MY UNTOLD STORY: A PERSONAL REFLECTION ON MY LIFE’S TWIST AND TURNS FROM RURAL LIFE TO URBAN LIVING

My life has been a journey filled with unexpected twist and turns and one of the biggest transitions I have faced was moving from my province life to the fast-paced reality of the city.
Hi! I’m excited to finally introduce myself and share my story. My name is Lorlyn Jane Montepolca and you can call me Lj. I am 24 years old and I was born on August 6, 2000 and I live in Baranggay Nangan, Municipality of Governor Generoso, Province of Davao Oriental.

I grew up in a coastal province, where ocean breeze greeted me every morning and the ocean sound became my nighttime melody. My life in the province was slow, peaceful, fresh air, open spaces and the simple joys of rural life.

I was able to eat free fruits and vegetables as well as fresh seafoods every day as fishing is the main source of income in our place. Fishing sustains our community and I am lucky to enjoy and savor it. Straight from the sea to my plate.

I experienced barefoot adventures along the coastline, chasing the tides, collecting seashells, floating, swimming and diving in the sea all day until I get tanned. A place where neighbors felt like a family and the time seemed to move slower.

Back in my elementary and high school days, I was a consistent honor student. I enjoyed reading books, entering declamation speech and spelling bee. I love dancing and I always participate in class. I am surrounded with wonderful friends who bring joy, laughter and unforgettable memories into my life. Each one of them positively contributed to my journey and I cherished every moment we share. Having a friends like them makes my life brighter and I am truly grateful for the happiness and support they bring.

The moment has come to close one chapter and begin another. As I step into university life at Davao City, I leave behind the comfort of home, my family’s warmth and the simplicity of rural living. Facing life alone in the city both exciting and daunting. First night at my boarding house I was crying and unable to sleep as I missed my family and friends. Adjusting to city life has been a challenging journey for me.

I am not used to it and I had a hard time adjusting with the fast-paced lifestyle. Struggling to adjust the unfamiliar environment, busy streets and the feeling of being just another face in the crowd. There were moments of loneliness, times when I questioned myself if I truly belong here.

However, with time I slowly learned to adapt. Through these challenges, I learned resilience and self-reliance. It was a shift challenged me in ways I never anticipated, pushing me out of my comfort zone. I discovered the strength to navigate a world so different from what I had always known. I discovered the hidden beauty of the city, the opportunities it offered, met new people and the experiences that help me grow.

Today, I am currently residing here at Cagayan De Oro City, where I serve as a branch manager of a gasoline station. My role was to operate station daily operation, ensuring excellent customer service and managing the overall productivity of the station. Living here for almost 3 years has taught me valuable lessons about being independent, I have learned to navigate and adapt fast-paced environment, interacting with different people with different culture and being able to handle challenges that come with urban living. My experiences living in the city truly shaped my perspective, strengthened my problem-solving skills and expanded my horizon about the opportunities that come with city life.

When I start living in the city I notice that unlike in the province where the food is often fresh and locally sourced it gives the food an authentic and natural taste. Meanwhile the city foods tend to be more centered around fast-food chain and convenience store especially to working people like me and to students as it is quick and accessible.

To be honest, I found myself becoming obsessed with fast food because of work stress, leaving me mentally drained and physical exhausted and I tend to stress eat. I was drawn to its convenience a quick grabbing meal especially on my busy schedule and made it as a regular part of my routine and soon I craved for it irresistible flavors. Whether it was late-night snack, breakfast, lunch fast food became my go to option. I know it was unhealthy and I regretted it I gained weight from 45kg to 70kg real quick. From being energetic to exhausted one because I have unhealthy lifestyle. Thankfully, I have a supportive partner who helps me cope up with my stress. His encouragement, understanding and his presence make a big difference and reminding me that I am not alone, whether through comforting words, small gestures and simply listening to me his support keeps me back on track and helps me manage my stress in healthier way.

That’s all for now! I hope that you found my story interesting. I have so much to share but I’ll save it for another time. I am new to this platform and still learning, hoping to grow, engaged and benefit financially from this platform. I am grateful to ma’am @antonette for introducing and guiding me with this platform. I am looking forward to discover and uncover new things about myself.
A heartfelt thank you everyone for reading my blog! Stay tuned for more. See you around!

Note: I edited the frame and collage with canva.