SOLD OUT
Okay. I genuinely don’t know how to start this diary entry because… we sold out.
PGDX was a success because we officially sold out of Book One of Eyes See You.
I remember writing my diary entry last July 17, and I was already talking about how we were almost sold out. I remember being so nervous and excited at the same time because I never really knew if people would actually continue buying the book.
And now it’s gone. All of it. Sold out.
I don’t even know what words I’m supposed to use to explain how emotional and happy I am right now.
I never imagined myself being a sold-out author. I honestly enter almost everything in my life without expectations. I just do my absolute best, make what I want to make, and hope that somehow it makes people happy or at least gives them something to enjoy.
I never started writing Eyes See You thinking, “One day, I’m going to sell hundreds of copies.”
I was literally just writing a story. A story that I started when I was alone, writing for someone who would never get the chance to read it anymore.
And now…
Hundreds of people know about it. Hundreds of people have held the book.
Hundreds of people have read something that came from one of the most painful parts of my life.
I still can’t wrap my head around that. It’s actually crazy when I think about it.
After we sold out, I had so many people asking when the next batch would be available that I eventually had to open a preorder for Batch Two of Book One.
I didn’t even expect that to happen. So thank you. Seriously.
Thank you to everyone who trusted me enough to buy this book, especially when some of you probably knew absolutely nothing about it before picking it up.
Thank you to everyone I’ve met during conventions. Thank you for the conversations, the jokes, the random questions, the stories you shared with me, and even the people who just stopped by to say hi.
I remember so many of you. I’ll never ever take any of this for granted. You all made this possible.
And of course, thank you, Elijah, for helping me throughout the con. On top of that, you even bought all of my books!Â
From college until now that we’re both adults, you’ve stayed such a good friend to me, and I’m really grateful for that. I can’t wait to see your own stories printed out someday too, because you’re genuinely such a great storyteller.
Just like what I wrote in your book, don’t ever let anyone dim your light. Keep telling your stories.Â
It’s August now, which is supposed to be my rest month.
I actually dedicate one whole month every year to just… doing whatever I want.
Play games. Spend time with my family. Watch things. Write if I feel like writing.
Just experience boring, normal, mundane life.
But honestly? I haven’t really been resting. I’ve mostly just been making notes.
Because for some reason, September is always the month when things start happening in my brain. And we’re so close to it now.
Even when I was writing Book One, September was that month where everything suddenly made sense. It’s like the words just start calling me and I have to write them down before I forget.
I don’t know if it’s because September was also the month I lost half of my heart.
Maybe there’s just something about September that keeps pulling me back. Like it’s asking me to pick up all the pieces again. So I’m preparing myself because something really exciting is coming this September.
Clue? Two words. Starts with B. Ends with H.
Because of everything that’s coming up, I also realized that some things in our life need to change. I talked to my husband about it recently and thankfully, he gave me the go signal.
We’re moving back to Manila.
We’ve been staying near his family for around eight months now, and honestly, it was nice. But my work is in Manila. Most of the events, conventions, meetings, and opportunities I have are there.
And after a while, we both realized that maybe it’s time to go back.
Of course, it’s not going to be as simple as just moving.
My husband is still working with the family business, and he’s also my artist on the side, so he’ll have to travel back and forth.
But he actually told me he’d rather be the one traveling than have me constantly traveling back and forth for my work.
And I’m really grateful for that. So now I’m hunting for a condo again.
And guess where we’re looking? Eastwood. Again.
I actually lived there twice now. Once in 2018 and second last year before I moved out in November.
I remember during my first book launch, I was thinking about my old place and how close it would’ve been because the launch was in Cubao.
And now somehow, life is literally bringing me back to Manila.
Maybe this time it’ll work out better. I lowkey really love the city. Especially Eastwood.
It’s safe, there’s basically everything you need, and I don’t have to travel far just to buy something.
My daughter is actually the most excited about this.
She LOVES city life. If we need something, it’s literally downstairs.
Need food? Downstairs.
Need groceries? Downstairs.
Need something random at 10 PM? Probably downstairs.
