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 SERIES IS ABOUT PEOPLE I admire answering the question: “How Do You Learn?” According to the dictionary: learn (verb) means to gain or acquire knowledge of or skill in by study, experience, or being taught. I want, and hopefully my readers as well, to pick up lessons from individuals who are happy, socially responsible and uniquely successful. I started off by
We all have unique beliefs and ways to gather news and information. Lifehacker has a series called, “How I Work“; Oprah is known for her “What I Know For Sure“; and Bianca Gonzales writes for Philstar for “10 Things.” So if you met the person you admire, the best thing to tell them is: “I’m a
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
We used to call her “mongol,” as she is curve-less and skinny as the pencil brand. Somewhere along the way, she learned to line her eyes, grew hair and hips, developed a taste in clothes and some high-caliber golfing skills. “He who does not have an embarrassing childhood photo, cast the first stone.” ::
THE CALLAWAY JUNIOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SHAPED MY CHILDHOOD. Every year, 1200 kids from 56 countries come to San Diego, California, for the biggest international event in the world. It’s one week bundled with a parade, college recruiting and a high-caliber junior golf tournament that produced the likes of Tiger Woods, Jason Day, Rory McIlroy,
IT TOOK ME FIVE YEARS to understand July 4th. To Americans, it might be fireworks, hotdogs and flags. At first I thought it was just a celebration with rambunctious English-speaking folks. Five years later, the meaning evolved much deeper. Umwelt theory, the perception that our “reality is the only reality out there,” plagued me. The
Now as a 23-year old, I have a car, job, dog, and dinner party hosting skills. As an autodidact, I’ve grown up greatly from the last two years, but it’s still sweet to revive my writings from the past. I wrote this on my 21st birthday eve: 21 Things I’ve Learned
Hello! I'm Crystal Neri. I'm a proud Filipina who loves to travel and write. This is where I share everything that I know.