lot of details."

"I know right. And I was drunk too."

"It was an amazing kiss, honestly. You are good."

"Told you that night was quiet remarkable."

"I don't think I'll ever forget it either." Somehow I'm imagining that you're smiling while typing this.

Then you told me you've had so many scares the next day in the morning when you sleep with girls you just met, but you honestly weren't worried about me because you felt I was smart and clean. "So I didn't panic that time and ran to get tested."

Before you go, you told me what you always told me, "Ahh, I can talk to you forever, but I'm 11 hours behind you now and it is past midnight, so..."

"Yeah. Good night."

I don't know if I could ever tell you the truth behind it all. The big part of why you were so remarkable - why the 24 hours felt so different. I don't know if I would ever be able to muster up the courage to tell you, because - what difference would that make?

Participant of History

By the time I'm writing this, it is almost day 90 of my working from home due to self-quarantine / social distancing / lockdown / whatever you wanna call it.

If you ask me what has happened in the past 90 days in quarantine, where time is clearly just a man-made concept and every boundaries between our professional and personal life are blurred, I would say... honestly, probably more than what would typically happen within a 90 day period of my normal life (where I would just work, go to yoga, and try to get enough sleep / drink enough water / call my mom often enough).

Here's a recap of what happened in the past 90-ish days:

1. Had a beautiful, blissful business trip to Labuan Bajo, met komodo dragons, saw some of the most beautiful sunrise / sunset in my life.
2. Cooked a lot more dishes than I thought I would ever do before I actually raise a family. (God, I miss Blue Apron)
3. Broke quarantine protocols for someone I've known for about a year and seem to care about me.
4. Had my quarantine birthday. Hey, I'm 27!!!
5. The person I broke quarantine protocols for says he loves me. I know I don't, but I start to try to care more, and then he thinks he's into somebody else and I got blocked on social media. Love is a loaded word. Careful when to use it.
6. In light of #5, I lost that person. Currently trying to live my life with that knowledge. Will take some getting used to but at least... It doesn't hurt as bad as the last time I actually had to lose someone from my life.
7. But worry not, because quarantine (1) brings SO MANY old flames to ask about how you are doing / whether Coronavirus has killed you, and (2) brings EVEN MORE new, exciting flames. Maybe you won't EVER meet them in person once quarantine is over, but that's not exactly why they're there anyways. You just needed someone to fill your time with. And that's what they serve to be. If after this quarantine ends they're gone, who cares? (Please remind me to read this again once quarantine is REALLY over?)
8. Too many people have said quarantine makes me (1) have better skin (2) looks brighter, probably because of enough sleep (3) and slimmer face, possibly because of... AGE :)
9. Quarantine means less time to actually date in real life, and so much texting has led to too many people saying (1) I remind them of their last ex (2) I remind them of their most beloved ex (this happened more than once...) and (3) I am their female version (this also happened more than once...)
10. A colleague recommended me a tarot reader on youtube who she thinks is right a lot of ways, and so far she's been right about (1) My May love life (2) My June love life, although it has just started (3) who my soulmate is, and where i would meet them (4) my spirit guide -- not-so spoiler alert: It's a guy, or even if it's not a guy, it's a very strong, masculine-energy woman.
11. My parents -- They are still healthy and loving in their own ways. But one or two discussions about each of their families definitely made me think differently about the concept of my personal wealth, about my relationship with family, about my future... I don't know if it's me being older (and hopefully wiser) but I'm responding to it differently now.
12. I got an infection. A curable one. But I definitely thought I'm too smart to get this. I'm not. I was wrong. Don't do what I did.

So you see - it has been a very long 90 days. Very wild, but not as exciting. If I have to choose between this and normal days, I'd choose normal days still... I may have to fight and struggle like 500% more, but at least it won't be point 1-11 above. I'm exhausted now. All in all, it was my privilege to be a participant of history, where we're being heroes just by sitting on our ass at home. But it's exhausting, too. In a very privileged way I would say, it is exhausting too.

A New Hope

For all of you who know me personally, you know that I have had a very long 2019. In case you don't, I've endured heartbreak, friendship separation, more sickness than I've ever had to overcome. I've witnessed marriages, childbirths, more professional successes than I expected when the year started. Not that 2019 had been a bad year, but it was definitely tough on me.

I don't know if I come out of it stronger -- I hope I do, but all I know is that I am still exhausted. I started the year crying in the lobby bathroom of a hotel, calling my best friend who was 8 hours ahead of my time zone. I worked my ass off in 2019 -- not because I want to, but more because I had to. To compensate for all that pressure and stress (that causes me many, many trips to the doctor's office), I traveled. I went to Cambodia, Bali, and then spent the last 2 weeks of 2019 in Western Europe, getting swooned by the amazing, beautiful people of Spain, the charm of Paris, and the deliciousness of Italian cuisine. 

Also in 2019, I got diagnosed with endometriosis and adenomyosis -- which is great, because, you know, who doesn't like a chronic illness that will never get away because there hasn't been enough research about this condition?

But in spite of all of the above, I'm still grateful of everything that got me to survive the year. My friends. My kind co-workers. My family. I really thought I couldn't survive 2019, that somehow I'm gonna lose my battle. But I didn't. I made it. Thank you, everyone -- I hope you know who you are.