Ciao, 2017!

2017 will always be remembered as the year I left my job of 4 years at Greenpeace, moved to Berlin, and pursued my Masters degree. The whole journey has been challenging and it is only the beginning.

The decision to leave everything wasn’t really a hard one. I have always wanted to live and study abroad, it was only a matter of timing and having the courage to take so much risk. So, here I am, living in one of the most historic and beautiful cities in the world with no job prospects and certainty that my degree will bring me better opportunities. Worth it? Hell yes.

Life in Berlin has been awesome but I have so much more to learn, especially the language. I have been here 2 months and I only know how to count and introduce myself in German. Despite this, I am slowly falling in love with the city and I can only hope it loves me back because I want to stay.

This year taught me to be brave and to chase an elusive dream. My patience threshold grew too. I realized that dreams are made of hard choices and deliberate actions. Yes, this is a privilege and a luxury not many people can afford. But, this is also the result of persistence, determination, and trust that I can survive wherever I am in this world.

Living away from my childhood home and the responsibilities that come with it are uncomfortable. I have no one to clean the house, to cook food, to wash my clothes, and to fix broken house fixtures. Before I moved here I had no idea what kalk is, now it’s all I see.  I was so used to paying someone in Manila to do all these for me. But here, I have to move otherwise it won’t get done. This is part of growing and #adulting. I’m not good at it but it’s part of the learning curve.

This is a big change in my life and I am grateful to people who helped, supported, and believed in me. 2017 is a year of big change but I believe 2018 will be even bigger! I am looking forward to finding a job, learning German, and getting my degree!

Ciao, 2017!