Pre notice: This is just an overview of my life before my “life begins at...”. Allow me to be “senti” for now so you’ll know me BETTER, as well as my past. But believe me, I am now almost the opposite of it or I am trying to be the opposite, focusing on the positive side of everything... Hwaiting!!!

Life begins at 38...

It's my 40th birthday last December. It should have been my life-begins-at commencement but it was not, because my 2nd life began already 2 years ago. It was just so ironic because it was supposed to be the lowest moment of my entire life yet it was also the time when I started to see the real world - damn how big and colorful it is! (Don't ask the major event. You can later on discover what it is anyway. So just follow. Thank you very much. *big grin face*)

A memoir...

Let me bring you back to the life I had before. I was an achiever since preschool days. I had honors – I consistently finished every year level with flying colors! I don't know but it seemed everything was so easy for me back then (well, even now #Innate #DontArgue #EveryoneIsEntitledToBrag). Kinda boastful if that's what you think but just give me this "windy" moment so I can remind myself that I am not worthless and I can still do a lot of things today and the future ahead. I'm a licensed Chemical Engineer (I just renewed my license for display purposes only... hehehe) who turned out too-domesticated-as-a-cat housewife (literally!) and now, a mom juggling everything to at least give myself and my daughter “little” luxuries which I think, we truly deserve.

I had a good job after getting my engineering license yet I gave up because duh, the workplace was so far from home (2.5 hours one way plus the buses were so scary – I thought one sudden brake, it would just collapse! So to estimate, it ran at 60kph only in a national highway!!! Hahaha... Imagine a bus with a hole on the aisle and chickens clucking beside you! #sadlife) not to mention, there was no decent resto within the vicinity not even Mc Donald's nor Jollibee (Filipino counterpart of McDo). What was available good enough were grilled chickens sold at the pier! And worst, no signal from any telcos in my lodging house unless again, I go to the pier! Arrrggghh... You should have seen me climbed the balcony raising my 3310 Nokia phone as high as I could to get a bar of signal so I could lovey-dovey chat with my boyfriend (who eventually and unfortunately became my husband). That was epic – it took spiderwoman skills to do that! Waaaaaaaah!

3 months later, I quit my job for I couldn't stand the loneliness in the province – too rural for me who grew up in an urban place and I could smell literally the aroma of the coconut 24/7 (familiar with "bukhayo"? - caramelized coconut)! So the ending, I worked in a poultry industry in my own city at a lower salary. I found it lucky enough to get another job right after I resigned from my previous work. It was a much-time-demanding job though. I couldn't detach myself from my mobile phone even from the landline phone! Nevertheless, I enjoyed my job having a male dominant environment - being one of the boys was such an adventure for I got to go places I couldn't imagine going like attending fiestas at some remote areas where civilization rarely existed. - just say “happy fiesta” when you enter their home and you can start eating as much as you can! Reaching there was not that hard for we just hitchhiked on trucks and trailers carrying feeds to the faraway poultries! Yeah, it’s fun in Mindanao, Philippines!!!

I got married at the age of 26 but people thought I was only 16 with their eyebrows on point as a sign of disbelief that a “teen” got preggy. Hahaha... I delivered our first child at the age of 27 and again, I resigned. Oh, wait, my husband told me to resign so I can attend to our baby. I was hesitant because even though my job was tough and my salary was way too low (as in, very, very, low and literally just enough for my jeepney fare and some light snacks) but I was enjoying. The idea of being called a "ma'am" and to run a male-dominated feed mill plant of my full control was just a fulfillment. But, all good things must come to an end. Yet, I never regretted being a full time wife and mom. I managed the household, I opened a small convenience store in front of our house, I had some little businesses and I was my child's first teacher of basically everything - reading, writing, counting, etc, etc, including driving a car and even changing light bulbs (she's 13 now and tall so she can possibly learn all these "adult" things in a flash)! Businesses gone and my husband went overseas. His starting salary was good so we built our own house and I turned a total housewife and housemom. No, I never complained. Yet, at the back of my mind, I envied my friends and classmates who excelled in their chosen fields and they were earning – one thing I craved so I can buy things that I liked. It’s not that my husband doesn't give me money but it was just enough for our needs, leaving so little extras for wants. (By the way, he never told me his real income. #pitifulwife) So, to shorten everything and go directly to the theme of the title of this write-up, I ended up alone with my daughter in our newly built house. Well, we are actually 3 here because I have an old maid aunt living with us. Yes, “he” left us and found another being to mate. End of history.

Ending: Not A Sad Story Anymore

At the moment, my daughter and I are livin la vida loca ! No, we are not bitter or whatsoever for what had happened but we are now enjoying life to the fullest.

I am now a tutor of high school students (mostly, my daughter’s classmates). I teach Mathematics and some subjects. I am also a financial planner (I sell PIONEER Life Insurance) and I trade COINS - yes, I do! I only trade via apps like coins.ph and abra. As for my daughter, she is doing great in school – she’s on top both in Chinese and English classes. Nope, we are not Chinese, BISDAK kini (Bisayang Dako) but she is just studying in a Chinese school so she’s learning their language and culture, too. She’s busy also with her piano and guitar lessons plus recently, she enrolled in a taekwondo class (for self defense). I know, I know... #veryAsian !

This is my story for now. I shall share to you more of our life and experiences in my next posts – mostly the happy ones already. No more tears... Teehee!

*Our crib over the hill:* ![1 House.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmcrNwvQXZg6sB75MeEDoK8qXFY9bmQEe125ZAo7LsYrun/1%20House.jpg)