Highway to Happy

Going into of a 5-day work-free vacation can be a little bit overwhelming. I was excessively excited a couple of weeks before I take off to Davao with my mom and a close friend of hers, who is also the boyfriend’s aunt (small world, right?). But as the date was nearing, excitement was slowly transforming into anxiety. I worked weekend after weekend just to make sure I would cover all my responsibilities. Filed vacation leaves and all, I still felt a tinge of guilt having to be absent and not take part in the teams’ responsibilities. I was getting too anxious to the point I had to text my staff, right before I board the plane, to check if everything was going smoothly. Second work-related text I sent the same time I first set foot into the beautiful city of Davao.

And then I allowed, or sort of forced, myself to let go.

Almost 2 years in the work force, add the fact that I’m still with my first employer, everything can get pretty repetitive and exhausting at times. Seeing friends move on to other opportunities can add to the anxiety that builds up whenever I feel like being left behind. I fear waking up one day and realizing that every single soul has overtaken me. Taking a break brought me back to my senses and landed me right into the very reason why I stayed in the first place.

I enjoyed my much deserved break, especially the conversations I had with my mom. A week passed since then; I had 20 hours of sleep the past 5 days. I feel exhausted, yes, but without the slightest intention to quit. You know how people say you should sleep it off and everything gets better the next day? That’s very true. Even though sometimes it takes more than just a good night's sleep, the point is, we all deserve a break; a short period of time to step out of the picture, look from the outside and allow ourselves to miss it. At the end of the day, we only need to be reminded of the reason why we have been holding on for too long. And that reason, whatever it is, makes it all worth it.