And ’tis the season again of year roundups, reviews, and reflections. To join the bandwagon, because it is really sentimental and fulfilling, I put some time to ponder what happened last year and which life lessons I learned and I will apply for the rest of my earth years.

1. The family that first comes together, first serves together. LOL.

In a nutshell, family first.

Most of the times, I tend to put them in the least priority. Because convenience. Because I know they are just there. More than their presence ‘there’, they could actually solve my problems. They present solutions after I got served with “that’s what we’re telling you.” I feel the love though.

2. Missed opportunity is the most expensive.

This always holds true in my case when booking flight tickets on promo, when stopping to snap a shot of a landscape, when taking an expensive ride to a farther place or when confirming an expensive and luxurious stay in a 5-star hotel in Singapore. The cost to turn back the time is twice the effort and money. While I usually relate this with traveling, it also goes with confessing one’s love, (and I failed here) and or at least knowing my crush’s Facebook or digits. Mastering the economics of opportunity costs is quite tricky. But when in doubt, I just go. YOLO.

3. There are other scarier places than Cubao.

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They are the comment sections in Yahoo! and Facebook pages of TV networks. While sorting to these sites to be informed at the start of my day, the section after the news item sucks the good vibes of the entire day. It is really tempting to reply on some comments but that would not make things happen for the better.

I’ve never been an slacktivist as active as like what I was in 2013 when I juggled my thoughts for and against RH Bill, Binays, and Napoleses. But I learned that there’s more outside the flat screens and things should be taken to the streets. I joined last year’s Million People March and it was an experience I would like to do again when needed.

4. Friends in-real-life change.

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While it is not that hard to make new friends, keeping the old ones is a major task these days. Time and distance test the relationships among friends. It is depressing, more like infuriating, when friends bail out the very last minute. Priorities shuffle. Connections got badly pruned. Because I have different circles of friends in every phase of my life such as work or hobbies, it becomes essential to find a best friend who you can always count regardless of what’s, where’s, and when’s.

5. Being single at the late 20’s is the best yet.

Freedom is an underrated privilege. In the era of selfies and self-love, having more me-time becomes a luxury for some who are already in a relationship. I really don’t get the mentality of the oldies too about marriage as the standard measurement of success.

6. Being a first rate me is far better than a second rate version of someone else.

Most people think that being single is a failure. Because one busted attempt to be in a relationship with the ideal person tends to serve as an attestment of being a loser. Self-esteem drops at its lowest. Then the hopeless try to be someone’s or the public’s ideal one. And that becomes the problem.

Fortunately, I finally got out from that zone to somewhere I wouldn’t care much about what others (or that one) would think.

7. Before I knew it, my own happiness becomes someone else’s measure of success.

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I started to follow what my heart desires – traveling. And as I keep on repeating it, others started to notice me. And as other keeps noticing the things that I do, others get inspired (and I become their inspiration. JK. That escalated quickly.)

They invented a word to describe that: blooming.

8. There’s more to a couch or someone else’s bed, IYKWIM, in couchsurfing.

I had a little clue about couchsurfing before. And when I met these travel-freakiest couchsurfers, they opened a lot of means to travel and meanings in traveling. And oh God, as of writing, they are planning a challenge for 2015. Define what Game Changer is.

9. There’s no solid reason why I love/live to travel.

Only fellow travelers would understand the immeasurable gain-vs-loss out of wandering. We just keep on sharing stories, on inspiring newbies, on laughing and learning from someone else’s misadventures, on hoping for the next adventures together. My Project 52 Weekends is about to end and yet I couldn’t pinpoint the sole reason that drives me to complete the said project.

10. Don’t forget to file and to count leaves.

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Leaves are as important as paychecks. Vacation leaves for travelers are gold, platinum, or what have you. But they are perceived as meth by the bosses. Having said that, while traveling is addicting, I learned not to abuse. While there are success stories after quitting day job, I still love programming and I cringe just a thought of being a broke and helpless bum. And since I love my work I should be more careful on planning things. And by things, I mean long weekends. Ugh, 2014 is going to be tough one.

11. Dance to shake the alcohol away from body.

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When I get drunk, I subconsciously dance. And when I consciously dance, I don’t get drunk. Since I dance funny in both cases, sober is better. At least, I can recall how fun feels like. I guess my alcohol tolerance level didn’t change that much. It is just that I found out another technique not to get wasted and to enjoy the entire party until morning or the last drop of bottle. Disclaimer: While I got some testimonials (God, they still have these on Couchsurfing main site) on being party animal, I can be easily tamed.

12. Surviving an all-nighter used to be a skill.

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Sleep is for the weak they said. But having no sleep makes one weak I said. Blame it to the scumbag body. I have so much on my plate aside from dayjob and traveling: blogging, web development, and post processing. But when my bed wins over me, I accomplish less. I wonder how I was able to get through college all-nighters, and, teehee, sleepovers (wherein no sleep actually happened), now that caffeine, and sounds on loudspeaker couldn’t turn me bright eyed and bushy tailed for a longer time. Life lesson and truth to accept – I am aging.

13. We will never be royals.

Or we won’t even become a Napoles.

Breaking barriers and getting out from the comfort zone are good but from time to time I’ve been reminded too that there are still limitations: Money. Vacation Leaves. Health. Luck. Limitations require us a step backward to a get a better view of the bigger picture which in turn is a preparation for the next two steps forward. While I accept the fact that I won’t be a royal, I can’t deny in my Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth that I had now all the riches I got from traveling.

Two steps forward and onward to 2014! Cheers for more travels! Happy New Year guys!