by Flaer de Leon || Photo Credit: BusinessWorld Online

Another year, another adventure. 

Here we are again, at the precipice of a new year. There is comfort in the familiarity of the chaos. Fireworks light up the sky, laughter fills each home and street, children puff into their party horns, and the music is so loud it vibrates the ground. The end of this year feels all so nostalgic and yet it couldn’t be much more different than the last. After all, nothing is immune to change. In a world where everything is temporary, change seems to be the only thing constant in our lives.

Over the course of the last year, we have cried and laughed, with friends and family and sometimes even alone. We’ve been put in situations where our cores were left shaken and where we questioned our reason for being yet again. We have gained new experiences,  heartbreak, and insights on reality. I doubt any of us are the same as we were last December and now we’re getting ready yet again for a new year. Another year of expecting the unexpected, riding the waves of life, and adapting to the ever-changing. 

I admit, the future is daunting. The uncertainty that comes along with it causes anxiety and overthinking. Especially as Pisay scholars who undergo increasing expectations with different subjects and non-academic requirements almost every year, the added stress of the incoming year is debilitating. As a Grade 11 student, I don’t even know which college I’ll get into or if I’ll still even be a scholar by next year. There are multiple possibilities that come with the new year and a hundred things could go wrong. 

But then again, a hundred things could also go right. There are multiple amazing possibilities and some of those are that I might get into a college abroad or if I work hard enough I might become a Director’s Lister. The uncertainty of the future is what makes it daunting but it is the very thing that makes it exciting. Anything is possible, the future is not limited by the past. 

We may not know what the future might bring but we face it nonetheless. We didn’t come this far to only get this far. In the currents of change, we ride the crest and troughs. And so we continue, as Pisay scholars we continue to fight for what is right and continue to pursue excellence.

With courage as our armor, perseverance as our shield, and kindness as our weapon, we get ready for another adventure. 

Are you ready for your quest, explorer?