Hi. How have you been?

There were many days and nights when it rained during the last 64 days. I hope those days and nights went well with you. There were the many days that I was heftily clumsy, irritable, and busy. I hope that you went through days like those well, too. I missed out on a lot, including the many changes this awesome platform has undergone, but I didn't regret -- even once -- having to focus first on my life outside Steemit.

I would want to list the things that went on in my life in the last few months, in a way that reflected their impacts on how I am today. But all I can do right now is reminisce and be a thankful that I survived.

_{It rained in different levels of intensity many times in the last 64 days. Did you stay dry? | Photo from Unsplash by Liv Bruce}

1. The rain

I started this post by mentioning the rain. A number of typhoons passed the Philippines by in the period I was away from here, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank the people who worked to monitor these many typhoons.

When I was younger, I used to be skeptical of our weather monitoring teams. Of course, I didn't know better, and I used to ask, "Why won't their forecasts seem to be right?" It was crazy, listening on the news spouting class and work suspensions when it was sunny outside, and waiting for cancellations when being dry wouldn't be realized. Working now for an institution that first-hand monitors weather all over the Philippines, I now understood that this task isn't as straightforward as I assumed when I was younger. I had colleagues and friends who stayed over in the office during Typhoon Mangkhut, and I knew it was a sacrifice for the betterment of many.

_{Typhoon Mangkhut tested the Filipinos' resilience, but it also showed me how teamwork really works in the middle of a literal storm. | Photo on Unsplash by SHTTEFAN}

While the rain reminds me of how the Philippines is trying to up its game in the field of meteorology and remote sensing, it also reminds me of the one time I traveled from the province back to Quezon City, and got seriously drenched (backpack and all). @debilog and friends used to joke that physicists seem to get sick too easily, and I couldn't argue, because I did get sick after getting severely drenched by the rain. Until now, I try to remedy my cough and cold, and it doesn't look like they will get away any time soon.

After the rain come wet pavements, and neglected ones accumulate slippery moss over time. Walking to and from work becomes a challenge, especially with the shoes that I have, and I can't even begin to count how many times I slipped, as if a rug from under my feet was pulled out. Truly, being in the city can be quite challenging.

2. Work and research

The past 64 days saw me working on two separate researches, and they got me so busy I started bringing home work. I don't bring home work... or at least, I used to not. Research is a challenging endeavor, but it can be even more so upon the introduction of time constraints. The pressure would get to you, making work appear even in your dreams. My teammates from one research jokingly called this our own version of PTSD, and I think I can seriously relate.

Getting accustomed to my line of work was a slow process in my case. While I was trained in preparation for this during my undergraduate years, collaboration with people I have never once met before turned out to be the greater challenge. I am severely shy and socially anxious, and I felt bad not being able to do my part well because of fear of interaction.

_{Work has suddenly taken up so much of my time. I learned to take home work, which I used to promise never to do. It was, however, inevitable. | Photo on Unsplash by rawpixel}

"Would it be all right for you to meet with a group of students and teach them how to do this?" my supervisor for one of the projects I worked on asked. He seemed to know of my anxiety and continued, "Or is this too much? I know you're uncomfortable being with a large audience."

I felt bad. How could this wonderful boss be so down-to-earth and understanding? To offer me an out was a big deal to me. I ended up facing my anxiety, and meeting up with students I haven't before met to expedite an already critically running late project. I was so proud of myself that day, and I was thankful of this supervisor for gently pushing me, but never fully forcing me.

That day, I felt like I won myself over.

3. Friendships, acquaintances, connections

It was such an eventful 64 days. I managed to meet up with @ririgi and another one of our friends Josiah for a lunch out. It was so fun chatting with them. The entire day just wasn't enough.

_{I love being alone, but being with friends make me question what fun is when alone. | Photo on Unsplash by Papaioannou Kostas}

I got to try so many restaurants, too (at the cost so much moolah, obviously) with my friends from work. The best thing about going out was trying something new, like eating food I have never tried before or playing Xbox and Nintendo Switch with work friends (and testing our apparently nonexistent gaming teamwork). I would never have done them alone. Alone, I would drag myself to McDonald's maybe, and order my usual meal. I wouldn't have entered Play Nation Ph, and played Xbox and Switch and enjoyed myself. I wouldn't have bothered lining up an hour just to get into an unlimited samgyeopsal restaurant, and treating myself with ultimate cravings.

I love how I got to know the people around me more in the last few months. It was something I avoided before (social anxiety), but now I know of the many gaps in my connections this avoidance has yielded. Being around with people more also improved how I got along with my research colleagues, and I so appreciate how my immediate supervisor had been very understanding up until this point (even when he was soooo busy).

4. Studies

Finally, the last 64 days saw my resolve to push forward with graduate school. I intend to enlist for Masters in Science in Computer Science in the coming semester, and I again appreciate how supportive my friends, colleagues, and family were about this. While this goal hasn't been realized just yet, my online courses with the University of Michigan through Coursera and DOST-PCIEERD have been going on so well. It was a grueling 6 months of online studies, but I just keep learning so much! I still have more than a month of online coursework to finish, and yet I feel so accomplished already.

Stephen Hawking had once advised to never giving up work. It gives life meaning and purpose. I guess I am one of the lucky ones to have found something I love doing, and I don't intend to give it up.

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Sooo... yeah, that's my past 64 days in a nutshell. :) It was nice sharing stuff back here again.