I want to believe that my week has become somewhat productive. I say somewhat simply because the weekend is still a day away. Last Monday, and after giving it some thought for a number of days, I decided to visit the campus of my alma mater in Morong, Rizal to submit some documents upon the recommendation of two of my friends from college.
Since the pandemic started in 2020, next to becoming conscious with regards to hand hygiene, embarking on certain activities like traveling was something that I have hesitated on doing. Blame it on me being a bit of a hypochondriac, but this health crisis caused me to be a little paranoid about being exposed to the virus when taking public transportation with several people -- to think that I am already fully vaccinated.
For two years, the four corners of our home has been my so-called "bomb shelter". While there would be times I would leave the house, my travels were limited to short-distance locations (or places that can be reached in an hour or less). And while I no longer find traveling to the busy and polluted streets of Metro Manila to be appealing, I discovered that the exact opposite is what I am feeling as I went to several towns in Rizal and nearby provinces, such as that of Laguna which I visited back in February. Indeed, there's really something about being in a province that you will appreciate every once in a while. To me I guess, it's the surroundings and the fact that commuting and the traffic isn't traumatizing and exhausting.
I haven't been to the Morong campus for almost two decades. Save for a very short visit to a friend six years ago while I was preparing for the Civil Service Exam, the last time I was here was in 2003 to watch the intramurals as I was part of the publication team from the Angono campus assigned to cover the different events for the school paper. And while the main building still looks the same, a few things no longer aren't. Gone were the days when this used to be flocked by students who are passing by to go from one college building to another, or by athletes either practicing or preparing for their sepak takraw match during sports competitions.
After submitting my documents, my friend Jon gave me a quick tour of their office where I met his boss, Dr. Marilou Pantaleon, who is the Director of the Center for Lifelong Learning. My former publication adviser (and Jon's other half), Ma'am Cez arrived together with their daughter (who is also my inaanak), Ciljon just as Jon and I were trying to decide what to get for lunch. We ended up driving to the nearby town of Baras to bond over food and surprisingly, talk about the recently-concluded trial between ex-celebrity couple Johnny Depp and Amber Heard.
It really is surprising when you think what 20 years can do. Jon's office is busy preparing for the required documents because they will open slots for the LET review and soon, the campus will start to accept aspiring individuals who are planning to be part of the medical profession. While Jon candidly told me to apply, I knew that that's going to involve some discernment on my part; because next to my age, the specialization that I wanted to pursue is so rare and will take a good number of years to complete.
Two decades may have passed but I must admit that nothing beats the nostalgia of walking along a school ground or sitting inside a classroom . A student's "new normal" is so much different nowadays that when Ma'am Cez showed me this room, I seized the chance to have this photo. A reminder that for once, in the midst of a still chaotic period of pandemic and economic constraints, I had the moment to be nothing but an ordinary student again whose only concern then were about grades, being part of campus clubs and graduating (okay, and maybe a bit of college romance in between).
At the end of the day, my trip to a neighboring town proved to be worth it. Next to having accomplished something on my list, the decision to go on an unplanned getaway not only allowed me to meet people (both old and new ones), but to somehow go back to a nostalgic part of my past. It's a must to explore the outside world because it can really aid in making you calmer, more focused and even healthier (in my case, I scored 12 heart points and made 4,700 steps just by going from one department to another). And to simply put the advice that I read from a book's chapter, the outdoors are full of possibilities, and you just need to get out there. There's a huge and joyous world outside a bomb shelter!
