It’s been a minute since I last updated this blog and I feel I have so much to share that I don’t know where to begin.
I spent the last few months taking a long sabbatical from many things to concentrate on work, motherhood, mental health, and of course, wealth-building.
But before I get into that story, I wish to apologize to my readers who were waiting for any updates on this blog and thank everyone who sent me messages asking about my whereabouts and general well-being. I am alive and doing well so far, although I am waiting for the results of my biopsy (should be out by next week).
Family reunification
If you’re interested in what happened, the short version of the story is, I have been busy with life.
Probably one of the biggest changes in the past few months is that my son joined me in Korea starting the first quarter of this year. Even though he’s still attending school in the Philippines, all sessions are held online so we had very little difficulty in the transition.
I think the move has been very beneficial for him because his mental health was adversely affected by the quarantine in Manila. Here in Seoul, he can leave the house any time he wants to because there’s no quarantine here. He can go to the nearby park or coffee shop and just hang out. He can pop in at the nearby convenience store to buy snacks. We can go visit the bookstore and browse as much as we want, just like in pre-COVID times. These might not be much but for a teenager who has been forced to stay inside for more than a year due to quarantine regulations, this has been very good for his mental health. Within the first few weeks of his stay here, he told me that he was already feeling much better.
I’m happy with this change in my son but of course, the flip side is, I have so much to do now. When I was living alone, I didn’t have to cook 3 meals a day – I can just order take out or you know, skip eating all together. I don’t have to vacuum regularly myself and the once-a-week housekeeping service provided by my landlord was enough.
But now, with two long-haired people at home, vacuuming every other day is mandatory. I need to think about the nutritional content of the meals I serve in my home because I have a growing boy again under my roof.
To be honest, I haven’t been able to finish doing the laundry since he arrived – there’s always a mountain of unwashed and unpressed clothes waiting for me.
I also now have so many things to organize again, such as weekend trips, medical check-ups, therapy sessions, and other activities.
Of course, these are the things I used to do in the Philippines before I left (with some help) but the change and transition is abrupt and very noticeable.
From living alone for years and just thinking about myself, I’m once again living with my son. Now, I must do so much more every day so that our home life will be smooth, enjoyable, and relaxing.
As a mother, I’m doing so much. Well maybe not as a mother because I know for a fact that mothers do a looooot of things, but as a person in general. That’s why I’m in awe of all mothers who are able to juggle motherhood and work because it’s not easy, let me tell you. Doubly so for single mothers.
I’m thinking that if I wasn’t able to get my current job, I would’ve been trapped in a vicious cycle of poverty, unable to keep my head afloat from the unpaid and emotional labor of motherhood, with not enough mental and physical fortitude left to earn a living and for me and my son, much less energy to better my my lot in life.
Anyway, I think I need to write an entirely separate blog post on my insights about the difficulties of motherhood and emotional and unpaid labor. There are so much to think about and digest about this experience. I feel like the last few years when I spent living alone here in Korea were crucial to my financial and intellectual development, which I wouldn’t have achieved if I had to think about cooking healthy, balanced meals three times a day, every day.
Lost my mojo
Another reason for the long absence was that kinda lost the ability to write.
I had all these ideas in my head that I wanted to share but I somehow can’t sit down and write them down. My mind wasn’t working the way it used to and I felt that I had to step back a bit and reduce the pressure I kept on putting on myself. This is on top of being short on time due to my motherly chores.
The result is, I stopped updating my social media accounts, both my personal accounts and this blog’s accounts; no updates on this blog and a moratorium on the planned YouTube channel; and lastly, I took a semester away from taking graduate school courses since not only was I worried about passing classes and getting top grades, I also kept comparing myself to other students and even professors, which is obviously toxic. But now I feel like I’m getting a grip on things and can handle being more active in the blogosphere again.
On the other hand, I am now fully updated on The Walking Dead universe (I’ve seen the entire series three times now) and finished Anne with an E. So I can now keep up with all references to both shows! I didn’t realize I’ve been missing so many The Walking Dead references, but now I know better.
Interest in a new investment vehicle
On a more exciting note, I have ventured into the world of cryptocurrency and NFTs (non-fungible tokens). In the past few months, I have been learning about this space and have actually made some investments in this market. I want to credit my Phinvest Discord friend, Seeshan, for cultivating my interest in blockchain investing.
What happened was, Seeshan (who reads this blog) messaged me in Discord offering my son an Axie Infinity scholarship. I had no idea what it was and told her that I will try to convince Spawn to do it for the money. Coincidentally around the same time, my brother tried to convince me to invest in the game because he’s been hearing so much about it from his friends. So putting two and two together, I asked Seeshan if she can give the scholarship to my brother instead.
My brother was so happy about the opportunity that he kept on bragging to me about the game, which then piqued my interest. This was the time when Axie was being hyped all over social media and the price of the in-game utility token was at an all-time high.
I’m not gonna lie, the hype surrounding the game also convinced me to take a closer look into NFTs and play-to-earn games. But my research and immersion in the communities and the space have led me to conclude that play-to-earn NFT gaming has a huge potential for massive growth in the next few years. Moreover, I’m amazed how this type of gaming can potentially change people’s lives, such as what’s happening with Axie Infinity’s scholarship program, where Axie NFT owners loan their NFTs to those who can’t afford to buy them, and the owner-manager and scholar will divide the earnings from the game.
I’ve since invested in play-to-earn games, including Axie Infinity. While some have been profitable and some not so, the information and experience I accumulated in a short span of time have been invaluable. The space is so new that there are hardly any “expert” on the subject; anybody claiming to be an expert to sell you a course is likely a scammer. Almost everyone is learning as we go along, and the best way to learn and gain experience is to get yourself in the game. Usually, I don’t tell people to do their research in YouTube and Twitter but for cryptocurrency, NFTs, and play-to-earn gaming, your best resources ARE YouTube and Twitter.
I’m planning on writing a weekly update on NFT gaming, both to see how my knowledge of the subject progress over time as well as to document developments in the space. Cryptocurrency in general and play-to-earn games in particular feel like the Wild Wild West most of the time. There is so much potential and so many unknowns, but if you’re lucky (and careful) you might strike it big. It feels like being in the precipice of something big and I want to be involved.
I hope you didn’t miss me too much and I promise to be a much better correspondent this time. I truly enjoy talking with all the wonderful people who support me and my blog and I hope you continue reading.
Hi, I'm Katie Scarlett!
I'm a mother, feminist, bookworm, yogi, and a hoopy frood who knows where my towel is. I am on a constant quest towards self-improvement, to mixed results.
3 Responses
Looking forward to the NFT guide. 🙂 And I’m curious about the biopsy you mentioned. Hope everything’s fine (it doesn’t have to be 100 percent fine!).
The biopsy was to check for breast cancer. I got the result and it’s benign. Thanks for asking. The NFT guide is coming up soon
Happy to see you back writing again Katie. Looking forward to more frequent reads from you. Coming from an uninspired writer as well. Na busy akong mag beach ata dito sa Cebu. Hehe.