Beginners’ snowboarding guide: lens from a tropical grown first-timer gal

Ok. I grew up from the Philippines. the 3 decades of my life was spent in a country that never gets snow and has two season – rainy and sunny. Seeing a snowfall is a goal for people who grew up in places that never gets snow – you can ask them. LOL.

And, doing snowboarding is more than I could ask for. It was already a full circle moment for me who’s from a place that does not snow and never thought that she could ever ride a plane.

Anyway, I did my first snowboarding and let me tell you some of the things I learned that could guide you on your upcoming trip.

It is not cheap but can be manageable

If you are like me who wants to enjoy life but does not have all the resources in the world, then I am telling you snowboarding is not cheap especially if you will do it in Colorado, US. But, do not let it stop you from going. With timely hotel reservation, finding a cheap gear rental place and free place to snowboard then your $450 will be enough to go on a 3-days-2-nights snowboarding (excluding the travel cost) below is the cost breakdown:

Hotel (100 per night) = 200

Snowboard complete gear for 3 days = 150

Food = 50-100 (will be enough if you will bring most of it)

Lift = free in school zones but if you want to try the gondola and the mountain snowboarding, prepare extra 230 per day

It is not easy on your first try but do not give up

If this is your first time, prepare that you will get your body sore as you hit the ground several times. You may get frustrated but do not give up. It will be fun eventually. As in any cases, learning a new thing may seem impossible at first but then you will realize that you made it!

Be prepared – body, mind and soul

Plan ahead. It may look sunny in the morning but will be cold and windy, do not be complacent and bring your stuff. It may be too windy so the lifts may be closed so you will have to stay in your hotel. Also, bring water bag suitable for snowboarding because you will sweat a lot and you will need to drink water or water with salts like gatorade this will help you out quenching your thirst and on managing altitude sickness.

I woke up in the dark and couldn’t find the light

Have you ever been very energetic and passionate towards different wonderful goals?

And then woke up one day not finding any?

The list of 10 things you wanted to do were all gone.

The heart was empty of desires.

The mind was wandering aimlessly.

Yesterday you were filled with dreams and aspirations.

Today was very different.

You got up.

And that was it.

No known desires.

No spark.

Nothing.

Light couldn’t be found.

You took a vacation to find any.

But it seems that you are drained.

And you are filled with darkness.

You are lost for words and thoughts.

You still have to get up.

Work on characterizing the uncharacterized dreams.

Because the world will not wait for you to find your light.

You have to create it again.

To fight the darkness or else your inner monsters will eat you alive.

And the saddest part is you will be eaten alone by your own thoughts.

Fight and do not lose yourself in the darkest place you created.

Stop chasing your butterfly. Let it freely land on you.

Miley Cyrus is something. She exudes an aura of an empowered woman. An empowered woman who is capable of loving hard and giving all she has.

I like her as an artist and as a person she shows the world.

But this post is not about her. It is about her speech after receiving her first Grammy.

The story of the boy that keeps chasing a butterfly and decided to let the butterfly go and eventually the butterfly just one day landed on the boy’s nose, and Miley finished her speech on a note that the butterfly was her first award from Grammy.

Aren’t we all in dire need to catch our butterflies as soon as we can?

We often use all the means we have to get what we want that we often forget the real reason and intention of wanting something. We badly want to get it because we feel like we are wasting time and at the end we lose sight of our purpose, get hurt and become tired.

Think again. WHY? Why did the boy want the butterfly? Why Miley Cyrus wanted a Grammy? I am neither of them and couldn’t answer their whys. I can only speculate that maybe because the butterfly was pretty that the boy does not want to lose it and maybe having an award is an affirmation for Miley that she is a good artist.

Digging deeper of the boy’s and Miley’s speculated reasons, what they have in common is the inner happiness they feel when they are doing what they are doing. The boy enjoys the beauty and grace of the butterfly while Miley enjoys her songs. And we often forget this especially when we lock our eyes on our target which results to not seeing the beauty of the surroundings anymore.

