January 21 | Change & Lack Thereof

More than an outfit post for this time because I'm attempting a little something more for my birthday! So today, I turn 20 and it truly is as weird and as surreal as they say. I'm not a teenager anymore and it's a good kind of scary. Even since I was a lot younger, I would look forward to becoming this age but I don't really know why. Possibly because I've always been more mature for my age. A lot of my friends already think of me as a 30-year old! Haha! More on this later, but for now, here's the outfit I wore to my birthday lunch last Sunday with family!

I think this outfit says a lot about the person I've become, or rather, the person I still am. Even way back to when this blog started, I've always sported incredibly basic and classic silhouettes. Understated pieces that people take notice of not because of louder colors or scene-stealing design, but of the beautiful quality and how easy it is to relate to such an aesthetic. Even though I know I've changed a lot, I think this will remain to be a constant in my life; a part of my overall identity, and it's something I'm very proud of.

So in love with this perfect boxy and relaxed top from GU! To many others, this is just a long-sleeved striped tee, but what made this a winner for me is the structured fabric, the neutral pattern, and lastly the flattering wide neck cut. I need plain versions of this in my life. Haha!

Another new prized possession all the way from Japan! Got myself a new Casio watch because it was insanely cheap at Don Quijote in Shinjuku. I've always wanted this design but it's sort of pricey here in Manila for about 1800php. In Japan, it was only 1990yen. that's almost half the price!

GU shirt, UNIQLO easy shorts, ADIDAS Originals Superstar sneakers, Casio vintage watch.

For me, one of the largest turning points in my life has definitely been from entering college, and I know this is something everyone says but I promise you there is a world of a difference when you take a course like architecture in UST. By this I mean that right from the get-go, a lot of us are forced to be hardened to be able to handle the problems that just never seem to end - most of which are brought on by the incredibly awful management of my university. (Sorry not sorry but this is something everyone deserves to know, UST) However, despite this, I could never trade what I've learned for myself as well as all the amazing people I've met in the process for anything else in the world, and one of the most important lessons I've learned at 20 is that the power of your perspective can mean all the difference.

It sucks when life doesn't go your way, and it truly often does not, but it's so important to make the most out of everything by changing the way you look at things and always focus on how this experience is going to help you in the future. I don't think there's ever such a thing as a wasted opportunity, because it's something that you make for yourself.

And my last piece of advice for myself and for everyone reading this is actually from one of my current favorite shows, Quantico.

Digging deeper is easy, it's accepting the simplicity that's hard.

I couldn't get over the accuracy of this line, and how much it sums up a lot of the things in this world. Some things are a lot simpler than they seem and we have to stop holding ourselves back by overthinking and overestimating every little thing. Like with my course in architecture, a lot of people are intimidated, thinking that it takes a lot of work to become one. Don't get me wrong, it does, but it's a lot simpler than you think. When it comes right down to it, we are all human and we are all capable of learning. The greatest people were once just like everyone else. They just learned more in their lifetime, is all.

In my college experience so far, a lot of the things I've done were achieved purely through guessing and following my own instincts. Things that looked daunting and impossible were actually pretty manageable. You just have to take that first step or that first attempt, and suddenly things that seemed so scary, don't seem bad at all. And then you keep at it. Then before you know it, you're done, and you've finished what was then impossible.

This is so much easier said than done, but you can always do what I do, complain a LOT, and then after you complain, just do it. Haha!