The Reality Behind Single Living and the Pursuit of Creating the Life I Want for Myself
I was on the phone with my mother today, and it was just another phone call. However, she said something that completely caught me off guard, "What a life! I wish I could live like that sometimes."
The truth is, if there's anyone in this world who knows all the struggles I've been through and knows how hard I work, it would be my mother. So I was a bit surprised when she told me those words.
I get it, though, the life I have might be unconventional, but it's still a relatively beautiful one. Well, I think so, at least.
I say this repeatedly, but if you had asked me years before where I saw myself at this age, being a digital nomad wouldn't be the answer. This wasn't a career that was encouraged — well, I don't even know if this is considered a career.
Unconventional, I know. Yet, it works for me, and I'm thriving in it.
In the year that I turn 26, I'm confident in knowing the things that work for me and the things that don't. I know my strengths, like how I know my own weaknesses.
There are things I've learned about myself through the years, and these are things I wouldn't have discovered had I stayed in one place.
It's currently 22:58, and I'm writing this article in my new apartment. I had just arrived in Bangkok, Thailand, last weekend, and I was so looking forward to my first adventure post-pandemic.
Sure, it was pretty tedious to travel during this time, but I knew that I needed a change of pace from where I had lived in the last two years. I also knew that I had to get away from all the things that were familiar to me in the Philippines. I had to be by myself again.
I know that not many people would agree when I say that single living is great. I mean, I really wouldn't know any other way of life as I had been living this way for the last six years. I was always that "single friend" and the one that people expect to end up being the tipsy aunt who travels all the time.
You know what, though? I've accepted it. If this is how people perceive me, I really couldn't care less.
The reality of it, though, is something entirely different.
As I live alone, I get to spend time discovering the things that make me feel alive. I get to work on the skills that I think would be valuable to me in the long run. Not only that, but I also get to love myself enough that I never have to seek a friend or a partner's validation because I know that I am enough.
Tonight I went to the store below my apartment building to get some ice cream. In the spur of the moment, I had the urge to practice my dumpling wrapping skills. So I bought the ingredients I needed to make some chicken and cabbage dumplings, and they turned out well. They were delicious, if I may say so myself.
Most of the time, I find myself smiling because I'm happy with how everything is working out. I look at the view from my balcony here in Bangkok, and I thank God every day for everything He has given me.
This life might be unconventional, but it's beautiful, and it's mine.
My friends may jokingly call me the crazy aunt who will forever stay single, but if that's the case, then it'll be my choice.
After all, I'm always in pursuit of creating the life I want for myself. This is the end goal; nothing more, nothing less.
Now, I'm simply enjoying this beautiful time that I get to spend by myself in this equally beautiful city. I thrive in this environment, and I can't wait to see what happens next.
In the future, if (and only if) someone decides to join me, he should know that I am completely whole. He can't show me things I don't already know about myself, and he won't be able to use my insecurities against me.
Although, if he decides to join me, he should know that he is special because I know what I want, and if he is let in, then it means that I want him. It's as simple as that.
You see, not everyone's version of you will turn out to be great. You know what? That's completely fine, too, because the only version of yourself that should matter to you is your own.
Well, that's what I tell myself, at least.
