Ateneo

I love the Ateneo. I always will.

If someone were to ask me what the happiest moments in my life are, where they occurred, and when they happened, I would reply, without batting an eyelash, "my days in the Ateneo." I may not have explored every side of me then (God knows I have not foreseen the person that I would become now), but like they say, ignorance is bliss, and there is beauty in simplicity. I was just a young boy who enjoyed the occassional movie, endured the daily struggle against student poverty, and got excited over the prospect of a birthday treat at KFC. Back then, my life of solving math problems, sleeping countless hours in the dorm, and salivating over a bowl of spicy pancit canton was enough. It was a great life. I didn't know it then, but I was contented.

It is then of no wonder that my trip to Ateneo today felt like I was coming home to a very happy place. Each old building had a new story to tell; each new one welcomed me. The air was just as fresh and the fields were just as sprawling. I also went at a time when summer classes have barely started, so the flock of students in the campus made me feel more welcome than I already was. I actually looked like a goof if you were there with me: I was smiling the whole time. I couldn't help it; like I said, it was a very happy place.

How I got there is even an interesting story in itself. I never planned to study for my actuarial exam in the Ateneo. My mind was bent on studying in Starbucks right here in Rockwell. But somehow, I felt like I needed a change of location. I felt the weight of Makati over me, and it hung like a deadly sword. So I went out of the coffee shop, hailed the first empty cab, and told the driver to take me to Ateneo. It was an impulsive decision that I have not regretted.

My senses still feel tingly (if there is such a term) almost 15 hours after that memorable visit. I feel so much more refreshed and relaxed. I still have my problems, I still have my melancholic thoughts, but they're staying in the backseat for now. Or perhaps they'll stay there for a long, long time.

I love the Ateneo. I always will.