In a couple of weeks, I'll be turning 23. It's like not too long ago I was writing a blog post that I was turning 17 and now I'm well into my early 20s. My year 22 is such a boring year, I don't know about you but I did not feel like 22, in contrast to what Ms. Taylor Swift has prophesized all these years.

Well, I guess, everybody's year sucked, not only me. Last year, I planned that for my birthday this year, I'll be traveling to Sorsogon by myself, like what I did last year with Baguio. Now, I have to think of another way to excitingly mark my new year of existence. 

But before we get into my birthday plans, I want to discuss what does it mean to be in your early 20s. A part of me thinks that I should cherish my youth and freedom since I don't have any heavy responsibilities now. The early 20s picture is partying, chugging alcohol, and going through the dating pool.

Since I've been cooped up, I've had a long and deep thought of who I am. I'm a tita and I want to embrace that. I will wear cat-eye prescription glasses, I will drape a shawl over my shoulders when it's chilly, and I will enjoy my essential oils.

Some other things that I do that make me feel like an 80-year-old is crochet. YES, I CROCHET NOW AND I ENJOY IT. You know when you watch a movie, and you feel like your hands should be doing something when a scene gets boring? You either reach for your phone or find something to eat. 

I crochet when I watch movies. it's really therapeutic and fulfilling. You see a piece of yarn and later on, it's a coaster! it makes me proud. Also, I actually think I'm good at it. It's the hobby I've long searched for that I'm immediately good at. 

I also make a huge batch of cookie dough and bake a couple of cookies at midnight while I drink tea like is that not the most old woman-y thing you've heard. 

These things that I've been doing lately, makes me feel older than I am and I'm embracing it. I don't want to feel the pressure of doing something "youthful" and later on feeling terrible about it. I'm looking at you walwal sessions. 

My plans for my birthday include buying prosecco or sangria, buying a burnt cheesecake, either buying a lasagna or making homemade pasta. Maybe I'll go for a facial too if it's safe. All of this while wearing a cute dress and full makeup. 

Much love,

Sophia

By June of 2020, I was laid off from my third full-time job. It's not like I wasn't expecting it. We were in the midst of a pandemic, and the travel industry was crippling. Clearly, the only content writer in the company was one of the first ones to go. With no sarcasm whatsoever, this is just what I needed.

In the middle of my career last year, I kept on wondering when was the right time to delve into freelancing. I wanted to try freelancing at least once in my life since it was such a flexible experience. Well, it was like the opportunity was served to me. 

Once we had our desktop computer set up, I wanted to kickstart my freelance career in writing to get some money flowin'. One of the most recommended platforms to get projects was Upwork. So I made an account there and got to review what my career life looked like so far.

I have a pretty decent resume and portfolio, so I was confident that I was going to book projects in no time. I need to tell this to myself because when submitting proposals on Upwork I was overwhelmed with how valuable connects are and went into an impostor syndrome spiral. 

feedback from my very first Upwork client!

While waiting for projects to come through, I wanted to embrace my freelance career by having a website that showcases my portfolio. Because I'm a sucker for branding, I wanted my website to be visually appealing and not just a list of my work. For me to do that, I need a clear vision of what I wanted my website to look like. 

So like any overachieving professional, I made myself a branding deck, complete with color swatches, fonts, and logo types. 

I wanted my branding to reflect my personality. I'm fun, flashy, quirky, but not overly feminine. I went for orange and yellow as my main colors because they show warmth and youthfulness. I chose Boiling as my font because I wanted a bold serif font that can represent professionalism. 

In case you don't follow me on social media, kleoamo is my "online name." It's my username on most social media platforms, and I want it to be the name of my personal brand. 

I had a lot of internal debate on what platform will I host my website portfolio. For a solid number of days, I was convinced with Squarespace. I told myself that it was an investment. In case you didn't know, Squarespace requires a membership fee for you to use it as a platform. I was also planning to buy a domain.

But since I'm a thrifty gal, I ended up with no domain and on Wix. I had some experience with Wix during my college days, so I'm familiar with it. I also didn't want to go all out with the website; I wanted something I can drag and drop.

Wix is easy and great for a quick website. I had fun working with some animation, plus they let you upload your own font.

The website portfolio is pretty handy. I could upload the articles that I'm proud of and archive my work. If clients or companies ask for a sample of my work, I just link some relevant articles for reference. 

It's fun to have a personal branding deck. It saves me the time on choosing colors and fonts on other materials that I do such as social media content and business cards! 

You can check out my portfolio website here! 

Much love,

Sophia

As an overthinker, I have a basic outline for my future until I'm 40. But for now, let's focus on my plans for the new year. This 2020, I'm 22. There are a lot of things I'd like to change, improve, and manage. 

Let's start.

100 Films A Year.

Since I now have a Netflix account, nothing's stopping me from binge-watching shows and films. I usually watch at least 3 films a week, so I think 100 films a year is attainable than a targeted number of books. 

10 Books for 2020.

I've never really been into the Goodreads reading challenge because I wasn't a bookworm. I mean I read books but not really at a fast pace, just always at a very slow pace. I want to level up this year and read 10 books by the end of 2020. I joined a book club, so I think now I'm ready!!! Starting the year with my exchange gift gift  The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck by Mark Manson. 

No Landi 2020.

These past few years, I've been putting myself out there by flirting online (thru Tinder/Bumble) and in person. I've gone out on my first ever date and flirted with a guy who always brushes off my attempt to ask him to hang out.  I've been pretty productive, I mean 2k17 Sophia could never. 

But, since those instances, I've come to realize that I may not be ready for romance. I love being by myself and knowing myself more on my own. I'd like to do more things alone and challenge myself on being independent. 

Clear Skin.

I'm back to being faithful to my skincare routine. So far, I've seen some improvement. I'm getting fewer breakouts thanks to Apple Cider Vinegar and Aztec Clay Mask. When I'm ready, maybe I'll post a skincare routine, who knows.

Summer Parisian.

This is the ~aesthetic~ I want for my style next year. I want to graduate from my art intern aesthetic and incorporate more heels, trousers, dresses, and beautifully colored and structured blouses. a la Rachel Nguyen or Martine Cajucom.

Learn a language.

I'm still debating whether I'd like to re-pickup French or start fresh with Mandarin. I know studying Mandarin is like bowing down to China, but I think I could use this to my advantage in the future. 

Eat less dairy.

My movement to start veganism...chos! I've recently discovered that I'm lactose intolerant. So, it's my body's movement towards veganism I guess. But I'll be cutting my intake on ice cream mainly since it's the most triggering dairy product for me. 

That's basically it. I have very high hopes for 2020 Sophia, hope she's better than I am now. Hope she continues to grow ;)

Knowing these flaws that evolves into insecurities it's up to us on how to deal with it. Do we let it eat us alive and destroy our everyday life or do we learn to live with it and use it to our advantage. Confidence does not come from being perfect it's from being comfortable in your own skin. Love the bits and pieces that makes you and in return the universe will shower you will all the love you need.




Kate
(on the inside): 1. I have bad temper; I envy people who can work/interact with other people without getting frustrated/angry so easily/breaking down 2. I have moments when i think I'm not good at everything I do; jack of all trades but a master of none"

"How I rise above all of it (physical): 1. makeup!! a good concealer is the key 2. I dress according to my body shape
(on the inside): 1. I try not to raise my voice when I start to feel frustrated; I take deep breaths and try to speak calmly 2. I focus on what I need to improve by recording song covers more often or watching complex dance tutorials, and let other people tell me what they honestly think about my song, etc"