My Way of Celebrating My 19th Birthday: Simple yet Memorable

Hi everyone! It's great to be back again with another blog. Today, I'll share my experience of how I spent my simple yet memorable birthday. It was my most unique and fascinating birthday because I celebrated it exactly how I wanted with simplicity.

PS: Sorry I haven't post a blog these days guys because I had a mental break down for some personal reason. So it's good to be back and I'll appreciate your support.

---

📍SM Seaside City Cebu

The day before my birthday, I celebrated with my family: my mother, aunt, and cousins. We went to SM Seaside, where my mother bought a new phone. I suggested she get the OPPO 17 since she loves taking selfies and it has great megapixels and is very affordable. However, she preferred the OPPO 18, so I let her choose it. Despite this, I was still glad to see her happy with her new phone.

---

Mother's New Phone📱✨

I had dreamed of buying her a new phone because she deserves it. She always puts us first and rarely buys anything for herself. She is a loving mother, and I am grateful for her. Someone with a kind heart blessed her with the money to buy her phone. Although I couldn't be the one to buy it with my own money, I was happy to see her precious and priceless smile on the day before my birthday, her happiness mean the world to me. I hope that one day, I can buy her anything she wants because she deserves anything to be happy after all her sacrifices for us.

---

Let's Eat!😋🍽️

We ate at one of our favorite restaurants, Ribshack Grill, located on the second floor, Cube Wing, at SM Seaside. It’s open Monday to Sunday from 10 AM to 8 PM. Despite its name, Ribshack Grill offers more than just ribs; they also serve chicken, fish, and beef, all grilled. However, we only ordered the ribs.

The concept is similar to Mang Inasal, with unlimited rice. The ribs were soft and tender, making them quite good. The ambiance was clean and pleasant, and you can see them grilling the food.

The prices are very practical, making it affordable for everyone, especially those on a tight budget. The rice and sauces are filling and tasty together. Even with just a little portion of ribs, I managed to add 4-5 cups of rice! This restaurant is great for people who love rice and are not on a diet. Ribshack Grill is highly recommended.

---

Taking A Break😪🏙️

---

We entered Sky Park, SM Seaside's recreational area, located on the 3rd floor. There, you can take a leisurely walk and enjoy the fresh air and fascinating seaside view. The park is spacious, allowing my cousin to run around, and it has a playground. We sat on the grass and took some pictures of the beautiful scenery. Unfortunately, my back camera was broken and hasn't been fixed yet, so I only have a few pictures from that time.

---

Going Home🛣️🏡

To ride a MyBus back home, we needed to get a ticket first and wait for a bus with available seats. In the waiting area, many people were waiting, and it took almost half an hour, possibly because it was late at night and many people were heading home. But we can wait patiently since we're comfortable waiting there somehow.

---

When we finally on the bus, some of us had to stand because there were no available seats. Eventually, we managed to find vacant seats and were happy to sit and relax on the way home. We're grateful to God for a safe trip and satisfied with our day because everything went well.

---

The Day of My Birthday🥳🎉

My boyfriend took me to hang out at Naga Plaza with his cousin Khariz and her boyfriend, making it a sort of double date HAHAHAHAHA. But before that, we went to Metro because my boyfriend wanted to buy me a birthday gift. He's such a thoughtful boyfriend, and I appreciate him a lot.

---

At The Metro🥹🤍

He said he would buy me the lipstick I really wanted as a gift, and I was so happy and excited when he said that. He was so cute helping me find the right shade, and I admired him even more for it. However, the Maybelline lipstick was a bit too expensive for me, and the price had already increased huhuhu.

---

What Shade Would It Be?🤔💄

I had a hard time choosing between three shades of Maybelline Super Stay Matte Ink Liquid Lipstick because they were all nice. Khariz suggested the shade Amazonian (70), which looks natural and has a nude color. After buying it, I went to the girls' restroom to try it on because I was excited to see how it looked on me. It really suited me since I don't like too bright colors. I didn't take a picture of the lipstick on my lips, but you can search for it online for more reviews.

---

Balut At Naga Plaza😋

Do you know that in the Philippines, eating balut holds a special place in our hearts? Many Filipinos love its taste despite its appearance. Balut is a fertilized duck egg that hasn't hatched and is boiled before eating. It's known to be nutritious, and some believe it strengthens the knees and has medicinal properties. Some people eat balut without looking at the embryo to avoid feeling grossed out. It is commonly sold as street food, and the length of incubation before cooking typically ranges from 14 to 21 days.

While we were eating balut, the four of us weren't satisfied with just one. My boyfriend ate four, I had six, and both Khariz and her boyfriend had five each. I was so happy because it was my first time finishing six baluts, and my boyfriend paid for his and mine. This birthday was really memorable, and I enjoyed it with simplicity with these people I am with.

---

Craving For An Ice Cream🍦

After eating balut, me and my boyfriend went to Miguelitos Ice Cream, one of my favorite brands. This time, it was my treat. Miguelitos Ice Cream offers 80% less sugar soft serve ice cream in flavors like chocolate, vanilla, avocado, and mango, as well as unique local flavors such as ube (purple yam) and coconut. I ordered the popular Hyped Mango graham for myself, and my boyfriend had a Belgian cone with flavors ube and mango. The ice cream was creamy and delicious. I hope we can enjoy it together again soon. I highly recommend it!

---

Roaming Naga Plaza At Night🌉🌟

Walking around the plaza made me realize so many things about life. I'm only 19, but it already feels more challenging than before. Problems are getting harder and more stressful, my future is undecided, and I often question myself. Is this where I'm going to be? I still don't know which path to take, what my desires are, or what I'm truly good at. Should I follow what others want me to become? I'm struggling and feel like I might fail at everything I try.

I have so many "what ifs": What if I don't like the path I choose? What if I'm just stuck here? I feel pressured. But I'm trying to comfort myself by remembering that I'm still young. I'm too young to rush things but too old to waste time, especially with these negativities. I shouldn't overthink my entire life right now.

Just Take A Deep Breath😮‍💨🍃

As I looked at the view and spent time with the person I was with, I took a deep breath to relieve my stress. I realized I shouldn't worry about the future too much. I should focus on the present and work on improving myself and building my self-confidence. This way, I'll be better prepared to handle whatever the future brings. I know this is just a stage of growing up, and sooner or later, I'll be able to overcome it all.

So to those feeling what I’m feeling, take it easy. Just take a deep breath and allow yourself to regroup and refocus. If things don’t go as planned, let it be. God has a better plan, and great things are waiting for you. Your hard work is never in vain. Reward and appreciate yourself for trying and never stop. Every experience, even failures, teaches you something valuable. Look for the positives in everything. Your journey is unique and full of opportunities. Believe in yourself and your ability to overcome. Keep moving forward with hope and determination. Your journey is just in the beginning. We should thank God for these challenges and moments; they make us better, stronger, and wiser.

---

Thank you for reading my blog about my day's journey and the realizations I've had about life. I truly appreciate your support. Please continue to follow along. Until my next blog, take care, keep believing in yourself, and see you then!