IN MY ANNUAL REVIEW, as usual, I measure the year’s successes and failures and what I learned from them. “The days are long but the years are short,” says author Gretchen Rubin. It’s incredible how much can happen in one short year. Here’s a review of 2018, hoping that it serves as a blueprint for
FOR ALL OF US, EVERY YEAR IS A MIX OF GOOD AND BAD. I hope that you looked back at your year, not wishing it was different but as an opportunity to move forward and make yourself better.
THIS TIME LAST YEAR, I was engaged and giving my all at work. Today, I just came back from a 2-day vacation in Boracay and had dinner with my husband and 16 members of his immediate family and in-laws. I’m also about to start my new job. What 365 days can do! There’s a
I’LL REMEMBER 2015 AS ONE OF THE BEST YEARS of my life. This year, I started working at JFDI.Asia, settled in Cebu after being so homesick, traveled to several destinations around the Philippines and spent two weeks in Hawaii. Best of all I got married to Jovi, who turned out to be an excellent travel buddy!
“THE YEAR I SAW BEAUTIFUL THINGS.” That’s how I’d describe 2014. It’s the year I got engaged to Jovi, worked my first job out of college, learned to cook and bake, and hiked and explored countless trails in San Diego — my home for the year. How blessed is a hiker’s life. Me at San Jacinto
I SAT IN FRONT OF JAN YANEHIRO IN HER 79 New Montgomery office at downtown San Francisco. She’s dressed in a yellow wool jacket over a black top and long pants. Her gently parted bangs and lilac-colored eyeshadow struck me first as I stare at her. “Crystal, your voice tends to fall off
At 13 years old, it was a rough life for me. Inspired by Simple Dollar’s Trent, today I write about what I wish I knew ten years ago. —— Dear Crystal, Today you are 23 years old. You’re leaving the US after five years of building a life there, worked and saved the most you’ve
This is part 2 of my “21 Things I’ve Learned In 21 Years” series. For Part 1, click here. ——- 12. Be impeccable with words, from Don Miguel Ruiz. I became a lot more quiet after learning that “you never have to apologize for anything you didn’t say.” I used to be tactless. Then I realized people don’t
(This is the continuation of my ‘Saving Money’ series. For Part 1, click here.) The book that started it all for me: “Your Money Or Your Life” SAVING MONEY TIP #3 – CREATE BARRIERS The illusion of superiority states we are not who we think we are. So, it helps to have specific
MONEY HAS ALWAYS BEEN a fascinating subject. Growing up, I witnessed how different social classes operate. Unlike the U.S. with a middle class, the Philippines’ rich and poor are two very different animals. We had friends who could not put food on the table; at the same time, we mingled with kids who had