Of Gifts and Friends...

Christmas is one of the best Holidays for me. I love giving gifts to my friends, thinking about what I should give them and how special the gift should be.

This year, I decided to give my officemates items that reminded me of them. For my college friends, I decided to give them items that I think might help them through their hectic days. Frances got a GC for Starbucks (since she's the only person I really know from the group that drinks designer coffee). For the boys, the girls chipped in for ties and I honestly feel like that's a bit of an accomplishment.

For family members, I got them items that are a mixture of something I think they need or I know they want. Case and point, I got my sister some issues of Archie (since I know that they are still quite her favorite but would never ever splurge on the digests).

However, one of my most accomplished gift moments would be for my good friend the C.O. who is somehow like a sister to me. I believe that when we are thirsty for guidance and appreciation, water is more precious than blood and she has always proven that point in my life. I will be always grateful to her and that is why I decided to give her a gift that I felt like sisters are supposed to give to their older sisters during this specific time of their life.

For the Girls (Jackie, Janey and Holly), I have something quite special for them. I hope you guys are reading this. If you do, tell me when all of you are free. :)

Christmas is the time to give to those you deem special in your life. I am constantly amazed at how so many people are always there for me. Granted that I may never have been that "nice" or accommodating to them, I feel like at least, from my side, I let them know how much I care for them.

To all those celebrating this time of giving...

...Happy Holidays!

-Someone Anxious.

Christmas Traditions and New Year's Resolutions...

I'm glad that there are a couple of things that I can still hold on to despite everything. Dinner at my dad's place was never better. I realized that I am an able cook and a simple potato salad could go a long way. I was reading posts earlier and I'm feeling a lot of positive energy (even if the kids here in the internet shop keep cursing). I think it's time to really move on and live. For the past years, everything's been too serious and despite trying to keep it light, some shadows still creep up at night which makes me sink into that hole.

Enough of these thoughts.

2012 will be different.

I was reading  Janey and the Certified Olympian's posts about their resolutions and promises. I love the way they are so positive about things and for the upcoming year. I can't help but feel inspired. I promised myself that for 2012, I'll be going to a lot of different places, taking different trips (both with friends and alone).

I'm also launching diskcover - the lomography extension of my photo project, zramphotography. I'll be posting my "training" photos this January on diskcover and I'll be going on a trip next week to try to practice more. I'm not really into joining clubs and meeting people for walks to take photos. I prefer doing things on my own, actually. Photography is something so personal to me and that's why I feel like capturing moments alone.

I'll be saving up more too... I promised myself that for the first six months after graduation, I'll be living life to the brink fullest. I feel like I was too young to actually take things seriously. This month marks the end of my hedonistic lifestyle. It's time to take things a little bit more seriously and saving up is one of them.

There are so many things I can't wait for this 2012. I'm so blessed to have met so many people this year that I know will be there for me next year. I'm also grateful that I was able to continue building relationships with close friends and family. I hope that 2012, with all it's adventures to come, would also help me continue building relationships that matter.

Waiting for the fireworks,
Someone Anxious.

I'm starting to hear the bells...

Last year's Christmas wasn't really the best for me. After loosing my childhood home, moving to the city, getting my heart crushed and almost failing our group's thesis, I thought I was never going to live to see how 2011's Christmas would be like. Thankfully, I'm here and I'm still breathing, ready to feel the holidays!

I'm not the holiest of people. I'm not pious nor am I that spiritual. Still, my Christmas theme seems to be helping me appreciate the season more. I'm happy to think about how grateful I am because even if I lost my childhood home, I got to meet and understand my Dad. Even if I moved to the city (and away from my beloved South), I got to explore "life"  a little bit more. Even if I got my heart crushed, I got my mind set on just living without thinking of someone else and even if I almost failed our group's thesis, I still passed. As I wrote in my previous post, I am grateful for so many things in my life right now. I am very grateful.

Yesterday, Holly introduced me to this show called "Awkward." and I absolutely love it. I honestly can't wait for Season 2 (as we watched the whole season in a day). It's all about Jenna, the invisible girl in high school, who gives her V-card to Matty, the jock, in their last day of summer camp. When they get back to school, she's still invisible and Matty's still the jock and a million other things happen that puts her in the most awkward situations possible (the cheerleading mean girls, the kiss between her and Matt's best friend, the winter formal, etc...) while hoping that maybe Matty will go public with her the next day.

The show is super easy to watch and unlike teen shows these days, it's a little bit more realistic (although sarcastic at times). It's not about the rich kids living the upper east side life or the girl who fell in love with a vampire. It's about a girl, the most popular unpopular one, trying to survive high school while trying to figure out the difference between choosing her head or her heart.

Grateful for Awkward.

Someone Anxious.

December!

It's December again and it's getting colder outside. I really can't wait for Christmas and spending time with my family and friends. So far, I have a couple of parties to go to (one being a friends' Christmas party and the other a Birthday party) and I have a set schedule for my Christmas shopping.

What else do I love about Christmas? Well, it never is Christmas without watching Love Actually. I make it a point (no matter where I'm spending the Holidays) to watch this film. Absolutely love all the stories in the movie, especially the one with Colin Firth representing love as a language. Who wouldn't fall in love with a man who learns your native tongue and proposes on Christmas Eve? Of course, there's Alan Rickman (playing the two timing fool in the movie) slow dancing with his sexy secretary.

I'm also making it a point that I'll have to full Christmas experience this year. I'll admit that last year's wasn't really that great. After just moving from my childhood home (leaving everything behind) to the middle of nowhere and almost spending Christmas Eve in a boarding house, I was an emotional wreck. So much negative situations in my life made me feel like the Yuletide season wasn't worth celebrating. This year, I am able to pull myself together and I think it would be nice to celebrate so I am able to give thanks for the many blessings I've received so far. Besides, I got through the year in one piece so it does seem prudent to celebrate, right? I'd also like to make the habit of having a personal theme every year to sort of remind me not to be selfish and guide me towards properly celebrating.

My personal theme for this Christmas would be gratefulness. As I said, I am grateful for so many things including the following:

1. Finishing with flying colors (Yes, was able to finish college on time and with honors).
2. Getting work I like (This includes the many experiences and people that come with it).
3. Acquiring some sense of serenity and peace (I am eternally grateful for my father who was able to give me a semblance of this).
4. Realizing and accepting the truth about things.
5. Getting some sort of security from those around me.

What's your personal Christmas theme?



-Someone Anxious.

Maybe not.

Thinking about it, I do want to slow dance with someone. But the fact that the Yule Ball is so expensive and I won't be able to find a romantic date on time makes me think that maybe the whole thing is not a good idea. One of the things I've learned during Hermit Mode is that you never really get what you want and that's a good thing because it continues to teach us the lesson of humility. If things never went bad, I would be an airhead and I would have never learned who my true friends are. I would have still worshiped her and would have never given a single thought about him. Now, I know better.

I think I'll be spending Saturday shopping for Christmas gifts. This year, I'll be doing it alone simply because I want it to be a more personal experience. Hopefully, I'll be able to pick the perfect gift for everyone. :)

From: http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lvpu06Obuc1r7f0b0o1_500.jpg

It's getting colder outside,

Someone Anxious