HOW MY 2017 WENT

Hi there! It's the last hour of 2017 and so I just wanted to share how my year went. I think I owe you this one since I only shared 8 blog posts for this year, so here it is:

January: The day we've all been waiting for! Finally, Vichien gave birth to Vianna Flor B. Evangelista, a very cute and chubby baby girl :) My family and I have been waiting for this to happen because we were all excited to meet her. The day before it happened, we went to Vichien's OB-Gyne to have her weekly check up. We actually weren't expecting for her to give birth the next day but her doctor said it's time! So, we kind of panicked because our parents were in Isabela at that time! But we did know what to do anyways. We went to the hospital the next day and then waited. And voila! Welcome to the world, Vianna! :) / Also, before all that happened, we went to Zambales with my family. Read more about it here.

February: Spent Valentine's day with my mother and my aunt at Secret Haven Cafe. We ate, talked and bought plants after. There's a plant store just beside the cafe :)

March: My family and I went to Makati to get something and then we went to BGC to have lunch/merienda. Also, I got a new phone! ;)

April: My family and I went to Batangas to celebrate my birthday. And then, we went out again to celebrate mama's immigrant status lmao I don't know but yeah and then we drove mama to the aiport on the 8th. Last week of April, we went to Puerto Galera with my family :)

May: Went to La Union with Parekoys (another blog post). I went home to Quezon City for Ella's 15th birthday. We went night swimming, had so much fun! And in the last week of May, it was Vianna's christening so lamon na naman mga 'tsong! Haha

June: To celebrate father's day, we watched Wonder Woman and then had early dinner at Shakey's. And then eat out again with the fam! lol

July: Went to Manila to meet my college bestfriend, Ica and her dog Baobei!! :)

August: It was the first time Vianna tried sitting, but only for a few seconds. Then, my first time eating at a food park with ate Tin's friends/church mates. Also happened, Vianna's first time to swim! It was so fun even though she had no reaction at all lol we also celebrated papa's birthday thru a weekend long of foodtrip hahaha and then on the 27th, mommy's 1st death anniversary we had a boodle fight. Last week of August, I went to Manila to see my cousins :)

September: Finally met with my best friend after so many years! charot but it felt like it huhu we just shared stories with each other the whole 1-2 hours? and then we had dinner. Also, September had a few beautiful sunsets which I was thankful for because I loooooove sunsets. My family and I went to National Museum, it was my first time! I loved it. Especially the photograpy part, I think it was on the 2nd/3rd floor? omg i cant remember but I loved it. ANNNNDDDDD the best thing that ever happened to me this month...... Purpose Tour!!!! was cancelledt lmao i'm still bitter up to this day because leche talaga to si Justin, paasa. hahahaha charot still love him though pero I almost didn't see him (nung hindi pa niya kina-cancel) I was supposed to get the Lower box tix but papa didn't allow me, hindi daw practical. true pero Justin yun e :( So I bought a gen ad ticket from another fan na lang, tapos the next day nag-cancel si Justin hahaha yaw q na

October: My cousins and I tried the Nuclear noodles challenge??? Basta yung Samyang lol and shocks ang its soooo spicy (malamang hahaha). My grandmother treated us to dinner for JM's birthday at Vikings! Went to Nuvali for my lolo's house turn over. Movie date with papsi, ate and Fedz. Huhubels with Tita Mau went to Caleruega and the Gingerbread House. YAAAYYYYY

November: We lost one of my grandmothers, mama Ding. She was close to mommy. After the burial, we had dinner to celebrate mommy's birthday. My family and I went to Padre Pio Batangas. And then, Papsi, Mikhail, ate and I celebrated her birthday at Okada. We had early dinner first at Seafood Island. And then the day after, my cousins and I ate at Onyang's, ate's treat!

December: I finally changed my blog's name to MY NAME and I also got a domain!! It was on sale so I bought it since I wanted to try it for a long time now. I still don't know how it works but i'm still learning lol more gala and selfies with Vianna and went to ate Tin's church in Silang to celebrate watch their Christmas concert. Christmas Eve with huhubels :)

I've experienced a lot this year, from celebrating life to being depressed (I shouldn't have diagnosed myself because i'm not a professional, but i'm pretty sure I was), to eating my heart out to going on a diet again, also, self realization and self discovery have happened this year too, which i'm sure I will write another blog post about, hopefully. lol

2018 is only an hour away and I only wish for good things to happen like:

• acceptance
• stability
• safety/security
• a job (hopefully & finally)
• more travel
• more self confidence
• more life lessons
• good health for me and my family
• be healthier
• closer relationship with God
• to find my purpose in life
• hopefully world peace and end hunger and poverty :(

I wish you enjoyed 2017 as much as I enjoyed it and have a great and wonderful new year ahead! Cheers to life!

Much love,

Gjanelli

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YOU DESERVE HAPPINESS

Stop focusing all of your energy on finding love. Yes, you deserve someone who texts you back and answers your calls and keeps their promises. Yes, you deserve someone who tells you the truth and treats you as an equal and never does anything to intentionally hurt you. 

