For the past eight months, I have lived almost 15 hours away from home. The distance has not only been physical, it’s emotional, and the weight of being away from my family has gotten really difficult to bear. It’s not just the miles separating us, but the deep yearning to be in their presence, to share everyday moments, and to feel the comfort of the people who know and love me best.

ImageMichael sat at his desk, absentmindedly scrolling through his emails on his laptop. He clicked through a sea of newsletters, work updates, and random emails. Then, his eyes froze and focused on a particular subject line: “I didn’t mean to hurt you.” His heart skipped for a second. It was from Debby, his ex-girlfriend.

I’ve always believed writing was my sanctuary, my safe place, the one place where my soul could roam free and my thoughts could find clarity. But in the past few weeks, this sanctuary was shaken, leaving me to fight with emotions I never thought I’d face again, not even when it comes to writing.

If anyone told me that I’d truly take content creation seriously, with the little that I have, I’d tell them to stop telling a lie. This applied to both creative writing and video content creation. There was a time in my life when I was drowning in “too much.” Too much at hand, too many ideas with no implementation, and far too little peace. I remember I’d tell myself that “I can do this but not now, I’m not ready just yet.” I knew it was something that I wanted to do but I thought it’s just not the right time.

ImageThe day of the continuous assessment was fast approaching, and all I had learned was nothing but how to panic. Although I had crammed a few parts of the curriculum in the last few hours, it sure wasn’t enough to prepare me for the mountain of materials that I still needed to cover. A part of me felt like I might even forget the crammed note by the time I face the test. I really underestimated the workload, thinking I could pull it all together at the last minute.

Oftentimes, people have tried to categorize my lifestyle “Are you an introvert or an extrovert?” they ask. Well, I always smile and respond, “I’m more of both.” Even in moments of games, “this or that” instagram story template, and generally people trying to get to know me in a new place. They’re intrigued and most of them believe that one must be either of the two. The truth is, I’ve found so much joy and fulfillment in being both - an ambivert, I thrive in the middle of both. I enjoy the balance of connecting with the world I live in and also retreat to connect deeply with myself in my own little space.