Bookstores and Maturity

I stepped into the familiar store in a hurry to get away from the slight drizzle. One whiff of the familiar scent and im suddenly reminiscing and smiling like an awkward little girl in the middle of. . . . 

National Bookstore Katipunan!

It's funny what we find familiar, safe, happy, heart-warming.

After bringing my lil sister to AdMU for RIB (org's dance contest), I headed over to Starbucks Katip to study with friends. It would be my first time to step into Starbucks Katip simply to study (the only other times I've been there was to line up for the double sticker promo for their planner in college). After seeing familiar faces and the beloved fast-tracked catch up, I couldn't help myself, I had to pay homage to my collage solace place -- NBS Katip.

While everything around it has somewhat changed (there is now Bonchon, Dairy Queen, Fully Booked, etc. in Katip), NBS was exactly the same, I instantly went towards the colored papers section and picked up random set of colored paper, and of course bought my necessities -- bond paper, highlighters.

I suddenly was made more aware of how much time had gone by -- how different yet the same I was.

A few notable differences or similarities:

- Im studying in STARBUCKS! *shock* I used to be one of those people who judged starbucks for their expensive coffeee -- and judge the people IN starbucks, why spend 100+ on a mug of coffee?! but look at me now, its basically become my home -- theres something comforting (and helps you focus) about the smell of coffee and the abundance of people who are studying all around you.

- I shunned jollibee right beside NBS. In college, my diet was jollibee or mcdo (sans the weight gain), and no amount of "I will stop eating junk food" mantras could get me to stop. This time I didnt even look towards jobee's direction.

- I was surrounded with ADMU BS Bio people. hahaha As a health sciences major, I always felt a OP with the bio people because they had this amazing culture amongst themselves -- it was nice to hear them interact with each other asking about each other's lives in different med schools, hearing genuine concern or excitement for each other. It made me miss my own health sci barkada so very much.

- I paid with my credit card in NBS. It's funny bec in college, one of my biggest bills to my card was almost always National Bookstore. It's my happy place. 

- I drank an energy drink. haha I used to think I would never need energy drinks (if you know me, you'll understand why -- im a freakin ball of energy! haha). Fast forward to med school, its not so bad if taken in considerable amounts -- especially when starbucks drinks are taking majority of your allowance.

I know I was supposed to be studying, and I really was!

Quite productive actually, contrary to popular belief! ;p

But it was nice, that little bolt of reminiscing. 

A friend used to tell me "hypocrisy is a sign of maturity."

Change is inevitable. What makes us mature is when we learn to deal with it appropriately.

Sometimes that means going back to your foundation and standing up against change.

Sometimes it also means realizing you were wrong and changing your outlook to adapt to the change. What matters is that you know where you've been and you know where you are headed -- so that as you go through the journey of change you don't lose yourself.

To some degree I think I've matured -- hopefully for the better.