10 IMPORTANT MILESTONES IN MY LIFE by Vanessa Requena

MY FIRST PAIR OF ROLLER BLADES

requenasaily — 2024-04-19 21:48:47 UTC

I got my first pair of roller blades at 9 years old, and I was so happy when my mom came home with them. I learnt to use them pretty quickly and wore them every chance I got. The feeling of gliding effortlessly over the pavement was so exciting and it made me feel free. I even convinced my friends to join in, and we spent endless afternoons racing and laughing together.

AN ACCIDENT OR MISHAP

requenasaily — 2024-04-19 21:50:03 UTC

I scraped my knees not much after I got my first pair of roller blades. I was racing too fast over the pavement, so I fell, and because I wasn’t wearing the knee pads, I hurt my knees badly and I had to take care of the wounds for two weeks before starting to rollerblade again.

MY PARENT'S SEPARATION

requenasaily — 2024-04-19 21:50:39 UTC

My parents parted ways when I was 10 years old, they did not get along well. It was a bad situation every day, and we all were unhappy. I honestly did not get sad; I was relieved because the separation brought peace to all of us, and both my mom and dad realized that the decision they made was for the better.

GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL

requenasaily — 2024-04-19 21:50:46 UTC

I graduated from High school at 16 and it was such a big change for me, I felt lost and I felt the weight of expectation from everyone around me, especially from my mother’s gaze, I remember I did not start going to college right after, I took an English course for beginners for 3 months and then I had to confront the decision to choosing a career path.

CHOOSING A CAREER

requenasaily — 2024-04-19 21:50:55 UTC

This was one of the hardest and most nerve-wracking experiences of my life. I had to choose a career that I felt pressured into because my mother wanted me to become an engineer, and the field I had in mind was not aligned with her wishes and the expectations she had for me. So, I ended up studying something I did not like, and I only managed to finish a technology program. I never became an engineer.

MY FIRST JOB

requenasaily — 2024-04-19 23:14:10 UTC

After studying an environmental technology program, I got my first job as an assistant to the HSE officer on a construction project, and it was not the best experience of my life because my anxiety disorder, which had been creeping up on me since childhood, finally spiked and became really serious. I was having panic attacks, and I had to quit my job before seeking medical help.

A SAD MOMENT

requenasaily — 2024-04-19 23:26:54 UTC

A really sad moment in my life was when I was diagnosed at 22 with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and depression as a consequence of the former. Unfortunately, I was born genetically predisposed to anxiety, and childhood experiences made me develop a terrifying subtype of OCD. I felt my life crumbling very quickly afer that. When I was a child, I did not know this was an illness; I just thought I was a bad person and that I wasn't normal. So, getting diagnosed was both sad and relieving at the same time. There is no cure, but at least I am aware of what is going on and how to handle it.

MY FAVORITE TRIP

requenasaily — 2024-04-19 23:51:16 UTC

My favorite trip was to Cartagena two years ago, specifically the Rosario Islands. I was with my mom, step-father, grandma, and little brother. We ate seafood and watched a stunning sunset at Barú Island. The water was clear and refreshing, and the drinks were delicious. And we spent really nice days in such a beautiful place that none of us wanted to go back home.

THE HAPPIEST DAY OF MY LIFE

requenasaily — 2024-04-19 23:53:52 UTC

It's hard to describe the happiest day of my life or when I had it, but I think I felt the happiest and most peaceful in my life when I was on Barú Island, sunbathing and refreshing at the shore. I was feeling the soft shock of the waves and it was relaxing, and for the first time in many years, I felt all the worry and despair wash away for some treasurable moments that I wanted to make last forever.

MOVING OUT OF MOM'S HOUSE

requenasaily — 2024-04-19 23:55:54 UTC

I moved out to live on my own five months ago, and it was one of the scariest decisions I ever made. I got a job in another city, so I had to leave my hometown, which was necessary because there were no opportunities to work there. When I got my job, which is my current job, I thought I would get fired one month later, but it turns out it went well, and today I work at the same place, and it's not so bad.