Girl on top

It's been two weeks since I moved out of our family home and into this rented bed space in Kapitolyo, Pasig, where I am writing this blog post now. The monstrous traffic in the metro has compelled me to finally make this move, and I'm not regretting it.

In fact, I'm enjoying the convenience of living close to my place of work. I get to the office on time, if not earlier. If I have an early-morning call time for a shoot, I no longer panic as I plan my route; I no longer have EDSA to avoid. I can wake up at 9 a.m. when the previous night was so exhausting and still be able to get to the office by 10 a.m., when we are all required to be there.

Of course, being on my own requires a lot of adjustment. I share the bedroom with three other girls. That means, I shouldn't keep my things just lying around--nobody wants a slob for a roommate. I like how the four of us have carved our personal spaces in our room: where we hang our clothes, where we leave our shoes, and where we keep our personal belongings. I like how the four of us get along and get kilig when we watch James Reid and Nadine Lustre on On the Wings of Love every night.

I now buy my own toiletries, when before, I just use whatever family-size shampoo, toothpaste, and soap we buy from the grocery. I buy my own bread--literally--for breakfast. Last Monday, after work, I swung by Iko's and bought two loaves of potato cheese bread (it was yummy!) to be my breakfast and snack for two days. Then, the other night, I swung by Pioneer Center to buy bread and peanut butter to be my breakfast for the next few days. We cannot cook in the boarding house, but we have a microwave oven for reheating food. We even have a refrigerator for storing food. Everything is cool.

We have spaces where we can do our laundry and hang our clothes after. And that's what I did this morning. Last weekend, I washed my clothes at home when I got there late afternoon--to my mother's surprise. She can be a little territorial when it comes to chores at home. She asked me why I still washed my clothes when she would wash them come Monday. I told her I want the laundry to be done so I can bring my clothes back to the boarding house the next day. I can do it myself, so she has nothing to worry about.

I'm a girl on top...of the double deck, that is. There are two double decks in our room, and I occupy one of the top spaces. I see this as something great, because being on the top bed allows me to have a little private sanctuary. When I literally climb to bed every night, I feel like I'm in my own nest. I can read with my LED flashlight, surf the net, or simply just lay there dreaming. In the morning, because my roommates have to be at work earlier than I have to, I sleep peacefully as they go about doing their morning routines.

Being in Kapitolyo is great, not just because of the many restaurants the neighborhood is known for, but also because it is quiet and safe. There are security guards around the neighborhood, and people are nice. I'm happy to be here.

So cheers to my new home. I'm glad I made this move, because now that I'm not wasting precious hours stuck on traffic, I can finally focus in being a girl on top, at work and in life.