Ulog # 2: Setting Things in Order | My Current Situation in a Nutshell

Here I am again, back to my mind palace and writing board. It has been a month since I decided to get back on track in writing here on this platform but things were still pretty shaky post-war (ehem ehem board exams). Yes, I pretty much decided to brand the board exams as one of the most challenging things I had to go through in possible all aspects of my being. It was indeed a gruesome battle and I am still tainted (lol) with the scars and the aftermath of the results. And now I am forced to deal with the circumstances at hand and to make the best of what I have as an Unemployed Registered Nurse of the Republic of the Philippines. Allow me to blurt out how my life has been these past few weeks.

Figuring Out My Career Path

A good friend of mine, @ybanezkim26, was spot-on when he gave a meaningful remark about me being lost and wandering. Indeed, I am flustered with everything that has been going on. I guess much of the trouble my mind is working through has to do with the fact that I postponed all of my plans until after I passed that exam. I usually tell myself back then to focus on studying and I decided to set aside personal goals and hobbies to pave the way for studies. And now that that's over, I am left a pile of options to choose from, not knowing where to even begin with.

One thing is for sure, I will pursue my profession despite the salary undercompensation. I want to give my profession a chance. Nursing has evolved from being a mere vocation to a profession with multiple specializations. I could work in an office as an occupational nurse, or be in a clinic as a school nurse. I could also choose from private clients, hospitalized patients or serving the far off communities of the province. This is were the confusion comes in. I want to pick the best one for me. There will always be a part of me longing to make the correct decision and suddenly find myself utterly satisfied with my choice. I'm pretty sure that's not how it works but my mind still lingers with the thought of trying to make everything right on my first try.

Pursing Part-Time Jobs

While I am still waiting for my application for hospitals, I know better than to wait around like a sitting duck. I applied to one of the in-demand industries there currently is - Home-based Online English as Second Language (ESL) Teacher! Alright haha. Here I am again, waddling my way to get through expenses by teaching foreign students how to speak better English. It's outrageous how this industry is in need of hundreds of teachers to cater the booming demand of English learners. I honestly have no problem as teaching is a very noble and fulfilling job - and if makes my piggy bank happy then I see no reason why I shouldn't dedicate myself into this.

Aside from that, I have had a number of part time job offers as well including being a Reviewer and Test Question Rationalizer for a renowned Review Center, being a part time Basic Education Tutor, and to my surprise, being a Financial Adviser! HAHA. The last one certainly came as a shock for me. Nevertheless, I said yes to all of them HAHAHA. I never say no for an answer. Who knows, maybe I end up better in these jobs than in my beloved profession.

Handling Finances

The graduates weren't joking when they say how difficult it is to manage finances. I have always saved for the rainy days even when I was still in High School and I guess it's safe to say that I saved a quite an amount considering the meager jobs I put myself into while I was still in school. I was a waiter, swimming instructor, tutor and English teacher before. And in each of those payouts, I never lifted a single cent from the entire amount. It was really nice to see how I was able to conjure a considerable amount when I was still in school. Yet in a glimpse, it was indeed very easy for money to be gone like the wind. What was supposed to be an emergency savings fund became more of an all purpose fund in the span of two months.

Since I had no source of income, I used almost half of it to travel to Siargao - this is for another story. It was very rare for me to travel that far and have that amount of cash in my hands so I did kind of lose control over my expenses. While I had the time of my life for 5 days, a huge portion of my savings were definitely washed away, pretty much like the waves in majestic Siargao washing all your worries away lol. I'll surely be saving up to come back to that island.

To top that, I wasn't expecting to get into a fateful accident. I was on my way to Mandaue for my PRC ID when I slipped and landed on my wrists. It was not a delightful sight to see hahaha. To make the long story short, I had a big injury on my wrist and at the middle of the day, I was no longer able to flex my wrist. Of course I was paranoid being aware of how critical it is to receive immediate care for a suspected fracture. In my desperation for immediate treatment, fearing for the fate of my wrist lol, I went to the most convenient hospital. The rest of the story is a financial disaster. Who would have thought it would amount to two thousand just to have an x ray and medical consultation! I clearly wasn't prepared for that incident!

That was the time I could hear @smaeunabs, the author of Pinayteenvestors, and @thegaillery, a delightful pole-dancing financial adviser, telling me how important an emergency fund and an insurance really is. I truly wished I had outpatient care insurance for that incident.

Securing My Future

I can't imagine losing more of my prized savings put to the wrong expenses in the future. I decided to put into good use what I learned ever since I got interested in Stocks, Cryptos, and Financial Literacy - start by building your financial foundation. Then one thing led to another.

Two days after my accident, I decided that I can't depend on my company's HMO in the long term. Most especially, Iit would be a pity to encounter an accident when you are unemployed - Yes, I am the exhibit A. Things don't always go as planned and I didn't imagine it would take this long to get in a hospital which offers Health Insurance Benefits. I knew I had to make a step ahead - I decided to get my own Insurance Policy at Sun Life.

I can still remember the times when @ybanezkim26, @namranna, @smaeunabs, @jcvertucio, @legendarryll, @thegaillery and I used to meet up and discuss our financial goals HAHAHA while talking about crypto, insurances, and financial freedom. I learned big time in those talks and I am very grateful for everyone who shared their expertise in finances during those moments. I know I would not have taken this step if not for you guys.

I am now even considering opening an account at this brokerage firm, Col Financial, which allows you to day trade in the stock market. I just attended one of their weekly seminar a few hours ago and I could not be any more excited to soon invest in stocks and mutual funds when I have already established my financial foundation.

Steemit?

I am pretty sure that I will be very busy with the jobs I got myself into in the next month. I do hope I can keep on posting still. Maybe not as much as I used to but hopefully more frequent, more informative, and more in tune with the original direction of this blog. I can't keep up with the recent news in the market so I'd prefer a low profile in here for the mean time. Im forgetting some of the mechanics of Steemit as well and it may take some time for me to get the hang of it.

_{@steemph.cebu | @steemiteducation | @air-clinic | @thealliance | @steemph}