My whole morning has basically been consumed by updating my resume, which, yes, needed a lot more work than I realized. I’ve also been digging around trying to find my diplomas because apparently I needed to be reminded of what I actually majored in. I had an inkling of what it was, but the exact wording? Completely gone from my brain.

Resume writing is just… something else. I mean, when you really think about it, the whole process feels like taking everything you’ve ever done and dressing it up in the fanciest possible language to make yourself sound impressive. You start with something simple like, “I helped customers,” and somehow it turns into, “Provided exceptional customer service while maintaining a high level of professionalism in a fast-paced environment.” And you read it back and think, Who is this person?

By the time you’re finished, your resume makes you sound like you’re some highly accomplished, incredibly organized, exceptionally motivated professional who has never made a mistake in their life and can probably run an entire company before lunch.

And honestly, it’s almost embarrassing to read.

Not because I’m embarrassed by the skills or experience I have, but because of how great it makes me sound. There’s something strangely humbling about reading a list of your accomplishments when you’re not used to talking about yourself that way. You spend so much of your life just doing things, working, learning, figuring things out, helping people, solving problems, and you don’t necessarily stop to think about all the things you’ve actually learned or accomplished along the way.

Then suddenly you have to put it all on paper and basically say, “Look at me! I’m qualified! I’m capable! I know what I’m doing!”

It feels a little uncomfortable to brag about yourself, even when everything you’re saying is true.

I suppose that’s probably the hardest part of writing a resume: not figuring out what you’ve done, but figuring out how to give yourself credit for it without feeling like you’re full of yourself. I’m slowly realizing there’s a difference between bragging and simply acknowledging what you’ve accomplished.

I did, however, find my original birth certificate! The very first one I had, not the replacement one I ordered a few years ago. I had completely forgotten that I still had the original. I really should put it somewhere safer, like in the safe, instead of leaving it in the filing box where I currently have it. Of course, that means I probably need to go through all of my important papers and figure out what I actually need to keep, what should be stored somewhere safer, and what I can finally throw away. I have a feeling that is going to be a job for “future me.” And, as usual, future me can deal with it.

This past weekend, Tommy and I went to see an air race. I had never been to one before, and I wasn’t really sure what to expect. It’s somewhat like an air show, except instead of the planes simply performing maneuvers, they actually race each other. They fly around a course in a circle, almost like cars racing around a track. It was really neat to watch, especially since I had never seen anything like it before.

And OMG, was it hot!

At first, it really wasn’t too bad. We were having a good time, and I thought the temperature was going to be manageable. But as the day went on, the heat just kept building. Sitting in the stands didn’t help either because the sun was reflecting off all the metal around us, making everything feel even hotter. By the end of the day, I was definitely ready to get somewhere with air conditioning!

We also got to see the Thunderbirds, which was probably one of the highlights of the day. They performed all kinds of crazy maneuvers and formations. Some of them were so precise that it actually looked like they were about to crash into each other. There were moments when I would look at the planes and think, “There is absolutely no way they are going to clear each other!” And then, of course, they would separate perfectly and continue like it was nothing.

They make it look so easy.

And they are LOUD! You can feel the sound when they fly overhead. It was an incredible experience to watch them perform, even if I was occasionally holding my breath, wondering how they were going to pull off some of those maneuvers.

By the end of the day, we were both pretty tired and very hot. We got into the car, and Tommy drove us down to El Paso because my cousin was there for work. We didn’t arrive until late at night. Once we got to the hotel, I took a shower and tried to read for a little while, but I was so tired that I ended up falling asleep pretty quickly. Meanwhile, Tommy was still awake, going through all the pictures he had taken with his camera at the air race. He got some really great pictures, so I can understand why he wanted to look through them while everything was still fresh in his mind.

The next morning, we got up, got ready for the day, and checked out of our hotel. We then headed over to the hotel where my cousin and his wife were staying. We met them in the lobby, and it was really nice finally getting to see them in person.

