Another birthday to scribble…
I haven’t been reading, and I certainly haven’t been writing either. I’m a little ashamed to admit that out loud, but it’s true, life has had me in a chokehold lately. The kind of chokehold that keeps you awake at 2 a.m., wondering how you got here and where exactly “here” is.
This time last year, I was in school, preparing for my finals. My vision of the future was blurry, not the kind of blur that comes from a lack of ambition, but the kind that comes from too many dreams clashing all at once.
It’s still blurry now, to be honest. But at least I have something tangible to hold on to — a dream that keeps me moving, a purpose that whispers, get up, there’s still more to do.
As a woman learning to live life on her own terms, I’ve come to realize how important it is to guard what I feed my eyes, my heart, and my mind. The world is too loud with people’s opinions and expectations. It’s too easy to start living someone else’s perception of you, too easy to forget your own voice in the noise.
Right now, my life feels like a bridge suspended somewhere between where I started and where I’m going. I may not like where I am, but I’ve stopped seeing it as a punishment. Instead, I see it as an interconnected phase, something that’s shaping me for what’s ahead. Maybe growth doesn’t always look glamorous; sometimes, it just looks like surviving and still believing.
So this is me, going inward. Revisiting where I come from, what I’ve lost, what I’ve gained, and how far I’ve stretched. Bringing all of that into a new expression of self.
It’s me choosing to lean into who I am and who I’ve always been: a smart overthinker, a bold talker, a dreamer, a hustler, a custodian of my own legacy.
It’s my birthday today.
And honestly? I don’t know if I’m happy. I just know I’m grateful. Grateful to still exist. Grateful to still care. In the midst of all the stages, all the wins, all the changes, I still feel like I’m only just beginning.
There’s so much more of me to uncover. So many more dreams to dream. Too many, maybe, to fit into one lifetime.
So this is a reminder to myself: the journey never really ends. No matter how far I’ve come, there’s always more to learn, more to create, more to live for. That’s what keeps me hungry. That’s what keeps me awake with ideas, even when the world feels heavy.
I won’t stop dreaming.
Life is too big for me to play small.
My story isn’t supposed to have an ending — it’s supposed to keep unfolding.
This year, I’ll take the risks I’ve been avoiding. I’ll become the version of myself I once thought was impossible. Because as long as there’s breath in my lungs, there’s still something more waiting for me.
Happy birthday, Elaipu.
You will forever have the gift of choice.
