Yesteryear, 2007, I turned 14. I couldn’t believe it; I really was turning to be a teenager. Starting the later months, life became brighter for me - inch by inch, I started to recuperate and to heal from the wounds and scars I regained the past years. My depression was over. I gained friends who would last me a life time. God really pulled me from the dark zone and into the light. I started to become a little angel again, a child before God’s eyes.

I believed 2008 promised me a wonderful roller coaster ride, a ride I won’t ever forget in my life.

I didn’t know how right I was.

This year… There are still two months left before it passes by. In the future, I’ll always reminisce what had and what will take place this year.

March 2008. I turned 15. It was even more of a shock when I found out that I won’t take summer school for my junior year! That meant that I would be able to take part of the JRev Thailand Outreach. I knew this was God’s gift for me, since it would have taken a miracle for me to pass. I became giddy for the next month.

April, May 2008. Sure enough, I did take part of the said Outreach. I was away from my family for almost a month to spread the Word of God in another country which I came to love, Thailand. I experienced things I never thought I would experience… such as riding a motorcycle, not taking a bath for almost three days, jumping off a waterfall, seeing a near-death experience right in front of my eyes, socializing myself with tribes, sleeping at another person’s house, eating very exotic food… many things. For the whole trip… I knew God was by my side, and still is.

I fell in love with God all over again.

The next couple of months were spent reminiscing my time with God’s people… and of course, readying for my college application.

June 2008. I am a certified senior. I’m now a graduating student of the University of Santo Tomas Pay High School, as surprising as it is. I never expected to get this far… and I was thankful for God that he carried me to where I am now. I entered the corridors that’s oh-so-familiar with me… and re-united with my friends. Reminiscing the past while looking at them, I was assured that we really were seniors now - gone were the pastel-colored pigtails and baby-faced guy friends, and was instead greeted with maturity-defining hairstyles and signs of growing moustaches. By the end of the school year, the cliques and quos of this batch of students would join as one in putting on their graduation robes and enter the world of college.

I didn’t know if I was scared or excited. Maybe I was feeling both.

For the next couple of months, events were scattered here and there… but there were a lot of defining moments.

I think the only thing that I feel sorry for is my hair. In less than 10 months, my waist-length hair was curled, cut to mid-length, cut to shoulder-length, cut to chin-length, curled again, and was more than likely abused than what I had already dictated.

My circle of friends became a confusion, a wreck, and then re-bonded. There were a few misunderstandings here and there, a question of who real friends were, and etcetera, but one thing’s for sure - we became stronger than ever. We’re now called the Braguda family. I know you think that the name’s kinda suprising (stupid, to put it more bluntly), but hey - we’re teenagers. We could be weird once in a while, you know. XD

I also experienced one thing I never thought I would - I found real love. Yes, I fell in love. God and he were gracious enough that I was actually able to experience it.

Oops! I won’t give you any more details, and I know I’m too young for that. I won’t pursue anything more; I’m already happy that I got to feel what love is. It’s actually a complicated matter, but all I have to say is that…

Love is so much a wonderful experience, and really is the most powerful thing in the world.

Since I’m still 15, of course I wouldn’t act on it. I love this person, and I respect him too much for that. No, hindi ako lumalandi, as people so lovely call it. As I always say, I’m still too young for love… I’m sure that if God planned it, then I’ll experince love again in the future.

First loves are special…and doesn’t die. He’ll always cross my mind, that’s for sure. ^^

-glare- Don’t tease me, after you read this. I’ll haunt you if you do. XD

That’s all for now. I’m actually sick today and tomorrow’s the start of the second sem… so I’ll stop writing now. Visit my site again if you want to hear more from me. ^^