Every year since 2005 (in my 2nd year of high school), I would plop myself down on a chair and just spend the entire afternoon trying to summarize the year that passed. It’s been 8 years since then and the tradition lives on and it shall continue to live on for as long as God permits me to.

Xanga, where this tradition all started, may be gone and issaplease and issatalks are currently what define me – nothing is more nostalgic than the things that make you feel alive.

For my past posts you can check out:

(2005)

(2006)

(2007)

(2008)

(2009)

(2010)

(2011)

(2012) <- lost with Xanga

2013

1. Will you be looking for a new job?

I hope not.

I am FINALLY working for the family business, the business I’ve been wanting to work under for as long as I can remember. I’m here now, I’m going to make the most out of it.

2. Will you be looking for a new relationship?

God, I hope not.

3. New house?

If the pay is good, the rent is cheap and place is close to work then yes, by all means!

4. What will you do different in 14?

I really don’t know. To be honest, I haven’t really thought that much about the new year. Maybe I’ll just play it by ear.

Oh, maybe in 2014 I’ll try to remember more.

5. New Years’ resolutions?

To be more accommodating to my mom & siblings and be around more since my papa isn’t around…

6. What will you not be doing in 2014?

I cannot say. There are no limits in this life… or so I’ve learned.

7. Any trips planned?

China (for business & pleasure)

Somewhere local (with Paolo)

Bangkok (with friends)

… But I’ll have to get a passport first. -.-

8. Wedding plans?

Yes, but not mine.

9. Major thing on your calendar?

Maybe a second triathlon

A thrid year anniversary

Uhm… nothing, really.

10. What can’t you wait for?

A car

a new place to live

Paolo’s 711 to open

A possible new business

11. What would you like to see happen differently?

I’d like to be more emotionally in control this year. Meaning, less crying, less over analyzing, bickering, competing.

I feel like I have all this negativity cramped up in such a small body and I just want to be a better person- physically, emotionally and maybe even spiritually.

I want to be more in control over myself and handle everything in a manner wherein I feel like I’m in killer heels and an expensive dress- even in my sleep.

12. What about you will you be changing?

Refer to 11. & 5.

13. What happened in 2013 that you didn’t think would ever happen?

I NEVER thought I would get fired laid off

The earthquake

Yolanda

My sudden obsession over shoes & dresses

My addiction to board games

Learning how to cook

Given power in the company (the best, by far)

14. Will you be nice to the people you care about?

I will try. The ones we care about are always the easiest to hurt.

15. Will you dress differently this year than you did in 2013?

No, I still dress up like my cabinet puked on me.

16. Will you start or quit smoking?

Continue until further notice. (I’m just being realistic!)

17. Will you better your relationship with your family?

Yes, everyday I am working on it.

18. Will you do charity work?

Hopefully. Been eyeing a few organizations already.

19. Will you go to bars?

I am ready to give that part of my life up already.

20. Will you be nice to people you don’t know?

Aren’t I always?

21. Do you expect 2013 to be a good year for you?

I am depending on it!

22. How much did you change from this time ‘til now?

When exactly was from this time? Did I always answer this question so sarcastically? (Hold on let me check)

(2011)

I am always changing because that is the most natural thing to do.

meh, more or less.

23. Do you plan have on having a child?

At the start of 2013, I was pretty sure that I wanted 5 children. Close towards the end, I wanted 2.

Now, I’d be ok with a dog.

24. Will you still be friends with the same people you are friends with?

Perhaps. But I wouldn’t mind getting rid of a few.

25. Major lifestyle changes?

More work, less Paolo, hopefully more time for friends.

26. Will you be moving?

You mean out of the country? Hopefully never.

27. What will you make sure doesn’t happen in 2014?

Bankruptcy

28. What are your New Year’s Eve plans?

Same as every year, church, dinner, family & neighbors, Paolo and friends.

29. Will you have someone to kiss at midnight?

The only person I want to kiss for the rest of my life.

30. One wish for 2014?

To never have to stay stuck and if by chance I should, to always know how to get out of it.

My favorite moments of 2013:

Co- styling for iFeet

Getting an extra organizer from my clients all the way in Manila 

Sinulog

When Food and Fashion Meet/ The Cooking Fashionistas with Justinne

PASSING THE BOARD EXAMS

Valentines

The friendships I’ve made, rekindled, forgotten

Commander Cluck- Cluck. Perhaps the best chicken I’ve ever tasted. lol. Not really.

Saying good bye to these wonderful fellows.

Trips with friends

Going to the zoo!!

The egg that got me a sack of Super Crunch. Which I haven’t gotten yet, RYAN YAP!

Social Media Influencers Summit with Maria Resa

Getting featured on Zalora

Getting my own domain!

