spontaneity
Amelia Ann Laetitia C. Galvez
"Spontaneity is being present in the present." - Wei Wu Wei
"A planned life is a dead life." - Lauren Bacall
"Sometimes the best moments are the ones you didn't plan at all." - Anonymous
STORY #1
Let me tell a story. Around 2 years ago, in 2019, my friends and I went to Pico De Loro for 3 days. That entire trip was more or less spontaneous. We had gone there for our friend's birthday. Originally we were supposed to just eat out, shop, and bake together. Somehow, 2 weeks before her birthday, we had decided to turn it into a 3 day trip. Of course it wasn't that sudden, we are kids after all.
Once we got there, we did not have a plan at all. Which lead to us swimming, eating breakfast at the hotel (even though we were staying somewhere else), playing badminton, and staying in the game room until curfew. Our only solid plan was that we were supposed to go horseback riding, which we did not.
Everything we did, we thought of in the moment. Sure, I went broke, and it wasn't that fun when we had to run to a beach hut so our pizza wouldn't get wet, but that trip will forever hold a special place in my heart. I rode a jet ski for the first time during that trip (and yes, it was a spur of the moment decision to do so). It was a mess, but I'd gladly do it again. It reminded me that sometimes you really just have to let life take the wheel.
STORY #2
Another story! I'm sure every Filipino is familiar with Enchanted Kingdom, or E.K. for short. It's a very popular amusement park. My friends and I went to this amusement park for a celebration of 2 birthdays (mine and another friend's). Amusement parks are honestly one of the best places to be spontaneous, because, let's face it— who likes to plan out rides?
Our entire way there, we did not once think about what we would ride first, or whether or not we'd get souvenirs. We even got henna tattoos as soon as we saw a stall. We rode the Rio Grande right after getting our hennas, which wasn't really a great idea... Now I have a henna stained shirt and backpack, but it was totally worth it.
We also were able to watch a fireworks display, despite us not planning that we'd stay that late. We even got to watch the first half from the ferris wheel. If I'm not mistaken, there was also a parade!
Again, a trip I would gladly relive. There isn't a single moment of that trip that I would change, except I do regret not riding the Space Shuttle (but the line was long and we were impatient).
A MESSAGE
I'm sure it's getting very repetitive at this point, but what I'm trying to say here is that it's not wrong to live life one step at a time. Sometimes it's not knowing what'll happen next that makes it that much more exciting. The fondest memories of mine are the ones I didn't think I'd make. Every single time I went to my favorite café with my friends, it was never planned until the day itself, or until an hour before we went. Whether it be for hangouts, study sessions, dates, or just relaxing after a theatre rehearsal, it was rarely ever planned ahead of time. That café is now one of my most favorite places in the world, and it's all because of the memories I have of it.
Truth be told, I didn't think my life was that full of spontaneity until I started writing this essay. Right before I wrote out this message, my dad had asked me if I wanted to go on a night drive and get some take-out. I tried a McDonald's shake for the first time today. Before that drive, I had a sudden Zoom call with my friends from my old school. We played games together, and it was the first time we'd spoken to each other since moving schools. I guess those are even more things to add to the list of spontaneous things I've done.
This little topic of mine helped me be more thankful for the way I live life. It helped me reflect, and it made me realize that I wouldn't trade my life of spontaneity for anything else in the world.