On A Quarterlife Crisis

Because this article from MX is really good (and I can relate) I just want to share 'For what it's worth' section (August 9, 2011)

(oh yeah, I typed it coz there's nothing available to copy and paste... ugh!) 

on a quarterlife crisis ~ by Casey Rothwell

'How did I get here? It feels like everyone else has things figured out while I bump around without direction.'

The landscape of my twentysomething experience has been a rough terrain to navigate: a jagged shoreline of unmet deadlines and milestones reached but unfulfilling, mountainous heights of romantic love followed by chasms of utter heartbreak, rushing rivers of excitement and adventure interspersed with the odd sheep filled paddock of immobility, a never-ending forest of uncertainty and indecision.

If it was a country, it would look like New Zealand. 

I'm 29 and single, highly educated but lacking a stable job. I'm certainly not where my 16-year-old self thought I would be. She would have panicked to see me so close to 30 and unmarried, confused as to why I hadn't yet attained a creative and well-paid executive position. 

How did I get here? It feels like everyone else has things figured out while I bump around without direction.

Is this just me? To ease my mind, I turned to where the rest of my generation turns for information, socialization, solace: Facebook. 

A quick questionnaire messaged to all my "friends" in their 20s returned an overwhelming and reassuring chorus of confused, ambivalent, intelligently cynical voices that were, despite everything, optimistic for the future. 

The idea of a "quarter-life-crisis" was common and two themes especially repeated throughout the responses: 

Firstly, no generation gas gad so many choices.

When there are an infinite number of paths laid out before you, it is hard to choose just one and so the result is to stand rooted to the spot in anxiety. 

Our parents had clear and binding expectations. 

We have experienced first-hand where this has led them - into unhappy marriages and rigid career paths - and they are the first to encourage us to do differently. 

We're listening. But this lack of guiding influence over a life course is equal parts blessing and burden. 

Secondly, we are learning more about ourselves.

Our evolving sense of self often clashes with our search for the perfect mate. 

If the average age of marriage continues on its current trend, it will soon be well over 30. 

Rather than a mate to simply have children and share finances with, we look for a partner who will support and encourage us personally, stand by us unwaveringly, someone who shares our lifestyle and some beliefs, all the while maintaining a positive outlook, being reasonably attractive and making us laugh. 

Since we're both choosier than in the past, it's naturally taking us a little longer to settle. 

We Gen-Yers are a product of our times. 

A my 20s steal away with each passing day, I look forward my 30s as optimistically as the rest of my generation. 

Hopefully, it will be a more even-keeled setting. 

Maybe the precarious negotiated neutrality of marriage, the alpine wonders of motherhood, a linguistic and cultural blend of many friendships, yes, a scenery more reminiscent of, say, Switzerland.

Search Engine Optimization Vacation

It's the first time that I took a very long vacation from SEO*... I know, I know! It's highly unlikely of me to do this because ever since I started doing it, I felt like it's something that I want to do for the rest of my life. Keeping a safe distance from SEO is not that bad but I can also say that there are a few disadvantages.

The first disadvantage is that I'm now a little bit outdated. I don't know what's going on with the current 'SEO planet'. I called it that way because I've always thought that it has a world of its own... and only a few are interested in it. It's like something that people would pay less attention to because they've got more important things to do. (and you might not even read this blog coz you don't care about SEO)

But anyway highway, just to keep up with the SEO trend, I'm planning to create a blog about it. To share what I know - all that I learned for the past two years. The pleasant memories that SEO gave me are still stuck in my head and of course, it's one thing that kept me glued on the computer for a long time and it had been my bread and butter as well so it's not that easy to let it go. So even if I haven't had the SEO fever in 6 months, it's never too late to go back to where I left off... So to those who want to know more about this, please sit back, relax and I will be posting more updates in the future.

*Search Engine Optimization - it is used for marketing and website promotion

Updates, updates and more updates

WOW! I felt that I haven't written something in ages! I've been terribly busy lately... I've been busy before when I was in the Philippines but I was busier today! It was like the life I used to have when I was in Manila - I need to wake up early to go to school or work, I need to use public transportation (bus and train), I get to talk to a lot of people and worst of all, I get to talk in English all the time... ugh! I'm not really good in English especially when it comes to verbally expressing it :(


Anyway, the first few months was like a whirlwind of mixed events - both happy and sad. Happy because I am now reunited with old friends and even distant relatives, I met new friends and the best thing that we should celebrate about is that I am reunited with the Lord and now I could definitely say that I feel His presence all the time because of all the blessings that He has given me. I also thank Him for the trials because without them, I couldn't have developed the patience and resilience that I have right now.

I'm sad because of the same reason why Filipinos are feeling sad when they are far away from home... Once again, I've detached from my comfort zone, and this time I'm supporting myself (rent, food, transportation, recreation) and to tell you the truth, living in Sydney is not a joke. You have to work your ass off in order to live a decent life. To be able to do that, a person should be earning at least $300 a week. In the Philippines, an average person could settle for $200 a month and he will live (that's probably the standard rate that is given in Nueva Ecija, but I have to check again just to make sure). Everything here is expensive and you have to take good care of yourself so you won't get sick or else, a trip to the doctor might cost you thousands of $$$. There are a lot of things that I want to talk about but I think I would have to discuss that on another post.

I have to get going now, I have some websites to build/code... I have to update my portfolio... whew! See you later!