Introducing myself, @kharlynn

Hello everyone, my name is Kharl. I also go by @kharlynn – long story short, it's a nickname given to me by my girlfriend. I'm currently residing in the Philippines, well, more specifically in the Visayas part. To be even more specific, I currently reside in Cebu, also known here as "The Queen City of the South".

When I was I young, I really liked to discover many things. I loved to try as many things as I could but most times it just did not work out. I tried to enroll in piano classes, voice lessons, dance classes and even art classes. Those really did not work out for me. I was a little disappointed at myself, because I felt like I could have done more. I could have been better at those aspects. If only I had the drive to succeed and to develop those skills. Then I found basketball. It became my escape from the harsh reality. It was a way for me to cope to various problems. Big or small, it didn't really matter. Once I started to dribble that ball, all I could think about was "How can I win?". All my problems begin to fade, well just for a moment. But even a second of relief feels like an eternity of paradise.

Other than basketball, traveling became one of my go-to remedies. I love to see up close what I could only see on a screen. One of my dreams has been to travel around the world, seeing buildings, structures, tasting new delicacies, and taking pictures. I have been outside the country, namely Thailand, Cambodia, Kuala Lumpur, and most recently, Singapore. But for some time, I felt like I was incomplete as I would not have been happy to do all this alone. Yes, I had my family, but I felt like it was not the company I was looking for.

On the 15th of December 2021, Cebu was hit with a devastating storm. We called it "Bagyong Odette". Houses were brought to the ground, trees were laying there beside the grass, and some trees were left without leaves. It was a really tough time out there. Every house was left with either holes on their roof or broken windows. There was no running water supply and no electricity. It felt like an apocalypse for a month or so. But as Filipinos do, we find happiness in the void of sadness. In that month, I found her - my girlfriend, the love of my life. I found that one person as Aladdin would say, I would love to share a whole new world with. I found a friend, a lover, a companion, and an enemy all in one person.

Well, I am a very family-oriented guy. I have plenty of reasons to succeed, and seeing my family happy is one of those reasons. Having made all their sacrifices finally worth it brings shivers down my spine. I mean, who wouldn't, right? The seed they watered for years had finally borne some fruit for them to eat. They who helped the tree grow shall eat its fruit and not worry. Though I love my mother, I am much closer to my father. This is because while my mother was away at work overseas, I lived with my dad and made a strong bond with him. Not only did he treat me like his son, but also treated me like a friend. We shared countless tears together, laughed at pointless jokes, and even wrestled just to make me smell his armpits.

I am also thankful to my teachers @monsiou and @fabio2614 as they introduced me to steemit another way for me express what I feel, another remedy. What a life I had, plenty of ups and downs, a significant bucket of tears, and a mouthful of laughter. But how far could I go if I only kept looking back? Now I look ahead to what is to come. As the great Oogway would say, "Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present."

That's me, @kharlynn <3