Things I did this year before turning 30

All I could remember is that when I get older (I’m still not sure what I really meant by older, but), I’d be able to do the things I wish my five-year-old self could do, such as being part of something bigger. I always thought there was someplace I had to be outside our small town (which eventually became a city today, but still a small, thriving city).

I could only imagine where I’d be typing the first few words of this blog post, wearing my engagement and wedding rings, living in a decent apartment thousands of kilometers away from my childhood home.

So much has changed that my mind is still trying to grasp what was while figuring out what will be without losing what it’s like to be in the now. I can feel all these forces tugging me in so many directions, and maybe that’s the beauty when you’re turning to the next decade, a year wiser. An opportunity to become more aware of how your life is really interconnected with others, even with people that you do not know or you are yet to know.

Sure, I wrote a bucket list in college, freshman year. It’s mostly about everything I want to do while in school and beyond graduation in my 20s. Some I did (like to finish a master’s degree), some not yet. But what mattered was crossing things off that list.

However, this is not a bucket list.

This is just a list of things I did this year before turning 30. While I went through some of them with a goal in mind, other activities simply presented themselves without me exactly looking for them.

If you have better plans to do today but still choose to read this blog post, thank you for indulging me. Your attention is like a birthday present to me, and I hope this list will inspire you to pursue something you want to experience in this short life.

1. Visit a nuclear power plant

Before I even went to college, I’ve been fascinated by power infrastructures, like the electric poles I used to watch blur out of the window as I sit in the bus on our way to my mother’s office. And there’s this strange place we always pass by, with devices that really mean serious business (and scary electricity) that my gradeschool self always wonder what it would be like to get inside that strange place and know what it’s really for. If only I’d be older and get access to that kind of thing.

I only learned what that “strange place” was called when I was in college taking electrical engineering – a substation. And you know what? I fulfilled my childhood fascination by applying to the country’s grid corporation during my on-the-job training and ended up being assigned to the substation I always pass by when I was a kid. At 19, I finally know what it was like to be inside it. What a crucial infrastructure to deliver a basic commodity such as electricity indeed!

Throughout college and even when I was already a working professional, I had the opportunity to visit hydroelectric, coal, wind and solar PV power plants, and a battery storage facility. And I’m still not done with my fascination of stepping foot to power plants because in one occasion, over a Christmas dinner (imagine how cool it gets every December), I mentioned to a friend who is well-known in the energy field that I wish to visit a nuclear power plant. He was like, sure, I’ll tell my friend who can arrange with that.

My interest on nuclear power plants has been amplified when I was reading about COP28 last year, about how some countries, like the United States, are considering to bring more of it online (tripling global capacity by 2050) as one of the solutions to achieve net-zero GHG emissions. And I’m like, if nuclear power plants would be in the future, might as well see what it’s like to see what’s coming.

And so, at the start of January 2024, I found myself organizing a field trip to the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant.

I was able to round up a diverse group of friends and colleagues (PhD students, Masteral students, college and high school, and from the department of defense), and most of them had never been in a power plant making the experience all the more interesting.

Everyone agreed that traveling for seven (7) hours to and from the nuclear power plant was worth it.

It also deemed timely to attend The Nuclear Option lecture which was held within the week after my visit at the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant in Morong, Bataan, Philippines.

2. Sit in on remote sensing and GIS classes

Writing this part during the last week of classes reminded me how days could quickly go unnoticed. When I was still considering taking a training program on GIS (because I wanted to have a formal training), my lab head proposed the idea of sitting in on classes instead. Because unlike the training programs that would be intensive but won’t deep dive in theories like a class would, he thinks that I am best suited for a slow paced learning (and I’m glad I listened!).

Thinking about all the evening classes I went to, and even the online ones, reminded me how important it is to meet new people if you want to get new and fresh ideas. Because if you keep working in isolation, you will start to live in a bubble and what an uninteresting life would that be!

I also appreciated the liberty I had to learn these things for free! I may not have a certificate for finishing the classes, but the lessons sure opened my mind to another field of study and gave me the confidence to open and manipulate digital maps, even at a basic level.

