What do you want to be when you grow up?

Contrary to what one might expect (as I suppose, I give off a very strong energy of it), the answer wasn’t always to become a lawyer. I had years of wanting to be a nurse, a politician, an astronaut, and a priest. Should it not for an unfortunate family situation that happened towards the end of high school, I might not have felt the need to study law. Over time, circumstances (my education included) gradually led to an ambition reevaluation, eventually cementing an inclination to pursue said path. And so now when asked, the quick and relatively easy answer would be to go to law school, pass the bar, and practice the profession.

But this plan resides in an ideal world where the margin of error for things are small to non-existent and the certainties of life are of inarguable essence. I don’t live in that world; none of us do. I recognize the ambiguities and unsettledness of life, and with it comes the acknowledgment that despite dreaming about becoming a lawyer for years on end, I might not live up to it. My stint as an intern at NEDA VIII struck the chords the hold these thoughts, and while we should strive, persist, and excel, we must also learn to adapt, evolve, and be forbearing in whatever ambit we find ourselves in one day.

I have had the opportunity to share to you all what I have been up to the past five weeks — the work that I have done, people that I have met, experiences that I have gained, and the values that I have reflected on. I dare not repeat myself.

To achieving new heights of success. Padayon panalimbasog hasta kadaugan!