Things did not go as planned. But everything turned out well. This birthday is the most memorable birthday I ever have. Never did I imagine myself celebrating my birthday alone. But hell yeah! I managed and loved the idea.
My insomnia hit me. I was up till 6am watching Netflix movies, tossing and turning in my bed. Mom called me the minute I was about to shut off my eyes. My nephew was looking for me. I heard him saying Chicha, Tatata in the background. My nephew was not grumpy that morning. He was just looking at me, smiling, and giggling while feeding on milk. What a wonderful sight to start my day. Then we both fell asleep.
I woke up past lunch time, checking on birthday messages. I immediately get up and prepare for lunch. I decided to cook Pesto Pasta instead of what I planned.
I almost forgot the cake. I ordered Mary Grace Cheesecake thru FoodPanda. I rely mostly on FoodPanda these days.
By 3 p.m., I decided to lit my birthday candle and sing myself a birthday song. It was the saddest out of tune birthday song.
Happy Birthday, Self!
While I obviously miss my family and friends, I enjoyed the day so much more than usual. It was my first time celebrating my birthday alone. My birthday turned out great. I was able to actually appreciate life.
Would you ever know that I am now 36 just by looking at me? Nah, I bet. I just turned 36, and I am pretty proud of it. That is right. I do not have to be coy about my age. Not anymore. I used to lie about my age. Do not get me wrong. Lying about one’s age is regarded as socially acceptable. People often think that I am a bit younger than I am because of how I carry myself and express myself. I will never get tired of hearing people gasp when I tell them my age.
This is exactly what a 36-year-old looks like.
It is hard to believe that I am this age. I am a little past halfway through life, and I still have a lot of living to do. I am looking forward to having my own family (fingers crossed). Life requires us to keep on going.
It is TIME for the next chapter.
I thank God for making my life so beautiful. I am so blessed to celebrate another birthday. A lot of appreciation and love are sent to each of you for your kind birthday greetings and wishes. It means a lot when you send me greetings on my birthday. You made a great day even more exceptional. Hearing from you slightly lessened my despair at turning a year older.
I cannot thank you enough, Lord Jesus, for bringing me this far in my life. This may not be what I had dreamed of, but you have blessed me with a life of good health, happiness, peace of mind, and good fortune. Such presents are worth more than all the money and treasures in the world. Please keep my heart away from sadness and my mind away from worries. [
Spending your birthday alone can make you feel desolated and miserable, but this is not a bad thing at all. With the current situation, and the majority of us are still in quarantine, there is nothing wrong with going solo on our special day.
So what if there is no one around on my birthday? It does not mean I cannot enjoy the special day alone. Even though my family and friends are miles away, there is no reason to celebrate birthdays alone when there is technology. What is the use of video calls, anyway?
Sometimes, we need to be alone. Not to be lonely, but to enjoy our time being ourselves. – Anonymous
The best way to feel less solitary is by celebrating and having a great time. Our birthday comes only once a year, and we should not miss celebrating it even if we are alone. Whether it is birthdays or anniversaries, celebrations do not just stop during a worldwide pandemic. The pandemic took a great deal from us- our daily normal routine and even our jobs. Do not let it ruin our special day, as well.
Here is how (I plan) to celebrate and enjoy (my) birthday alone while still being safe and healthy.
Start the day by getting up early and giving thanks. There is no better way to start the day than by getting up early. This puts us in a good mood for the entire day. I am not a morning person, but I will try to wake up a little earlier on my birthday. I promise!
Enliven my place, like hosting a big party with birthday banners and inflatables the day before my birthday to get into the party vibe. Waking up smiling, seeing your home decorated, is a pleasant feeling. For birthday banners and balloons, check out happydayph at Shopee. I received my orders a day after I placed my orders. That fast!
Watch a live broadcast of the Mass. Since my birthday falls on a Sunday and public masses are still suspended, watching Mass online is one way of staying connected with the parish and the church. Thank God for technology!
Treat myself to a delicious meal. Who does not love good food? For lunch, I will cook Pinaupong Manok, and for dinner, just Pesto Pasta. Or better yet, order via Grab Food/FoodPanda.
What is a celebration without a cake? So what if no one brings me cake this time? I can get it at any rate. Buy that cake I have been looking forward to tasting. I love the minimalist cakes of Wadough’s and Aegyo Cakes. I could have secured a slot on my birthday if only I inquired earlier. All August slots are already taken as early as July. I still have Mary Grace Cheesecakes in my options, anyway.
Binge a new series (not necessarily a new series) while having cocktails. I am planning to start watching “The 100″ on my birthday. I have not seen that post-apocalyptic fiction drama yet. There are lots of TV shows on Netflix. I bet it is well worth a watch because it is highly recommended by the Netflix Community. And yes, having cocktails while binge watching.
Lockdown is only temporary. When this is over, there will be a time to celebrate with our loved ones. Plan a great party or trip for when everything is over. Or just begin to think about next year’s party celebration.
Before the clock meets 12, write about things I am thankful for or anything that I would like to remember about my birthday in my journal.
Missing my family and being sad on my birthday is really OKAY. I realize that it is not as bad as what others are dealing with. I know I am not alone in this fight.