3. Start recording Word at Work episodes in the studio

I was introduced as a potential host for the young professionals’ radio program called Word at Work in late 2019, and I only had a one-time experience in the radio studio as an observer. Then when the pandemic locked us in our homes in 2020, I was onboard the radio program via online recordings. We surely learned how to navigate online, from Zoom recordings to cleanfeed (which is a significant upgrade). And from being a host, I was given the opportunity to become the Word at Work program producer in 2023 (three months before getting married—imagine how challenging it was managing my time from making sure that we have to produce episodes weekly, prepare for the wedding, and work on my Upwork jobs—on top of my day job). God is Good!

Then, in almost working as a volunteer of Word at Work for four years, I finally had the chance to record an episode with some of our radio volunteers! It was surely a magical first-time. Aren’t all first times magical? We’ve also grown in numbers! What dwindled down to three became 21 strong!

Well, because you are here, let me shamelessly plug our radio program, Word at Work. We air new episodes at www.bible.radio every Friday, 3:00 PM and have them replayed every Saturday, 10:00 AM; Sunday, 11:00 PM; and Tuesday (the following week), 4:00 AM. Note that all the time schedules are in Philippines Standard Time (PST). You can listen to us on demand at Mixcloud and Spotify.

4. Combine and execute lines of code

What I really did was just a combination of existing scripts; I curated them to suit my needs. And doing this work reminded me of my childhood (which I shared in detail here).

It felt nice to have the program run on my computer for hours, which reminded me of my previous project on microgrids, where I had to wait for hours for the Homer Pro simulations to be completed (which I mentioned here). And to finally see the results after hours of waiting is definitely rewarding!

5. Go to Boracay (for the first time)

ENTHRALLED. ✨

I was captivated.

Perhaps it is the charm of experiencing something beautiful for the first time that the only word I could muster about the beach is “cerulean.” I was even taken aback because my mind could still pull out a word I’d never used since I last touched a crayon. And for me, cerulean was the most beautiful color at that moment.

I was entranced by the experience—the combination of the lull of the majestic nature and the awakening of my senses.

As I was writing this, recalling a month-ago escape from the urban hubbub, I couldn’t help but be grateful that we spent our first wedding anniversary in Boracay. It helps my brain remember better, joining two lifetime markers together.

We had other first times too!

Helmet diving allowed us to participate in a human-animal transaction. To persuade a school of fish to go near us, we have to pay them in terms of soggy loaf bread slices. They seemed satisfied with the transaction because we were able to have lots of photos with them.

Meanwhile, parasailing made me realize how small and vulnerable I am, no matter how big and pompous I could get in my head. I thought about how vast the ocean is and how old the mountains are, and how nature can simply squish me like a bug if it wants to.

I can remember the strength of the winds and the power of the waves—such a humbling experience.

But the ultimate joy I received from this Boracay trip was the knowledge that I am loved and known. I learned the joys of becoming a wife to a husband who fears the Lord.

Still a year with my husband, but I already miss being his lifetime companion. Because I am but a human, part of a collective. Here now and gone tomorrow.

6. Visit the Netflix office (Ph)

Like I say in my lectures, the things we do never happen in isolation.

Our actions always create ripples that extend beyond our immediate sphere, affecting us (or others) in ways we might be unable to perceive at the moment.

So, when our friend ate Hazel decided to apply to Netflix in the Philippines, she only thought about getting a job. However, when she got the job, getting hired by Netflix also meant she could invite her friends over and let them experience a taste of Netflix culture.

Spending a few hours in their office taught me more about their “Freedom and Responsibility” culture, which emphasizes accountability. The experience also allowed me to imagine even an inkling of what it’s like to be working in Silicon Valley companies.

7. Give lectures at FEU Tech

My first public speech was in kindergarten, a valedictory address that my teacher wrote and I had memorized. It was the start of a series of speaking engagements and public performances I had throughout the course of my lifetime: from grade school (reader’s theater, oration, acting), high school (impromptu speaking, oration, monologue, reader’s theater, parliamentary rules and procedures), college (impromptu dialogue, hosting, parliamentary rules and procedures), and as a working professional (hosting, discourse/lectures).

