1.       I admire your passion. I know it’s not always that I see you but whenever you’re there, every key being pressed reflects your burning passion. I just want to say that I appreciate it and that I know other people see it too.

2.       I’ve been hearing things about you (more like reading) which makes me want to meet you personally. Thanks to your mom and dad who use their personal experiences and adventures in their blogs..

3.       I think you’re an awesome brother! Yes, I follow you on Instagram; The pictures of your younger sibs over your feed make me want to be your sibling too! I love your appreciation posts for your sibs like your “My sunshine on a cloudy day” caption for your sister’s picture and even a simple “Cutiepie! OMG” for your brother’s!

4.       I admire your leadership. Who am I to say this, right? But as I can see, you, being the eldest among your siblings, have set a very good example to them. Your relationship with them inspires me to apply your leadership in my life too!

5.       I think you love adventures; I think we would get along with each other!

6.       I like how crazy you are! I remember seeing a thread of comments you posted over your sister’s picture: “Do you need a mather’s day gift? Call-a-friend for cheap bredz,” “mis u,” “luv u,” “pls don’t delete my comments,” and “you deleted one!!!” HAHAHAHAHA you two are cute!

7.       I admire your faith! The way you worship God is so contagious! I think I can hear your voice even if the music is so loud.

8.       You make me believe that there are still other guys out there who can do a lot more than what they think they can, and I thank you for that.

9.       I want to thank you for being you and for being an inspiration to others (I know it’s not only me). I know you’re just being who you are but you stressed a lot of important points that we probably are taking for granted or missing every day, especially with our families.

10.      I prayed for you. I hope you have a good day!

Guess what? I'm turning 20 next yeeeeeeear!!!! Goodbye teen years! :( And with this additional number on my age, are more responsibilities I need to place over my shoulder. Decision making is a big NO to me! I suck at it because I don’t know which logic I should base my choices. Whether I'll choose this over that or that over this?

But everything changed after that service days before 2015 started.

We attended a year-end service at our local church Victory Fort, when Pastor Paolo, the head pastor of our church, asked us to write on a piece of paper the people or things which will be placed on our “Priority List.” All I need to do is think of the things which I prioritize. It’s so easy! But before the service ended, Pastor Pao asked us to rank them and believe me, I had a hard time!

Let me share my list to you.

1. GOD

I placed God first on my list because He is the ruler of my life. After the day I surrendered my life to God, all I ever wanted is to keep this relationship and make it grow deeper. All my life I never experienced such love until I met Him. I never knew how blessed I am having His love; the One who wakes me up early in the morning, walks me to school every single day, stays with me until I got home, listens to whatever I’m saying and cares for me more than anyone does. He’s on my top list because I don’t know where I’ll be without Him.

2. FAMILY

I value my family so much; I mean I can sacrifice everything just for my family! I grew up exercising a very Pinoy characteristic – close family ties. I grew up with my cousins and other relatives with our house on the same area so we often spend the after school time together and even though we’re now living in different cities and countries, we manage to see each other once in a while.

I am so blessed growing up with my supportive titas and titos who are always there on every important event in my life (I am telling you, every single event! Even random walk at the malls. Hahaha that’s how we roll!). And even spoiling us with whatever we want as long as all the cousins are together! (SHOUT OUT TO ALL MY SUPPORTIVE TITAS AND TITOS!!! We love you so much!) Mama, papa and my two sisters mean the world to me and I put them over myself!

I placed my family as my 2^nd priority because I LOVE THEM and they are one of the most important blessings from God! All I want to do with my life is to spoil them and give back everything just like how they showed me when I was little up until today!

3. ACADS

As much as I want to give everything to my family when I got my salary, of course I need to finish my studies first! Academics is on my priority list because education is a thing we should value in life. I know not everything in this world revolves around graduating and having the diploma, but you know what I realized in school, who you are at school is who you are in the real world. Students may think that we are caged at our universities or schools but actually they are training us on how we should response when we are already on our battleground or our workplace. (Yes, I only realized it when I was in college). 

4. FRIENDS

I love my friends so much and placing them on the last place of my priority list doesn’t mean that I don’t value them. All the four on my list are cut above the rest. Most of my teen years – discovering and knowing myself - were spent together with my oh-so-awesome friends. And I’m glad that even if college is taking most of my time (even time for sleep), we all remained friends!

I made this list almost a year ago, and 2015 came with all the things I need to decide on. BIG DECISIONS. But I am thankful and glad that I made this list just before all these “I need to decide” moments came!

Just a month ago, my cousin passed the board exam (yaay! Congratulations kuya!). My tita asked me to join them in surprising my cousin at his dormitory. Unfortunately, that’s a weekday and I have a problem set due the next day. I was about to say no when I got reminded of my “Priority List” that I placed my family over acads, and so I just went. And that decision I will never regret! Celebrating moments like passing the board exam happens once in a lifetime. Although academics is important as I said, there are moments in life which will come just once and we shouldn’t let these moments pass. (I finished my problem set btw haha)

Another very simple example is what we used to see on Values test papers at school when a friend asks you to be with her in a party but you have an exam the next day. What will you do? Again, all you need to do is check your priority list. Since for me I placed my acads over my friends, I will say no to my friend and choose to study first. I know that it is a simple logic-based question but think of it like a mathematics principle. It’s easy to solve simple arithmetic, like 2+3 = 5. Now if I give a more difficult problem, what you need to do is to break it down to simpler arithmetic and proceed in solving. What I mean is, if you set a solution to simple problems in your life, this solution can also be a solution of more difficult problems.