Finally quitting Accenture after a year

Watched my first IMax movie. Obviously, it was Iron Man 3

Missed our first family trip abroad but got these burgers instead (stupid corporate job)

Fell in love with Duz Grill

Got and lost a new pet

R.I.P, Hook

Learned how to cook… 1 recipe! HAHA

FINALLY started WORKING in events (a dream come truee)

FINALLY read Thirteen Reasons Why

Got invited to blogging events

Chictopia commented on my picture

Became Head of Global Marketing for Kia Motion

Turned iTrabaho into my “baby”

But you can’t raise a baby without any means to sustain it. –l– to you!

Got my traveling scarf

Came back to the mother ship!

JOINED A TRIATHLON!!

Kicked everyone’s ass at poker on my birthday month 

Turned 2 years and went to Camotes 

Got bangs

Got nominated

Our annual Christmas family photos 

Did some modeling

Got a Kindle and a Cloudpad (well , I’m sharing with Paolo anyways)

Now I remember why I love doing this so much. Because I always hesitantly start it not sure if how I’m going to feel at the end of my post. Not sure if it was a year well spent or a year wasted.

But every single time, no matter how bad the year was, I always end it feeling blessed. Because that’s what I am… blessed.

Have a blessed and a prosperous year to come, everyone!

Love always,

Issa

I’ve made peace with my ghosts.

I think this year can come to a wonderful end already 🙂

It’s 1:30 am. I stayed up waiting for my grandmother to fall asleep so I could quietly slip away and smoke the cigarette i kept in my bag since 10:30 this evening after Paolo and I spent time with his family singing and trying to figure out what our epic duet song could be.

I’ve always enjoyed the late night stolen drag breaks I take for the reason that it makes me feel rebellious when it shouldn’t because everyone in my family practically knows that I do it. But I like it more because of the thoughts I have which may sometimes be euphoric like a “eureka!” moment or depressing and unapologetic.

I thought mostly about how much I need to organize my room. I need a shoe rack and a hanger or an extra cabinet for my over pilling clothes. I need a place to put my make up brushed and my art supplies. I need a sense of order in my life much in the sense that I need order with my thoughts.

Then I started thinking about that morning where I was so OC about cleaning my mouth. I accidentally stuck my toothbrush too deep into my mouth that I ended up puking all over my bathroom floor that has recently caused a clog. I don’t want to unclog it, that’s what the maid is for. But is she supposed to declutter the way I think and the weird thoughts that are all jumbled in my head?

I thought about the book I’m reading now and how pathetic I feel about reading my sister’s reading list. I’m reading Ely & Naomi’s No Kiss List by David Levithman. It’s the 3rd book of his I’m reading and I hate every one I read but I torture myself with visual vomit anyways. I don’t know why I do that to myself. There are a million books on MY list but I’m too lazy to actually download them. I’m a sloth. That’s not something I should be proud of. That or, I refuse to read anything worth reading until I get my Kindle. I. CANNOT. WAIT. FOR. CHRISTMAS!

Tonight, Paolo’s aunt-in-law asked us “when’s the big day?” Usually, I’d be so offended and hurt by the question. God knows why, it’s something we hear on a weekly/ monthly basis. It’s bad that I get so bummed about it because 1. Paolo made very good points about why we aren’t getting hitched anytime soon and 2. AM I REALLY READY TO GET MARRIED? Do I even know what it is to be married?

No. But the thoughts are never really horrible. Scary is more like it.

But tonight, I was pretty cool about being quick to debunk the idea of it. I’m not quite sure if I’m a part of the marrying generation anymore. Or maybe I’ve just decided to not really care about what I want. I mean, seriously, when do we (men particularly) decide that we want to get married? When do we wake up and say, hey, I’m gonna spend a bunch of money and put on a dress and then spend more money on a house, on kids and worry about big people problems? When do we actually realize that it’s not enough to love each other, let’s make the unbreakable vow and allow ourselves to be the one thing that could possibly break a person when we are all bound to screw up one way or another?

I’m wheezing now which probably shows my total carelessness for myself. I have a cough but hey, let’s smoke that cigarette anyways. As if I needed it. As if my life depended on it. What a shmuck.

It’s 2:00 am. For some reason, I am wide awake and I think I’ll think about my dog and her fleas, or guinea pigs and that pug I really want.

It’s 2:00 am. Maybe I’ll fall asleep with my thoughts that never have any conclusions. I am happy where I am right now. In this moment, my PMS could be worse, I could try to be more patient with everyone (especially my mother), I could use more money, I could gloat about my irrational fears of never getting married or having children… but maybe it’s meant to be tackled on on another night.

It’s Friday morning now and I’m suddenly thinking about Rebecca Black and how much I hate the fact that she made a song named “Saturday”. What a ninkumpoot. If I can even spell that word.

Went through a million pre nup photos.

And then my brain just went E V E R Y W H E R E.