Being a Badass
I was recently tested. I went all in brave and courageous only to be shoved down with my face in the ground.The only thought I had in my mind was: "Fuck, what now?"When faced with adversity, you to have somehow get your shit together and try again. If there is something that means the world to you, then don't give up. KEEP GOING. The worse thing you can do is stop and walk away just because it failed. Maybe you need some time away from the situation to regroup... but whatever you do and no matter what happens, if this is something you want... NEVER GIVE UP.Life is too short and you can't stop fighting for what you believe in. After failure, you will not be the same person anymore. You will become a stronger, more powerful version of YOU. Being a BADASS doesn't mean you cower and walk away from anguish, it means you are able to get back up and fight.Getting pushed into a corner doesn't mean it's the end of the world, it means you need to regroup and re-strategize your game plan. Everything happens for a reason, falls are there to strengthen you and re-direct you into the right path.Be a BADASS, wipe the dirt off your face and go back at it again.
You would think that as many times as I've traveled and said good bye to family and friends, this would just be another "see you later." I was honestly taken aback by myself when my eyes just welled up with tears thinking of all the people I was leaving behind. The only thing that kept running through my mind was: "I can't wait another 5-6 years to see these people again."
I'm not sure if it's because I'm getting older, or because of all the "live life moment by moment" I've been practicing throughout 2016, but this was the hardest goodbye for me to date. I went on this trip as a different person. This time around it wasn't just going on different adventures, it was actual bonding on our mini excursions. Getting to know my cousins from hearing their stories of their daily grind and taking in who they are by just simply being in their presence. As eager as I am to get back to my "American life," I didn't want to leave them behind. I think the thought of knowing where I was headed and where I was leaving the people I loved behind was what got me the most.
A lot has happened since the last time I went to the Philippines. I remembered praying hard for a job. Since then, I worked at Maxim for 3 years, bought a car, started a business that is coming to its 3rd year and I moved out with BJ into a dreamy apartment. Seeing my cousins and relatives in the Philippines, it seems as if nothing really has changed for them, as if I have no idea what has happened to them during this time. Of the 6 years that I last saw them, so much has happened and I don't want to live another 6 more years without having experiencing life together. I want to know all their ups and downs as well as ours.
Ending 2016 and starting 2017 with my family in the Philippines was the recharge I needed to get me started for the upcoming year. Thank you for the memories, the laughs and your presence that allowed me to have the best Holiday Vacation ever! I'm very blessed to live this life with the strongest support system you can imagine.
When we passed through the gates of Free Press, the first thing I noticed were the food trucks. At this time, Sticky's was only an idea that could possibly happen. I looked down the street at all the food options and thought (I probably said it out loud to my brother as well), "Damn, that's pretty cool to be a part of something this big, I hope we can do that one day." Even last year when I saw all my favorite food trucks lined up, I couldn't help but feel a little envious... especially seeing how long their lines were the entire day. *cha-CHING* 🤑
This week will be an interesting week of prepping.To be continued....