In our life, we are faced with a lot of choices every single day. We need to make decisions upon waking up. Decision whether to get up or sleep again, to drink coffee or milk, to eat breakfast or not, even to take a bath or not (hahahahhaha). Some choices are easy since they’re trivial but other choices may cause serious effect on us when we're mistaken. Decision-making is simpler with a guide – your priorities in life and when values are clear. Be reminded of

In the end, it all boils down to 2 choices and YOU ALWAYS HAVE A CHOICE!

PS. Hello there reader! I challenge you to write your own priority list and share it to other people or you can share it to me! :) 

Let’s make this less formal as possible because I feel like I’m making school stuff when everything’s on formal mode! Hahahaha

Camille Grace Mapili Bacister. Well hello there, I am 19 years old and I love eating! Hahahaha I know it sounds weird saying that two facts together, but hey I am weird as I said in my bio from the home page! I am a middle child (without middle child syndrome) and all three of us are girls!

I am now in college studying Bachelor of Science in Computer Science at the University of the Philippines Diliman and yes my course requires us to take a lot of caffeine every single day (and more during hell weeks! Which makes my heart beat for you hahahah more like palpitate) Yes, I am a member of “All-Nighter Club” during deadlines of code or during exams or when I feel like scrolling social media feed. I am also a member of “11:59pm Buzzer Beater Club” because I am not a hard coder person and deadlines inspire me to finish my code every time, so I am a certified member of the 11:59 buzzer beater as I pass my code just before it hits 12 midnight with a fast beating heart!

I think I am an introvert person, or I am just shy to other people. Hahahahahha They find me talkative but I found out that my voice only sounds louder than others that’s why they thought I am a talkative person but I am not (or am I? hahahah)

I love stitch, he’s in my collector’s item! Yiiiiiiiie! He’s so cuuuuute right? And Peter Pan’s my childhood and ultimate crush, until today! I also love Gregorio del Pilar like Goyong himself! (weirdo alert!)

I play table tennis since I was 10 years old up until today and until I can’t stand anymore!

I eat, a lot! I eat everything except bitter gourd (ampalaya) and okra and bitter gourd and okra and bitter gourd and … okay I don’t eat everything! I eat most of the food that I know! Hahahahah I even eat exotic foods, balut is my favorite (I eat it piece by piece every time), saang from Cebu is my next favorite (best with spicy vinegar), tamilok from Palawan is good (deep fried is better than fresh), sea urchin is fine (it’s salty tho) and exploring for more! I am allergic to chicken skin before but I think not anymore these days … hopefully because I am eating it again. I like everything when it’s spicy!!!!! It gives me thrill in eating it! Hahahahah

I dance – cheerdance and hiphop during my high school days at Makati Science High School.  And I appreciate music too, unfortunately I am not blessed with a golden voice (except when I am inside the bathroom! Ahahah Or singing worship songs haha)

I LOOOOOOOOOOOVE BOOKS! I started reading books when I was in high school due to peer pressure! Hahaha I love written letters way waaaaay back but then I started to appreciate books because I put myself on the story making myself one of the characters in there and then realizing that the author is really talking to me!

I am a youth volunteer at the YMCA Sampiro Makati. And I volunteer to help the next generation leaders!

I am more of writing things than saying it (see I am an introvert. Ahhaha) that’s why I made this blog to let you hear the thousand words that my brain is saying that I can’t say in person! Hahahaha

Did I mention that I love written letters? Well I love receiving letters, more if it’s hand written. I think because every letter and word means so much when you’re writing it.

I am a child of God, a princess – daughter of the Kings of Kings, purchased by the blood of Jesus, forgiven, free and loved! 

First and foremost this blog is not about out of the country trips (but I am praying and believing for that, too!) but instead it’s about my own little adventures! Why did I name my blog as “Brave soul + road”? Honestly it was named “Camille + road” but then I changed it! Haha

Road. I used road because I don’t know, I find happiness in road. I like moving and exploring. I like adventures; actually I have my own definition of adventures – little adventures as I said. I find happiness in simple things even the sound of the tire against the concrete. And lastly, why road? Because my life is my own adventure, it’s a whole lot to explore and right now I’m on the road … moving, exploring, learning, I know it’s a rough road but with God, I know I can make it!  

Brave soul. I used to be afraid of being away with my family or with the people I am comfortable with or with the things I used to grow with or doing things I haven’t done before or in short I am afraid of moving out of my comfort zone, until I need to move out (which I will include in my next blog) Of course who am I to say that I am brave, but I know in myself that I am braver than the Camille before, and every day, I am doing my best to be braver than I used to! 

WELCOME TO MY BLOG!