She’s basically my little mini assistant and she’s already excited about all of this.
But I’ll be honest.
I’m scared. It’s a big financial and emotional decision. The place we’re looking at isn’t exactly cheap. But when I really think about it, I also spend a LOT on hotels whenever I travel to Manila for conventions.
And conventions are not something I want to stop doing.
They’re honestly one of the most important parts of my work because that’s where I actually get to meet the people who read my books.
I get to see their faces. I get to hear what they think about the story. I get to meet people who have never heard of me before.
And I love that. So yes, this is a gamble. But I think everything in life is a gamble anyway. You just have to figure out which risks are worth taking. And I’m really blessed that I have a husband who supports me through all of this.
Not just with my work, but with my crazy ideas in general.
And of course, my daughter.
My tiny assistant. She’s ready to move before I am.
Next month is also going to be HUGE.
The Manila International Book Fair is happening at SMX Convention Center.
I applied and thankfully, I was accepted as a paid exhibitor.
I’m still waiting for the National Book Development Board to let me know if I get the sponsorship, though. Honestly, I’m still figuring things out. Because moving is expensive. Events are expensive. Printing books is expensive.
And I don’t want to rush production because books take time to print and I really don’t want to mess everything up.
But at the same time I really want to be there.
This is the Manila International Book Fair. It’s one of the biggest book events in the Philippines. And the fact that I’m even considering exhibiting there as an author still blows my mind. Like…
What happened?
When did I become this person?
So hopefully, when I write my next diary entry, I’ll be able to tell you that everything worked out.
MIBF is happening September 9–13 at SMX Convention Center Manila.
So if you’re going, hopefully I’ll be there. And hopefully, we’ll get to meet there.
And then there’s another thing I really want to share.
I was invited by the Communication Foundation for Asia to be a speaker and facilitator for a storytelling workshop!
Which is honestly kind of funny because… I’m an author. I write books.
So I guess they thought I knew what I was doing.
But seriously, this means so much to me.
I’ve always wanted to help people who want to pursue education and their dreams but don’t necessarily have the easiest circumstances.
I didn’t finish school. Life happened. And I had to take a completely different path. But somehow, I’m slowly walking toward the dream I always wanted.
And if God allows me to become successful enough to do it someday, I really want to build a school.
Not just a school for the sake of having a school. But a place where kids who are like me can have an opportunity. Sometimes that’s all you need. Someone to give you a chance.
I don’t really talk about my life before becoming an author because there’s a lot there.
A LOT.
And maybe one day I’ll talk about it more. Or write a book about it.
But everything I’ve experienced shaped the way I see life now.
And Eyes See You is basically a piece of that.
It came from grief. It came from losing someone. Losing myself too.
It came from me trying to make something out of a pain that I didn’t know what to do with. And now I’m watching that same story become something beautiful.
Something that inspires people. Something that makes people excited. Something that people carry home. And honestly, I think that’s also helping me heal.
So I’m really excited about this workshop.
I’ll be facilitating it and I would genuinely love for you guys to join us.
We’re going to talk about storytelling, communication, community building, and how stories can help people connect with one another.
It’s for students, teachers, catechists, leaders, and basically anyone who wants to learn how to tell stories that actually connect with people.
And I really hope that my story can remind you of one thing:
You were created with a purpose.
Even if your life doesn’t look the way you thought it would.
Even if you didn’t finish the things you started.
Even if you lost someone.
Even if you feel like you’re starting over.
You can still build something beautiful from it.
I’m still doing that myself.
So yeah.
That’s my August diary.
We sold out.
I’m moving back to Manila.
MIBF is coming.
There’s a workshop.
There’s a VERY secret September announcement.
And somehow, I’m standing in the middle of all of this wondering how I even got here.
I don’t know what’s going to happen next. But I’m excited. And I’m also terrified.
Which I guess is pretty normal.
I’ll see you all again next month.
Hopefully with really, REALLY good news.
Thank you for following my journey. Thank you for supporting Eyes See You.
And thank you for reading my little diary entries.
I genuinely appreciate you more than you know.
See you in September. ♡