It is the joy of the present moment.

We have to enjoy making the cake until we get to the part of putting the cherry on top of it. Allow yourself to lose in the rhythm of the process. Savor each moment of doing what you like. Explore, learn, and grow, and let everything your heart desires unveils itself.

Do not get caught by something that is out of your control. Enjoy the present moment. Give your best and let the world surprise you by unboxing something that you worked hard for.

Stop chasing your butterfly. Let it freely land on you.

Rejection is redirection. Keep working on your dreams.

Were you rejected today?

Or yesterday?

And even more than a day!

Rejection is painful.

It is sometimes a monster that slowly eats our heart.

But often a teacher that molds you to become ready of the world.

Either way, not getting what we badly prayed for will never be easy to accept.

Although it is easy to lose hope and give up.

Please do not.

Maybe it is not yet your time.

Maybe it will better than what you planned.

Maybe you just need to be patient, keep working and wait.

Waiting is not fun especially if you are waiting for something uncertain.

No one likes waiting and uncertainty.

But you will not like the constant thinking of what ifs.

What if tomorrow I get that dream job after applying again?

What if it only needed a week for the universe to conspire for you?

What if it works out?

Guess what?

You will not know if where that rejection will redirect you.

You will not know if you will stop working on your dreams.

You will not know if you give up today.

Rest is ok. Rest is productive. Rest.

The hustle culture demands lots of our time and energy.

It’s a thief of our feeling to have a break.

Take a minute to breathe and think about rest again.

Do I deserve it?

Did I work very well?

Yes?

Then, do not hesitate.

Take that break fully and intentionally.

Rest is good for the body, mind and soul.

It allows you to calm down.

It relaxes you.

It gives you a brand new energy to work again.

It avoids burn out.

Burn out is a silent poison of dreams, vision and passion.

A poison hard to get the antidote.

A poison that lingers for years.

A poison incurable at times.

A poison we can all avoid by taking that pill we call mindful rest.

Rest will be your antidote, pain-reliever, and cure.

Today, if you are tired, choose rest without guilt.

Rest is ok.

Rest is productive.

Rest.

Thoughts about the ‘Magtanim ay ‘di biro’ documentary

The recent documentary Magtanim ay ‘di biro by Kara David was about the sad reality for our farmers.

Farmers who stay under the sun for hours and doing physical work to give food to our country.

It was hard and painful to watch that to those who went through that struggle and still in that struggle and to me who tries to show how wonderful it is to become a farmer or at least get involved in agriculture. It makes you feel hopeless for the farming sector of our country or even the country as a whole.

In every part of the world, we have agriculture to sustain the quantity and quality of food the people need. Farmers in different places have their own struggles in growing crops alone and in the Philippines, the bad road and supply chain adds up to what they already had to deal with during the growing season.

Imagine a farmer without crop insurance and uncertain market for their produce will risk a whopping P40000 ($900) to earn at the end of the season of P6000 ($120) or worst nothing! In any business, it will drag you to bankruptcy and debt. The young generation will not want to become a farmer to experience what their farmer parents did.

A heartbreaking reality that we can all help in our own little ways by trying to find them a direct market to eliminate the cost for middlemen or if you are close to that farm, find another way to sell them like using our social media platforms.

I guess we cannot solely rely to our leaders anymore in helping our farmers. If you know an avenue to empower our farmers, let us do it!

Day 1 of 7: Habit stacking

When I first found this concept I didn’t believe it. I was like: NO! I’m not that weak shit! I have all the motivation and need to change for the better. I will do all the habits that I’ve always imagined and I will be consistent for a month and magically have the best routine!

Voila! It did not happen! I was not able incorporate the 10 things I listed to be part of my daily routine especially the two sessions of 4-hour deep focus for work. However, I wanted to give credits to myself for several habits I consistently have done until up to this point although I missed a day or two, I tried my best to go back again to those habits not more than 3 days.

