What's in there?

I don't have a car, so I don't have a glovebox. However, there is something that I want to share and show you. It's something really special to an old soul like me.

It's an old shoe box of my shoes I wore in university. It used to be a much smaller box, but I had to use a much bigger one to fit in more items. And as the tag says, it's my Memory Box and I'd like to use this opportunity to show you what's inside. :)

They're mostly letters and pictures, but each of them tells a story. I won't be sharing every story since it'll take me ages to finish, but I'd tell you some highlights and explain why I kept them through the years.

Majority of the pictures in this box are from the time I taught in the English academy. My year there is one of the most eventful year of my life and I want to treasure these pictures my students gave me as remembrance. It's been 9 years since then, but I still keep in touch with some of my closest ones. And hopefully, I'd get to meet them again. I met some of them before the pandemic happened because they try to reach me every time they visit the Philippines. I surely have laughed and cried with these bunch. <3

They sure have taught me a lot of things in life... and I'm glad I was able to do the same. :)





These are printouts of my favorite Japanese idol group. I became a fan more than 10 years ago... they helped me a lot when I was depressed after taking a break from school due to my surgery. They helped me keep going. Ironically, I also felt really sad when the six-member group became four... and now, they're just three. I still support them, though. But the feeling I had when they were six was the best!

I used to put these on my wall... to remind me to keep moving forward, and now... they're in my memory box. I'll do my best to keep moving forward... one step at a time. :)

These are remnants of some of my favorite things. They're mostly broken keychains and accessories. Couldn't throw them away, so I kept them in my memory box.

It's my nameplate and ties from both of the nursing schools I went to. I didn't know these were inside my box. I guess I did treasure my student nurse life after all.

I don't know why, but I also kept some of the dedication cards of the gifts I received from my parents and bestie. haha I believe I wasn't expecting them and got sentimental?

This is the oldest letter I kept in this memory box. It's from my best friend in third grade elementary, so this more than 20 years old now. She gave me this letter because we're going to be apart. I transferred to another school in fourth grade due to health reasons.

This is the first Japanese letter I received. It's from my first Japanese student in the English Academy. She gave this to me during her graduation. I should really get back to studying Japanese soon... xD

OMG!!!! This is so nostalgic. This is from a virtual friend way back 2010. In this letter, she called me "HIKARU" because it was my character in our roleplay. haha Every time I participate in a roleplay online, I usually become a male character. The "Akira" she mentioned was my girlfriend from that roleplay. hahah It really takes me back. I wonder how they are now. xD

These are from my bestie... She used to give me looooong letters with drawings on my birthday... the cupid one was for Valentine's day when we were still students. haha I have kept all of the letters she gave me since then because they're my treasure... same goes for these pictures. They're mostly pictures we took during our dates and cosplay events. I miss you, neechan!!! Hope to see you soon.. T_T

I'm such an old soul. I even kept these small notes. There are more of these inside... These are some notes I received from my friends in high school. Reading them makes me feel nostalgic. It reminds me of what kind of person I was... or if I ever changed. I remember them calling me a "counsellor" back then because they usually tell me their deepest thoughts and problems. They said it just happens naturally. xD

These are some of the letters I received from my students. These are really precious to me, because it reminds me of why I chose to be a teacher. They truly encourage me to continue doing my best. People come and go, but I'm glad I'm able to have an impact in someone's life.


Lastly, I want to show this certain letter... because it's kind of related to another topic for this weekend's engagement...

The romantic you

I have never been in an official romantic relationship, but I believe this was the closest I have ever been.

One of my students in the academy introduced me to her friend because she knows that friend and I would get along... and she was right. We have the same hobbies and interests that the day we were first introduced felt like years of already knowing each other. For months that he stayed in the Philippines, we were able to hangout a lot and grew pretty close.

During his graduation, I gave him a letter telling him how I felt about him... and how I felt about everything we've been through. (There was a lot of drama during his last few weeks... haha) I remember writing a poem for him in that letter as well.

The day after his graduation, he went to our house because we planned on hanging out the whole day for the last time before he goes back to Japan. He handed me this letter... and it was his response to mine. He cried a lot that day. hahaha

Sadly, it didn't work out for both of us. The priorities we had that time weren't really in line with romance or being in a committed relationship... and the time apart plus the distance didn't help, either. The everyday chat turned to weekly, then monthly... and finally occasionally.

We decided to just focus on our lives, but remain friends... or maybe more as a family. Last year, he finally found the one for him. He got married... and I felt like this certain chapter of my life also ended. It's awesome how I haven't really fallen for someone else for the past 8-9 years, even after moving on from him a few years back. haha

Despite that, memories with him will surely remain... those were some of the best days of my life... especially that last day we spent together. ;)

And that's it for this weekend. :) Thanks for the interesting topics once again. See you around!!!