It has been five months since I have been working from home. I think there is no way we would get back to normal this soon. Only God knows. Though I have managed in the past months working on my bed, working 8-10 hours a day is really tiresome. I figured, after months into quarantine, that I should start investing on a home office to help me lessen the back pain I am starting to feel and be more productive. I was really hesitant to set up my home office; since I had to prioritize other things first. It is no joke to set up a home office especially in this kind of situation where your salary is reduced. Money does not grow on trees.
I put a lot of thought in finding the best and the cheapest that would fit for work, my finances and my studio unit. I live in a tiny studio unit, where the space is very limited. I have to make room for the desk and the chair.
Desk
I have lots of options for office tables, but this one caught my eye. This is the most ideal work desk that covers a very minimal space. Perfect for my tiny unit. Aside from the very accessible price, I love that it has a foot rest and a sliding keyboard tray. Plus, it is easy to clean and move around.
Ergonomic Chair
A comfortable chair is the most essential piece for a home office. I chose a simple ergonomic chair so I could adjust the height and tilt the back rest to my liking. Sitting for long periods a day without proper back support can lead to discomfort. With this chair, I feel really comfortable and stable while working. It does come with a 30-day return policy and 3-month warranty on the mechanical parts.
Desk Lamp c/w Bulb
There are times that I choose to work at night. Fact: I prefer working at night. A well-lit workspace can brighten the room, and have a positive impact on my mood. I opted for a red desk lamp to add color on my boring desk and shed some light on my workspace.
Laptop Stand
A laptop stand elevates our laptop to perfect eye-level, based on our actual need, correcting our posture and minimizing neck fatigue and spinal problem. I makes work a lot easier. The design also offers greater ventilation and more airflow to cool the laptop and prevent from overheating and crashes.
Wireless Mouse
Completing my desk setup with a wireless mouse. Go wireless, if you want to get rid of unnecessary cords and clutter in your desk.
I am happy with my home office setup. Putting together a home office setup can be tough. The journey was not easy but I gradually achieved the minimalist office home set up that I dreamed of. My desk made such a huge difference from working on the bed.
Next on my list: Wireless keyboard, headphones/earbuds, gaming mat, digital desk clock, mobile phone stand, and cable organizer.
Aside from work, I have never been busy in my entire life. Although I wanted to take things slowly, I could not and I would not. The pandemic has driven many of us into our hobbies to keep us busy and sane. When things are back to the new normal, I will not be able to get back to those hobbies again. I will be juggling in between the demands of work and home. You know how busy we were at work before the pandemic.
I wanted to figure out why I was so busy, but I could not find the time to do it.
Let us take advantage of the time to make the best of it while we still can. We do not know when will this quarantine ends. But for now, just keep doing what we are enjoy doing.
Blogging
I made a lot of changes from the theme to the blog content. If you are a follower, you will notice the changes I have made. I have added some images and shortcodes to spice up a bit that boring post. It surely livens up that (dry) post, whatever you call it.
Thank you, pngtree.com, for the one-line drawings.
I enjoy sharing my thoughts and experiences with this quarantine for the time being. Honestly, I love this quarantine because I am a lot more inspired and creative. With all the ideas coming up, I think my brain is about to explode. Soon, I am going to run out of ideas and completely get stuck to that blank page again. I really admire bloggers and also vloggers who still continually share awesome content and never run out of ideas.
Exercise
I am in love with jumping rope right now. Who is not? I started to jump around mid-May when I was mentally and physically exhausted. Remember my post, Work from Home Burnout is Real, and how I managed to get out of it and cope with it. Pandemic can be very stressful. Jumping rope is a great way to escape the stresses and combat the effects of anxiety and depression. The benefits of jumping rope are better than we know and they can go a very long way.
BTW, I bought my first (speed) rope at @jumpmanila through the Lazada Platform. Check them out!
What’s Cooking: Pinaupong Manok (Recipe of My Dear Aunt)
Cooking
Cooking is more about feeding ourselves. It could also be some kind of entertainment to distract ourselves from anxieties. Ever since I started living alone, I have been cooking more and eating out less. Eating out has become a lot more expensive these days.
I love cooking Pork Adobo, Chicken Adobo, and Pork Sinigang. From time to time, I challenge myself to try some of dishes I have found on the internet. Cooking at home is easy once you have made it a habit.
On my Desk: Hobonichi Techo Weeks in Green Apple, Hobonichi Techo Original A6 in Pineapple, Kraftrina Stickers and Pilot Coleto
Journaling
I have learned that writing has the power to calm our minds and communicate with ourselves. I admit my May and June in my Hobonichi are empty. I have lost track and interest in writing my day-to-day activities. All I wanted is lie down in bed and stare outside the window.
Today, I am trying to get back into writing, filling up every page and not leaving a single empty page.
Binge Watching
I am not a fan of anime. Whenever my teammates talk about anime, I listen as if I am interested, but I am totally not. Since I have been tired of watching Korean dramas, I have given anime a chance. I enjoyed the story-line of Spirited Away, Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai, and The Classroom of Elite.
My recent favourites are Food Wars, Yowamoshi Pedal, Fruits Basket, Toradora and Himouto Umaru-chan. Next up on my list are Uza Maid, Shiro Bako and Death Note.
I would love to hear what activities are keeping you busy nowadays. I have heard many of you become gardeners and interior decorators.