I had varied experience of speaking in crowds, from as small as talking to about ten people to a thousand. The more I get used to doing these things, the easier it gets to speak to larger crowds (especially larger ones) because faces begin to blur, and the only thing you see is the collective, not the individual. But while speaking to a large crowd is thrilling, having a small crowd makes discussions more engaging and personalized.

After my dear friend Ian introduced me to Danilyn from FEU Tech last year, I gladly took the opportunity to speak to a class of engineering students. That one opportunity led to another. I ended up in a series of speaking engagements until this year, one on expectations after graduation from college and another on how to write a thesis paper.

Preparing the materials I used for these lectures was also quite a learning experience. While learning things for personal benefit is empowering, sharing what I have learned with others makes the whole experience even more fulfilling and refreshing.

My main takeaway in writing a research paper is that using the right tools for the job is as important as knowing how to write a research paper.

8. Get in and out of a restaurant without paying

While working with my dear friend Athena from a cafe, she mentioned an ad about a free katsu meal set for the first 150 customers. I hadn’t tried promos like this before, so I was thrilled to be part of one when I finally decided to go.

When we finally got to the restaurant, what a joy! My enthusiasm was way different from when I paid for the meal. Perhaps it’s because of the buzz of the room while everyone is enjoying a free meal.

What also felt new was leaving the restaurant without asking for the bill. It felt like leaving your house naked, waiting for people’s stares to judge your vulnerability. But the moment we were out the door, we were so full and pumped up by the experience.

9. Visit Manila Zoo

I have never been to the Manila Zoo since I stayed in the metro in 2017. I have often thought about it, but nothing is more compelling than trying something when you are turning the page (getting a year older).

It was also fun to hang around with our cousins and be inspired by their youth.

The place looked and felt nice. But it would have been better if there had been more animals to see (I guess the number of turtles ranked highest). Here are some of the animals you can find at the zoo:

10. Do the things I’ve been doing in the past seven years (finally) with my sister

For the past seven years, I’ve wanted to share what I’ve been experiencing in the metro with my family back home. Aside from my master’s graduation and wedding, I never had the luxury of casually lounging and walking around the city (without a strict itinerary) with my family. I was even hoping I could do mundane things with them, like commuting, taking the train, walking in the urban jungle (and a lot of walking), and sit in with them in traffic. Just the ordinary things.

So, when my sister was around, I couldn’t be happier! It’s like a wish that finally came true.

I’ve always felt like a temporary resident here (except when I spend my days with my aunt and uncle and their family). But to suffer the traffic and struggle on the commute with my sister, to share all the breakfasts and milkshakes I enjoyed, I never felt at home like this before. My soul longed to say, “This has been my life for the past seven years, and now, I finally shared the experience with you, too.“

When it was time for my sister to go home, a part of me left, too. It made me sad, cry, and lonely—longing for my childhood home. But somehow, the rest of me still found comfort in my husband’s loving arms (It was really nice to cry my heart out to him, and then I felt better). Home, indeed, is a person.

Wrap Up

I started the draft of this blog post in February, and finally, I’ve come to write the final parts of it. 🎉

You know what? Sometimes, I wonder if I have really accomplished anything just by thinking about how fast the days have gone by.

My life wasn’t always filled with adventures and achievements because that would be exhausting. A life without downtime and rest would be exhausting. I have had lazy days, too—frustrating days and sad days.

But looking back to all the things I’ve done on this list, including all the mundane days I’ve digitally recorded in my photo journal that are beyond the public eye, I can say that the Lord has supplied every need (and even more). And I wouldn’t be able to turn the next page of my life or walk into the future if not for the faithfulness of the Lord.

✍🏼✍🏼✍🏼

So why do I still blog if AI-writing tools can scrape online content and generate blog posts? Because I have stories to tell—stories that are unique to me. Yes, an AI tool can imitate human-like storytelling, but it wouldn’t compare to a lived experience by a real human being.

And as for you, my dear reader, thank you for reading this far. Like I said in the beginning of this blog post:

If you have better plans to do today but still choose to read this blog post, thank you for indulging me. Your attention is like a birthday present to me, and I hope this list will inspire you to pursue something you want to experience in this short life.

Finally 30 🎉