Hello, Hive Friends! I am Leigh Ann and I’m from the Philippines. I am 27 years old and a chemical engineer by profession. I graduated from Xavier Unversity-Ateneo de Cagayan and I got my license after passing the chemical engineering licensure board examination November 2015. I had previously worked for almost a year as a chemistry and research teacher to senior high school students. I also worked in a bread manufacturing plant before as a food safety and sanitation coordinator. I resigned from the manufacture industry last January 2020 and since then until now, I am not hired in any company. I am currently staying at my hometown with my family and doing a small business of making and selling kimchi (fermented cabbage).
Being at home during the pandemic has made me realize tons of things. Several emotions have been cascading randomly as I started to do less and being not busy. Frustrated, dissatisfied, lonely, restless, feeling unproductive and lost, etc. I have been through almost all negative feelings that I had never overwhelmingly felt before. However, being the optimistic and mentally strong person like I always believe I am, I have coped up and begun leveraging the ‘not busy’ status I have right now.
I spent most of my teeanage years and early twenties studying and focusing on maths and sciences. I could not also deny that I love those subjects and I am inclined in them. Having that kind of environment abruptly paused was never easy. I was accustomed to that kind of life where everything was so hectic, pressured, repetitive and competitive. I needed the adjustment period for transition. Unconsciously, since the ‘pause’ until now, I have been doing the things I loved and slowly remembered how I love doing them.
One thing I am grateful of the pandemic for is that I was able to go back to my roots. Literally, I am really back because I am home. The comforts of a home and being with a family have its perks. I am back in my old room, have been eating proper meals now (especially breakfast), waking up late, enjoying normal weekends, road tripping, celebrating and cooking for birthdays and holidays together, etc. These are just some of the things that I am doing now that I haven’t since I was away studying and working. And I must say that experiencing these again because of the ‘pause’ is truly a memory I will cherish forever.
I am also glad that I get to revisit my childhood dream, hobbies and discover new interests too. My childhood dream was to become a singer. When I was still three years old, I was very fond of music and had the chance to sing upstage multiple times. I didn’t get to do it often when I was in high school until university years because I was so focused on my field. Now I am singing and recording a lot. Together with my sisters who are musically-inclined too, we sometimes post on social media videos of us singing and playing some instruments. On the other hand, being at home, I was reminded too of my ultimate love for food and nature spots. I cook a lot now and learn new menus. As for the nature spots, my family and I get to discover and enjoy local spots we haven’t been before. Among the beautiful spots are, beach, mountain views, lake, river, etc. One new interest I gained is photography. As I have been to several nature spots, I become fascinated with capturing truly beautiful scenes and making it immortalized through photos.
Being in this community is a good platform for everyone to express the selves in most creative ways. I thank my friend 