We Traveled 5 Hours, Lost ₱25,000, and Came Home Empty-Handed... But It Changed My Life

Hello, Hivemates!

It’s Seth again. This one’s a little close to my heart—something I didn’t know I missed until I started remembering the small things.

You ever have one of those moments that just stick with you? Not because everything went perfectly—but because something inside you grew stronger after it?

That’s what journalism days were for me.

As a campus journalist, I had the chance to visit different schools, soak in new environments, taste the local food, and compete with other student writers. At first, I was nervous. I didn’t always win. I didn’t always know if I was good enough. But I kept going.

Until one day… I placed. Third place in Filipino Feature Writing. My heart nearly burst hearing my name called. I looked around and saw my co-writers smiling, clapping. They were proud of me—and I was proud of them too. One got second place. Another placed first. That day, we weren’t just students. We were a team. And we won.

Our school celebrated with us like we’d won gold medals. But behind that victory was a story most people don’t see.

I remember one competition where we had to travel all the way to Santiago National High School and Habonga National High School. That’s five hours away from our school—and we had to stay there for three full days. We raised nearly ₱25,000 just to get there. My teacher even woke up at dawn just to cook for us, make sure we were fed and ready to compete.

But that time? No one placed. Not a single one of us brought home a medal.

It hurt. I won’t lie. We cried in silence. We felt like we had let everyone down. But we didn’t stop. We went back to writing, practicing, trying—and one day, we heard our names called again. That’s what made the win even sweeter.

It’s not just about medals. It’s the journey, the quiet mornings, the bus rides, the shared snacks, the laughter in between rounds. Those are the things that live in my heart now.

Oh, and if you’ve noticed, most of the pictures I’m posting are from recognition day—another highlight of my school life. I always looked forward to it. Not because of the awards, but because I knew deep down, I gave my all.

Throughout senior high, I stayed consistent. I always placed Top 2, never slipping, always holding onto that dream. The gap between me and the Top 1? Just 0.2 to 0.4 points. We both graduated with Highest Honors, and I earned eight academic awards—Best in Math, Science, English, Immersion, and more.

I remember standing on that stage, my heart full. It wasn’t just a medal hanging from my neck. It was proof that everything—from the 5 a.m. wake-ups to the nights I cried quietly while studying—was worth it.

So here’s to the students who fight silently. The ones who lose ₱25,000 and still keep going. The ones who write, even when their hands shake. The ones who never give up.

Because sometimes, the most powerful stories are the ones we live through—not win through.

And maybe that’s why I’m writing this now.

In college, things feel different. There’s no journalism competitions to pour my heart into. No press conferences. No teachers packing breakfast at dawn. Even becoming a Dean’s Lister feels like something you just quietly receive—no applause, no banners, no medals.

And honestly… I miss it.

I miss the noise. The nerves. The laughter in the bus. The simple pride of wearing a medal you bled for. I miss high school—not because it was perfect, but because it made me.

I’m growing now. I see it. I feel it. I’m no longer that boy scribbling in notebooks and hoping someone would notice. I’m slowly stepping into the future I used to dream about.

And that’s the craziest part.

The boy who once wrote stories and quietly hoped for a win… is now just a few steps away from living the dream he never thought he’d reach.

So if you’re reading this and you're in the middle of your own “trying” season—keep going.

We don’t always notice we’ve grown until we look back.

Leave a comment if you’ve ever missed your younger self. Or tell me, what part of your past still clings to your heart like mine does?

Let’s remember them together. 💬

The first picture is edited from Canva.
All photos are mine.