off my feet

It was early morning in Apollo Bay when my brother and I went out for a walk in the beach. I could not believe what I saw. I thought I was in a movie. An equestrian with her horse seemed to be warming up for the day. They ran in circles, and then far away from us, where the sea and the shore meets.

I was cold, and in much awe.

brimming from the inside

Apollo Bay, 2016

On my first day in Australia, our family drove to Apollo Bay to spend the weekend at the Great Ocean Road. The shot above is from the morning after, when I looked outside the window, thus, the ghost of my reflection.

As I looked outside, I could not believe that I was in another continent that is not Asia. I mean, who would have thought that a day would come that my family and I would spent a month in Australia — altogether. It was surreal.

It has been more than a year, and I haven't had the opportunity to tell stories of this trip since. A time in my life where I was in absolute peace. My mind was at rest. I was just me.

2017: an opening

Tesselaar Tulip Festival, Melbourne, Australia, 2016

Just as quick I am to express sorrow in the past years when they have not been good to me in certain life aspects, it's only fair to do the same when life turns out for the good.

There were a handful of shitty events in 2016 (more so on a global scale), but allow me to be as unapologetic as I could be: I had a great year in 2016.

On the other hand, I found myself less drawn to write in general, and share things here in my blog.

My fondness for film stayed the same, but the urge to put it into action did not. I shot a lot less last year. I remember shooting 50+ rolls in 2015. It was cut in half by shooting only 26 rolls in 2016.

Anyway, here are some random 2016 highlights:

• Ran two 10-km races
• Joined two open-call photography submissions (I did not get in for both, but submitting my photos was nerve-racking)
• Got my first TLR camera!
• Traveled to four countries
• First time to experience winter
• Got an Instax Wide
• Traveled out of Asia (something I never would have thought)
• Finally bought a Paperwhite after four years of pining
• Participated in my first Emulsive Secret Santa!
• Watched a lot of K-dramas and consequently grew love for something I thought was too mushy and dramatic for my liking (which is ironic because I'm mushy and dramatic just the same haha)
• Gave some people a second chance, lol
• Gave myself a second chance with this blog (and username)

Neil deGrasse Tyson tweeted the other day:

To all on the Gregorian Calendar, Happy New Year! A day that's not astronomically significant...in any way…at all…whatsoever.

True. But don't we all enjoy and benefit from the illusion of a clean slate?

Happy new year, my friend. Let's keep this year tidy :)