5 Things I Learned from Rediscovering my College Blog

Today is Thursday, so let's do a meaningful and reflective throwback.

I kept blogs from the moment I gained unlimited access to internet. Read: DSL. I just had no chance of creating one during the days when I still bought dial-up cards.

Cue in: Dial-up background noise

Isn't it amazing how much has changed over the years? Then, I had to clench my fist anticipating a "Successfully Connected" dialogue box. Now, I can surf the internet on the comfort of my bed.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. Like what I said earlier, I used to keep a lot of blogs before. They contained the thoughts of a single college girl, some reflective, some funny, many embarrassing.

I thought I deleted the blogs, but apparently, I did not. So it should not have come as a surprise when three weeks ago, George sent me the link of my last college blog.

Witticisms of a Naive Girl: My last post, apparently, was after graduation.

It was fun leafing through the entries, but believe it or not, I learned a few things from rediscovering my college self:

1. Singleness is not a curse; one should take advantage of it.

Ansaveh?

I didn't have a boyfriend in college. Not even one. I remained single while some of my friends went through boyfriends like they were tissue or something. I had my share of unrequited love, but looking back, I realize a lot of things would not have happened if I entered a relationship.

For example, I might not have been a Dean's Lister. Perhaps I might not have been able to enter a sorority. I might not have been able to have all those crazy drinking sprees. I would have missed out on a lot. On the contrary, I did not miss out on having a good relationship after all.

2. Dreams and goals do change.

Reading through my college blog, I encountered a post or two listing the things I wanted to have and achieve. Predictably, almost half of the list were Apple products, one would be a luxury car, and the last one would be a lucrative career in the corporate world.

Aiming for these things is not bad. However, for now, I find most of those things unappealing. If I were to create a list now, building relationships might top the list, followed by personal betterment, financial freedom, and acquisition of new and useful skills. I also want to create a Pinterest-worthy home (and maybe I haven't given up on that Macbook yet).

I'm not saying my current list is better, or that now, I'm wiser. Like what I said, dreams change, so we better be flexible.

3. Study hard, party harder - after graduation.

I admit that back in college, I was a heavy drinker and smoker. Had I been wiser, I would have spent my freetime studying rather than partying. The partying could wait for later. After all, it's more fun when you're earning.

On the other hand, I stopped all my vices cold turkey a few months after graduation. So maybe there's a reason for all that partying? Haha

4. Take as many photos as you can.

I love taking and looking at photos. This explains the photo-overload in my posts. Well, that's because photos tell stories more than words can ever do.

When I look at the photos I took in senior year, everything came back. My friends and classmates, my frat brods and soro sisters. Our class projects. Extra-curricular work. Sleepless nights. THESIS. So many feels. And I was feeling all those just because of a single photo with me holding a bottle of Sting in a post where I talked about pulling another all-nighter for thesis.

The face of a 19-year old single girl

And I want to experience the same rush of memories 5 years from now, when I re-read the entries of Davao Mommy blog.

5. Look back every now and then and remember things with a positive outlook.

What amused me the most were the posts where I talked about my college "crush." Well back then, it was an unrequited love affair.

I was kinda taken aback when I read a post describing him:

So you think you're emo?

I immediately opened my Skype window and told George, "OMG! Parang si J ang tinutukoy ko dito!"

Suffice to say, I'm pretty consistent without realizing it.

What's my point? Not all of our experiences are good. Like what I said above, I loved unrequitedly for some time. But instead of dwelling on the negative, try to find the blessing in the experience.

I can truly say that after all the ugly experiences with love, nakabawi naman ako. I ended up with someone who treats me like a princess and honestly, I can't imagine being with someone else.

Now, I'm getting mushy here. But my point is, everything happens for a reason. You might not be where you are now if not for the little things that happened. So don't be afraid to take a step back and examine your past. What are the patterns? Are they good or do you need to get out of them? How did you change? For better or for worse? What progress have you made so far?

Yes, may halaga din pala ang Throwback Thursdays.

PS: I wrote this post on my phone last night. If there are spelling and grammatical errors, please just tell me. And be kind.