Half-Year

Also known as: A mid-year check point

Hello, July.

Look at that, we’re done with the first half of the year.

It didn’t hit me that it’s really already July until yesterday, when I (quietly) celebrated my fifth year at my current job. Other than being slightly bewildered that I have been with my current company for five years, I only truly felt that the year was half over and then…panic!

For all my claims of not being spontaneous and liking goals and control, there’s a part of me that seems like like winging it for certain things, particularly in some of my goals. Or maybe, winging it isn’t the right term. Perhaps going with the flow? Cruise mode?

Something like that.

But you know, growing up means you’re going to have to be accountable to yourself and setting check points and such if you want to accomplish certain goals. It’s not just cruising around, even if I feel totally lazy and going with the flow is way easier than you know, checking on yourself. Cruising along at my age is…well, kind of immature, don’t you think?

Okay then, let’s do this.

Six months ago, I wrote down these goals. I did say that I wrote them down for purposes of remembering them, but they’re not completely set in stone because things and priorities and wishes change. So let’s see which have changed and all that.

Travel more.

Ah, this goal is always, always on my lists. Originally, I wanted to have a trip to Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao this year, and preferably with a group of people I don’t know and another by myself. I’ve been to Bohol and Boracay in the first half of the year — traveled to Bohol by myself (but didn’t really go around the place by myself) and then to Boracay with a friend (but met lots of new people there). That covers my Visayas trips, and I’m supposed to go to a Mindanao trip this July but then I think I am postponing that trip. I do have some trips to some parts of Luzon coming soon, which aren’t new places to me, but trips are trips. And I’m not exactly choosy.

But the thing is, I decided that I am going to lay off on extravagant traveling for this year for now because I need to save up for World Youth Day in Rio in 2013. And it’s just a bit expensive. But if a trip opportunity comes up anytime soon (and it’s cheap!)…then why not?

Go to Europe again.

Well, I can dream. But alas, this dream will have to wait. I’m targeting 2015 for another Europe trip. Longer this time. :) So bye Europe 2012.

Get a mentor, train back-ups and start looking for a new role at work.

There were a lot of interesting developments at work lately which I can’t really blog about, but suffice to say it’s shaken things up slightly. I’m still trying to get a good grasp over the things we need to do, and I can’t say there’s lots of updates. It’s messy and often times stressful…but I’d like to believe that it’s all good. And doors are opening, which is pretty much the answer to my prayers.

But let’s put it this way, since I can’t talk much about it: I am definitely not leaving anytime soon. Challenging times ahead, but by God’s grace, it will be a blast. :)

Sponsor another child in World Vision.

Oh hey, my World Vision kid just graduated elementary! :) Yay! I will sponsor another one before this year ends. Check back with me on this, will you?

Finish one of my novels.

I’m seriously tempted to be a NaNoRebel this year just so I can finish one of my novels. Dare I? I’m not even thinking of making my novel 50,000+ words or more — I just really want to get to The End. But so far, I haven’t written a single word in any. Someone bonk me on the head.

Seriously, I need to figure out how to work on this.

Learn a new language.

I was planning to go learn French, but I think I’ll go for Portuguese first. Sim? Of course, this is in preparation for WYD Rio 2013. Hopefully sometime later this year. But I think I may push this off one more year since learning a language won’t be too helpful if I’m not using it all the time. Maybe closer to Rio.

Go back to community.

So far, out of all the goals, I think this is the one I am really starting to accomplish. It helps that my old housemate in Spain is also my chapter head. Plus, I just really miss community so much that joining the activities again feel like a breath of fresh air — deep, spiritual breaths, as Oswald Chambers said. I still feel like I need to get the hang of how things are now, but lately I’ve been feeling more and more blessed with the fact that I am with this community. It’s just so nice to be back, you know? And I can’t wait to see where God is leading me with them. :)

* * *

Now that wasn’t so bad…wasn’t it? The check point, I mean. I guess a part of me is scared to do this because I didn’t want to see if I failed, and I’d get scared and I would just end up going with the flow. But…not checking will also end up with me going with the flow, so it’s a lose-lose thing, right?

Sign of maturity? Yay?

But on another note…looking back at the first six months of the year, I am quite amazed at all that happened. From the small things to the big things and to the seemingly insignificant things. If there’s anything that I have realized yet again and again in the past months, it’s that God is faithful and God hears our prayers. Every single one of them, even the ones you just utter out in random. It’s amazing when you look back and see those moments, and all it really requires is that you let go and trust Him completely. Of course that’s not easy, but remember what they say: Nothing worth having ever comes easy.

So here’s to the second half of the year, to not winging it, to seeing where God will lead us in the remaining six months of 2012. :) *cheers*