I’ve only ever seen my cousin through Facebook. He is older than me, and when he first came to the States, I was just a little kid, so I didn’t really remember him from back then. Because of that, I felt nervous meeting him for the first time as an adult. I knew who he was, of course, but there was still that feeling of finally putting a real person to the face and stories I had known mostly through pictures and social media.

His wife is so sweet, too. They were both so welcoming and easy to talk to, which made me feel much more comfortable.

They also brought us a bunch of snacks and treats from the Philippines! I was so excited when they gave them to me. I love getting to try foods and snacks from different places, especially things that I probably wouldn’t find in a regular grocery store here. I’m really looking forward to trying everything and seeing which ones become my favorites.

My cousin also gave both Tommy and me one of his military coins with his name on it as a token of appreciation. That was such a thoughtful gift, and I was honestly really touched by it. I feel honored to have something like that from him.

After we met up, we all went to lunch at Las Espadas Brazilian Steakhouse. The way it works is that you start by going to the buffet and getting your sides, and then the servers come around to the table carrying different kinds of meat. They offer you different cuts, and if you want some, they slice it right there onto your plate. And they just keep coming!

It was really good. I especially liked the lamb, which isn’t surprising because lamb is always one of my favorites. There were so many different things to try that it was hard to decide what to get.

As Tommy has pointed out before, though, I never really get my money’s worth at a buffet because I just don’t eat very much. I did make an effort to eat more than I normally would this time, though. By the end of lunch, I was definitely full!

We sat around and talked for quite a while after we finished eating. I was a little nervous about the conversation because I always worry about whether I’m doing okay socially, especially in group settings. I can get very awkward and sometimes have no idea what to say next. But thankfully, my cousin and his wife were both so easy to talk to. They made the conversation feel natural, and we ended up talking about family, traveling, and all sorts of things.

After lunch, we went back to their hotel and stopped to have a coffee before Tommy and I had to start heading back home. We had a little more time to sit and talk, which I really enjoyed.

One of the things I thought was really cool about El Paso is that you can see Mexico from there. I don’t know why I was so fascinated by a place where the international border was so visible from the city. I mean, I lived in Chula Vista before, where Mexico was visible from there. It’s a really neat sight to see. As we were leaving and driving along the freeway, I kept looking over and thinking about how close Mexico was. It is always fascinating to see another country right there on the other side of the border.

We eventually made it back to the city around 5:00 that evening. Since we were still pretty full from our big lunch, we just had a small dinner. Tommy had his hockey game that night, so we went to that afterward. By the time the game was over, we headed home and finally made it back around 9:30.

It was a long weekend, but it was a really good one.

I’m so happy that we were able to meet up with my cousin and his wife. It was really nice getting to spend time together and actually have conversations instead of just seeing each other through Facebook. I especially enjoyed talking about family, traveling, and our experiences.

And I’m grateful for Tommy. He has driven a total of 9 hours this weekend so we can see the air races and see my cousin. And still make it in time for his hockey game.

Oh! I have Christmas cards! Did I mention that already? I can’t remember. Tommy bought some Christmas cards at Costco. So I can start filling out Christmas cards. That makes me happy. I’d like to get them out on time this year. As opposed to last year where I never did them.

I’m not sure what to do with my resume right now. Should I work on it more? Work on formatting?

I studied today also. I don’t want to give up studying cybersecurity. I keep looking over at the box of Christmas cards and wonder if I should start or make a plan to start doing them.

And once again, we have arrived at my least favorite part of writing a journal entry: the ending.

Seriously, why is ending these things so hard? I can ramble on for pages about what I did, what I thought, what happened, and probably a few things nobody actually needed to know, but the second I have to wrap it up, my brain suddenly goes completely blank. And this rambling does not translate to talking. That, I’m still working on.

So… I guess this is where I’m supposed to say something profound and meaningful. Something like, “And so another chapter comes to an end…” But let’s be honest, that sounds way too fancy for me.

Instead, I’m going to take the easy way out and post some pictures on Facebook.

And with that awkward little conclusion, I shall now make my escape before I make this ending even more awkward.

Until next time!