Last May this year, my brothers, my boyfriend and I went on a hike to Himontagon Hills in Loay, Bohol. Himontagon comes from the word "Buntag" or "Bontag" which means "Morning". Thus, the name, Morning hills.
The trip consisted of a 40-min car ride from the city, and a 40-minute hike up the hill (because my dad won't allow us to use the family van uphill 😪). It was a fun and hot hike, like penance from all the sins of gluttony my family committed during the Tagbilaran Fiesta.
We left the city at 3 pm because we wanted to witness the view during golden hour, right before sunset. Morning hills they called it but I wanted to see how it faired in the middle of golden hour.
Believe me folks when I say that it's one of the most picturesque places I have ever witnessed in all of Bohol.
The sea, the clouds, the trees, the breeze and the way the sunlight starts peeking down at the horizon covering everything with the most dramatic golden hue.
I would probably rate it as one of the best places in Bohol to host instagrammable photoshoots. In fact, it is one of the most common places couples have already used for prenup shoots, as well as several social media influencers. I know because by the time my folks and I reached the hilltop, I already saw a couple of soon-to-be weds and their merry band of photographers.
Who wouldn't want their photo taken in a gorgeous place like this anyway?
It's Pristine. Magnificent. Glorious... like a rare strand of golden hair on God Almighty's head.
And the best part is, I witnessed the awesomeness with my own merry band of testosterone-driven individuals: my brothers and my boyfriend.
The spot is only 45 minutes from the city by car and is absolutely free, so for the low budget adventurers, you only need to pay for the fair. You also only need to keep the spot as clean as before or better than when you found it ☘️.
Moving forward, I got to witness this majestic view once again just recently, and this time with my highschool barkada.
The only thing that changed between this trip and last May's aside from the lovely people I was with, was my clothes and my phone. I bought a new one with a better camera 📷 so I could take better pictures of the view.
I don't regret getting a new phone prior this trip because it automatically makes photos and videos look amazing. 🤣 It's part of the reason why I bought it in an almost impulsive fashion. "Almost" because it really did took me months to decide if my old phone needed replacing.
But after spending a long time with its glitches, which brought too much unnecessary frustration and not having a choice because of responsibilities at work, I just bought a new one in cold hard cash the minute I chanced a trip to the mall. I'm just thankful that I didn't have to spend so much on a well-functioning phone, and I wasn't disappointed either. It really captured the essence of the experience we were in.
The thing about our barkada lâags is they tend to be spontaneous and out of the blue. One minute I'm preparing a bag of detergent to hand wash my laundry and the next minute, chats appear out of nowhere saying that the whole barkada is going on an adventure, that they are already minute away from my house's gate already coming to pick me up. My laundry can survive for another 8 hours unwashed I guess? 😂
The hills and a trip to the open road was really a welcome distraction from our daily routines considering that most of us spend our time indoors because of (1) the pandemic and (2) school/work, and overthinking about the future.
Being in one's twenties is weird.
Some of my friends are dealing with long distance relationships, breakups, preparing for abroad, stressful co-workers, workload stress, breadwinner issues, money issues and the like. Some have side hustles, and some are concentrating in their own current assignments, yet we all agree that all of us never expected adulthood to be this confusing, frustrating and difficult.
Yet there's no backing out. It's like whatever you do or don't do from now on, is entirely your responsibility, it's not anymore your parent's or of the institutions that raised you, and I admit, it is overwhelming at times. You can't possibly have everything figured out at this phase yet the world sends a completely different signal and you end up constantly being surrounded left and right of reminders on how much other people your age seem to be doing better than you physically, financially, career-wise and relationship-wise. The temptation of being bitter and frustrated comes easier than the toppling of dominoes, and before you know it, the myth of Sisyphus enters your mind, and you're the Sisyphus.
We all have that fear that the things we work for will be all for naught, I personally do. I can certainly say that I've had enough of that over-glorified hustle culture which my parents had to swallow at my age, and what's worse is, the world expects you to do the same at present.
Submit to the claustrophobic long nights, unpaid overtimes, soul-sucking environments and toxic cultures, and be happy with the measly stipend you get at the end.
I've already had facsimile experiences of those when I was a student, and it was already a lot to take in. I can only imagine the insurmountable amount of effort, and the painful swallowing of egos of my parents and grandparents had to do and go through just to get a step higher out of poverty. I thank the Lord for them.
I guess that's why the hustle culture doesn't appeal to most millennials right now, especially since most are underpaid and undervalued than what our educational institutions give us credit for. I know there is no point in expecting some sort of gold star from the world, or at least an acknowledgement of my efforts that I'm doing a good job, a "key performance indicator" in other words, but I guess the issue is, a huge part of my system hasn't accepted that yet.
But I am doing my best to be content with what I have, starting with appreciating and highlighting moments like these:
There's a reason why I keep coming back to Himontagon, and it's not just about the view, the breeze and selfies, but also the out-of-the-blue random monologues you just finished reading.
Roxanne Marie is the twenty-year-old something who calls herself the Protean Creator.
She is a chemical engineer by profession, pole-dancer and blogger by passion and frustration, and lastly, a life enthusiast. She is on a mission to rediscover her truth through the messy iterative process of learning, relearning and unlearning. Currently, she works as a science and research instructor in her hometown, Tagbilaran City, all the while documenting her misadventures, reflections and shenanigans as a working-class millennial here on Hive.
If you like her content, don't forget to upvote and leave a comment to show some love. It would be an honor to have this post reblogged as well. Also, don't forget to follow her to be updated with her latest posts.