I Traded One Exhausted Day for Waves, Warm Plates, and a Full Heart

Our adult years have changed us in many ways possible. From slow life, we transitioned into working adults who are exhausted and conditioned to go with the fast demands of life just to meet our needs. Sometimes, we forget we are humans. That we are also wired to rest and relax when we need it. Because living is not always fair to everyone, some of us trade our bodies and minds for success and survival. How far will we go if we would always think this way? Well, the answer depends on one's situation. I just hope we get to live the life we deserve—which is happy and mentally satisfying.

As someone who makes time to pause from everything, days that are not busy are always an opportunity for me to rest. We are all exhausted in different ways, and two things, I say, push us more to be successful: the hope that everything will pay off and the love we have for what we are doing. May we all not run out of chances to rest and acknowledge our tiredness.

Today, I had a pause I needed so much to recharge and prepare myself for the busy weeks to come. I’m grateful I have chances to relax, and in this blog, I'll share with you the things that made me restful and happy today.

A BEACH THERAPY WITH MY BOYFRIEND

The weather in our town is not vibrant today but it is still alive. Clouds are overcast, the wind blows cold, and the overall mood of the town is weary and cozy. I thought of sleeping the whole day, as I always thought of rest as “sleeping.” But today, the water called me and invited me for a swim under the weary sky that gave us tiny droplets of rain while we enjoyed our moment in the sea. The beach is just a 15-minute walk from my house, and my boyfriend was with me, so we just walked together to the seaside and found out how high the tide was. It made us more interested in swimming and enjoying our little moments, and we talked about us and some random topics we came up with. It was actually so cold, but I forgot it when my boyfriend was beside me talking about life.

GREAT FOODS FROM NEAREST CAFE

One thing I realized these days is that love is food shared at a table. Before I met my boyfriend, I was not a fan of food. But things changed when he arrived. He showed me the beautiful part about food and sharing it with someone I hold dear. Now, I enjoy eating food spontaneously or planned, and have eaten different kinds because of him.

After our relaxing swim at the beach, we headed to the local cafe just near the beach to fill our rumbling stomachs. There were many people there when we arrived, and I was a bit shy visiting it wet and full of sand. But we still sat at our table, and my boyfriend's plate was next to mine. The kind of view I always love to encounter.

We ordered two pork chops with double rice, pastil with siomai, and pastil with lumpiang Shanghai for the food, and two blue lemonades for both of us as drinks. We talked about random things while eating, and it was great to see him eating with me again. Such a view gives me butterflies in my stomach. I know we are already in a relationship, but I still have a huge crush on him.

We left the cafe immediately after eating because it was kind of cold since the fan was facing us. I was still wet by the time we finished our meal, so we walked and searched for another warm spot.

A BLACK FOREST ICE-CREAM

I guess it was not a warm spot eventually because my boyfriend stopped at a local ice cream store to buy one. I didn't have ice cream because I was so full from what we ate. It was three cups of rice in total, and I usually consume just one cup of rice. I was really full; it made me feel nauseous.

I bought my boyfriend a Black Forest ice cream. He loves Black Forest, whether it is an ice cream or a cake. It was still cold, but the room appeared warm when the staff initiated a conversation with us. She is also gay, and she wanted to talk with us because she found us cute. That was what she said, for the record. After the conversation, I realized maybe it is another way life presents us perspectives of what being gay means. The conversation was wholesome, and we enjoyed talking with that staff. Conversations like that will occur for sure as we navigate our lives together as a gay couple.

A BROWNIES, SANDWICH, GRAPES, SLICED MANGOES, AND OUR FAVORITE GO-TO ICE CREAM

After eating, we got home to rest for a while and met again at night. I prepared brownies and a sandwich for my boyfriend, which I unexpectedly learned he also matched with my favorite fruits—grapes and mangoes. We really share food and make sure we have food whenever we meet. This is how we make our dates more romantic and enjoyable. The best part of dating with food is how we remember each other's favorites. We always try to give attention to what we like and eat it the next time around. So, I say, love is food shared at a table and love is remembering.

Days like this remind me that rest does not always mean sleep. Sometimes it is saltwater on the skin, cold wind on the face, shared meals, random conversations, and familiar laughter beside you. Pausing is not being unproductive—it is being human. And if life continues to be demanding and fast, I hope we still find small pockets of slow moments like this, where our hearts feel full, our minds feel quiet, and we remember why we keep going.