Here are some of the easy habits I successfully incorporated in my list that my brain becomes bothered when I don’t do it. They are simple but with good intentions.

  1. I wanted to learn a new language: 10-15 minutes of Duolingo which I am on my 250 day streak and 30 days straight of not missing a day to learn.
  2. I wanted to regularly have 7-8 hrs of sleep and correct my sleeping pattern: getting up at 6:30am and sleeping at 11pm.
  3. I wanted to have a hydrated body especially in the morning: I take a glass of warm water every morning.

And, the other 7? I failed and realized the importance of habit stacking. One good habit at a time until you master the 10 in your list.

What life has taught me so far?

I do not consider myself as an expert in life but more of a work in progress. The most fun part is the learning part. You do not stop learning and relearning things you thought absolute.

Here are some of what I learned from life so far.

1. You are limitless.

2. It is ok to ask for help.

3. Growth and development is part of life so stop escaping.

4. Not knowing everything is fine.

5. Life is forever changing and evolving.

6. You do not wake up in the morning to impress people.

7. Engaging people will always be part of our lives.

8. Do not multitask.

9. Commit with clear intentions

10. Consistency is the key to success in everything you do.

11. Discipline is the long lost child of consistency.

12. A routine will save you on days that you do not feel motivated.

13. Motivation is not available 24/7 365 days in a year.

14. Start with an end in mind if you can’t at least start the work.

15. Have plan A, B, C, to Z because life does not always go as we plan.

16. Rainbows are not always there after the rain, sometimes more rain and flood.

17. Enjoy the sun, moon and stars.

18. People come and go so allow them to enter and exit your life.

19. Give your best at everything.

Do not rush love: relationships are not as easy as you think

When she was in high school she gets jealous of her friends in a relationship.

It looks fun. To have someone to hold hands, cuddle or kiss.

It looks wonderful. To love someone not inside your family nor circle of friends.

It looks magical. To create a world with that someone.

She fantasized herself in a perfect relationship.

All butterflies in her stomach.

Everything would be amazing.

But then that teenager self grew.

She saw the world.

She witnessed relationships succeed and failed.

She got scared. To be hurt and left crying.

It took time before she dared to share her heart behind the walls she built.

The first time was not love but an experience.

An experience of letting her certain self entertain someone who is uncertain.

Certain that her first relationship will be her last for everything.

It turned out it was not. At least in her case.

She fought because she wanted that first to be the last.

Even if the feelings was not growing or the love was not existing she kept fighting.

But then it came to an end.

She moved on.

She got into an enchanting relationship where she felt like a princess.

Was it easy?

It was but not always.

In all relationships there will always be ups and downs.

But at the end of the day you both decide to choose each other.

It was an eye-opener that letting someone get in your life is not easy.

It is about learning and relearning yourself and your partner.

One thing she would tell her high school self.

To not rush a relationship nor love.

It is a process.

It has a fair share of happiness and sadness.

A combination of emotions you will have to deal with.

And her takeaway would be to fall in love to someone who will make things easier.

Life is already complicated, do not complicate it more.

Halaman

Isang bagay na may buhay

May paa at kamay

Ngunit hindi gumagalaw

Kahit nasasaktan ay hindi umaaray

Mukhang madali ang kanyang paghinga araw-araw

Hinihiling nga natin maging kagaya nya minsan

Nabubuhay na walang pakiramdam

Ngunit kung ating pagmamasdan

Katulad ng lahat ng may buhay

Sila din ay may pinagdadaanan

Sa lupa ang umangat ay kanilang kailangan

Kumuha ng sinag ng araw

Kumuha ng tubig sa kailaliman

Kumuha ng nutrisyong kinakailangan

Kumuha ng hangin sa kapaligiran

Magtrabaho sa araw o gabi man

Huminga at magpahinga madalas or minsanan

Hindi tumitigil upang lumago at patuloy na mabuhay

Para sa kung saan sila nakalaan

Kahit pagsubok at nandyan

Lahat ay gagawin upang lumaban para sa kinabukasan.