the last decade

I got inspired to write down what has happened in my life this decade after reading this. When it finally hit me that the decade was ending, my first thought was, "What the heck did I do with the last ten years?" Well, a lot, it turns out. Two things I realized from writing this list:

• I am old!
• When I rang in 2000 ten years ago, I had no clue what my life would have turned out like. It has been an amazing decade. And it only makes me even more excited about what the next one will bring!
  
  

Here goes:

2000. Ended my first long relationship and got my first rude awakening when it comes to matters of the heart. Made the choice between ballet and having a proper career, and gave up ballet after 12 years. Got into all sorts of trouble with all the free time I suddenly had!

2001. Played the field. Had one short-lived and rather disfunctional relationship. Killed a bazillion brain cells due to excessive partying.

2002. Got my faith back that good things can and do happen.

2003. Graduated from college and took off for a 6-month internship in Stuttgart, Germany. Learned no German, except "Mein Deutsche ist sheisse." Began my love affair with beer. Made lifelong friends from all over the world. Spent many nights dancing to Prince and encouraging a certain Canadian to drop kick beer glasses in clubs. Traveled all over Germany, England, Spain, and Italy, and ended the year by getting stranded in Prague.

From left: One of those nights in Delaylas—I can almost hear "Kiss" playing in the background; Chugging them steins at the Volksfest

2004. Started the year by crying at the German consulate in Prague, begging for a visa so I could pack up my stuff and get back to Manila. Got visa, got home, got horrified at all the beer weight I'd amassed. Lost weight (Thank God!) and gained a job as an editor for a chi chi magazine.

2005. Lived the fab life, traveling to ridiculously beautiful resorts and attending amazing events for work. Traveled to Singapore for work so many times the guides knew me by name. Had a year-round tan from monthly beach work trips. Occasionally conducted interviews in bikinis.

Clockwise from top left: In between shoots at Amanpulo; at work interviewing the chef at Amanpulo—see I'm even holding a pen and notepad; Soaking up the sun in Bohol; Koh Samui; Singapore

2006. Moved to New York and fell in love with the city on day 1. Studied at FIT and experienced dorm life (horrifying one semester and fantastic the next). Got swept off my feet and started a whirlwind relationship with he-who-must-not-be-named.

2007. An interesting year juggling life working at the ultra posh Cartier PR department on Fifth Avenue by day and at a Lower East Side beer garden by night. Memorable moments at Cartier include being at an epic Vanity Fair cover shoot. Memorable moments at Loreley include getting whopped on the head with 5 empty steins and living to tell the tale.

2008. Against all odds, landed a job. HUGE sigh of relief. Reunited with loads of Stuttgart buddies who visited NY. Finally got to relax and enjoy living in this brilliant city. After 5 years, got a chance to go back to Europe at year's end and saw Malta, Florence, Chianti and Helsinki.

2009. A year of extreme highs and staggering lows. Fun times in Vegas. A truly amazing trip to Napa. A fabulous Sikh wedding in London. Eating my weight in sushi in Japan. Coming home to the Philippines after 3 years and inhaling all mangoes, lechons and suahe in sight. Then, a devastating breakup. Rebuilding and regrouping. And finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

Clockwise from top left: No shortage of Cab, toro or lechon this year; crepes and Harajuku girls in Japan

Now it's 2010. I started the year off in the most brilliant way possible, I've exorcised old demons and embraced all things new. If the start of the year is any indication of things to come, it will be one heck of a decade!

What better way to start the decade than that?

I, for one, cannot wait!