But that isn't the only thing that you deserve. You deserve more than unconditional love, more than a romantic relationship.

You deserve to find happiness. You deserve to wake up in the morning and hop out of bed without even thinking about smashing snooze because you are excited to start your day. Because you have great things ahead of you. Because you have milestone moments you are looking forward to experiencing.

You deserve to find peace. To accept the mistakes you've made in the past because nothing can change them. To accept the way things turned out because then you can focus on the future. You deserve to accept who you are.

You deserve to feel alive. You deserve to feel adrenaline course through your veins and feel your heart pumping extra fast. You deserve to find that one thing that makes you feel like you matter, like you are worth something, like there is a reason you were placed on this earth.

You deserve to be loved — and not just by someone who kisses your lips goodnight. You deserve family members who make a point to treat you with respect instead of acting like you're still a child. You deserve to be loved by the people surrounding you.

Most importantly, you deserve to be loved by yourself. You deserve to look into the mirror and actually like what you see. You deserve to look at old photographs of yourself and think about how much fun you had that night instead of worrying about how ugly your smile looked. You deserve to become friends with your own reflection.

You deserve a life that you are proud of living. A life that makes you feel fulfilled. A life that makes you realize how much you mean to this world.

Disclaimer:

Words by: @hollyyrio

Posted by: Thought Catalog on Instagram

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LIFE LATELY

Hi journal, it's me again. Sorry for being MIA for a while. I didn't mean to. I think I don't have to say why because I always say it every time i'm back to writing a new blog post. I just came back to say i'm still alive. lol I can't say that a lot has happened. You know me, there's not much happening in my life because I don't go out a lot. So far, nothing has changed except maybe I was at a happy place and now i'm back to I don't know even know how to describe my life. I feel like i'm just floating around and I know I should do something about it. Should've done something long time ago. But here I am, still stuck.

Anyways, hopefully I finish this blog post before I start to feel lazy again. To be honest, I miss this. I want to share a lot. I know I said nothing's happened but it's the little things that matter to me. And as you can see, I changed my blog's name. AGAIN. I'm sorry, for a person who seems to be stuck, I like to change things every now and then. As you all know, wanderer means 'a traveler'. I don't travel a lot because i'm basically broke lol but I like to travel a lot. Like a lot. I actually miss traveling. Last time I traveled with family was last May, I think. That'll be for another blog post.

So lately, my life has been the same. Sometimes, I go out with family and I also went to see my best friend last month and my other best friend last July. Most of the time, I watch tv. Sometimes, I read a book or two. Sometimes, I go to visit my baby niece and play with her. So there's that I guess. Somehow, being stuck isn't that bad. But it gets tiring sometimes. You know, doing the same things everyday again and again. I also felt really distant with God lately. Actually, I think it's been a few months now. I read my daily devotion and the Bible everyday but I didn't seem to connect to it. I guess until last night. Last night, I was reading my daily devotional email from Proverbs 31 Ministries, it's about giving up. There's an excerpt: 

The day I said “I can’t take this anymore,” I felt like giving up. Maybe you’ve felt that way, too.

But upon uttering those words and admitting my weakness, I felt a nudge to my spirit. I knew I needed to focus on God instead of my circumstances and worries. I needed to refocus on what He had done in my life, rather than what He had not yet done. I needed to believe instead of doubt Him, and place my trust in the only One who actually could fix things. As I intentionally adjusted my focus, hope and peace slowly returned. Faith alone helped me to God-up instead of give up. Not because I had the strength to do so, but because I had God’s strength within me which pushed me forward in faith, just like the apostle Paul.

I definitely relate to this one. I know, right? God is really amazing. Just when I thought of really giving up, He gives me to read this one thru my daily devotional. I'm honestly getting goosebumps while writing this. I know I have a lot of shortcomings when it comes to my faith but it never really wavered. I realized that I never lost my faith in God, just in myself. I keep on asking God for what my purpose in life is because i'm honestly tired of looking or thinking about what it is. But then, I remembered this one daily devotion i've read from days ago, that I should just let go and let God. I know He has something planned for me. I just don't know what is it yet and i'm willing to wait. I never really question what God is planning for me because I know He's got this. Now, I just need to figure out what to do with myself. How to boost my confidence again because I seem to fail at everything nowadays. But that is a learning process everyday. I feel like i'm slowly getting to it and I know God will always guide me whenever and however, no matter what. 

So if you're on the verge of giving up or already gave up, I suggest to get back up and God-up and always remember that God always shows up.

P.S. I posted a link on the Something To Inspire You tab if you want to get your own daily devotional :)

"Maybe for reasons only you and God know, you’ve found yourself saying “I can’t take anymore,” too. Maybe giving up hope about that difficult situation, problem or relationship seems easier than hanging on to it. It’s okay. Everyone struggles with those thoughts and feelings at times. But like Paul, the moment we catch ourselves feeling that way we can choose to give up or God-up. We can let our thoughts and feelings deplete us of strength, hope and joy, or we can lean fully into God and ask for Him to carry us in our weakest moments. When we God-up, instead of give up, God will always show up."

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