I'm excited to be blogging again!

It's been years since I've blogged. And a lot has happened in my life and in the world over that time.

I'm blogging again because I want to get away from my Instagram and Facebook accounts, where it feels like everyone is just shouting their opinions at each other. They're becoming toxic for me. And I want to practice writing more; it's a way for me to express myself more fully and honestly. 

There have been significant changes in my life in the past two years. Here's a quick recap of what happened.

Covid-19 hit, I got laid off from my job at the hotel, my partner was forced to go back to Belgium, I got Covid-19, and super typhoon Odette (Rai) hit Bohol, and other islands destroyed many houses and livelihood. Sounds horrible, right? But there were also lovely things that happened in the last few years. 

Before my partner went back to Belgium, we started a fundraiser to help fellow Boholanos who were badly affected by the pandemic. We were able to raise funds enough to provide food bags to more than 1,000 families and were able to run a community pantry for a week. After 10 months of not working and getting broke, I finally got a job that pays way more than what I used to earn, and I can take it anywhere (#digitalnomad). During the 5^th anniversary (April 2021) of Plastic Free Bohol, the team celebrated by giving talks (through Zoom) about Plastic Pollution, Sustainability, and Circular Economy with the government officials in Bohol. And late last year, after almost a year of being away from each other, I flew to Belgium to visit my partner. 

We all experience difficult times in our lives. It's easy to become discouraged and give up when things seem too hard. However, it is during these challenging moments that we need to remember the importance of never giving up. Remember, you are not alone; every one has gone through challenging times and persevered. Everything worth having in life requires effort, dedication, and determination. When you feel like giving up, think about all the people who had come before you and fought through their own hardships—they can be your inspiration to keep going. So don't give up on yourself or what you want out of life. Persevere through the challenges because the rewards on the other side are worth it. 

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Plastic Free Bohol has an ongoing project called "Tabang Panagatan," our response to help fisherfolks of Maomawan Island, Bien Unido, get back on their feet. Maomawan Island is one of the islands badly affected by super typhoon Odette.