To more days of chasing sunsets

It’s raining. I have started writing this at exactly 4:37pm. I’ve been wanting to write all day, but my creativity has felt scattered lately. And I’ve been a bit scared of disappointing myself, because writing is one of the things I enjoy most… well, alongside the sketching habit I’ve recently picked up. (I sketch like a two-year-old, but I love it anyway.)

Sunsets. Golden hour. Evenings softened by people who make our hearts melt. Witty banter. Shots of good tequila. Then that strange cocktail that started as a joke and somehow worked. I’m surrounded by delightful weirdos…people who take tea right before a bender, people who surprise me every other minute. Some weeks..like this one.. carry these small, unexpected joys. And the “cocktail” that wasn’t really a cocktail? Water. Ice. Tequila. Whiskey. Delmonte. Lemon. Chaos. Magic.

Then the photographer arrives. Anyone who knows me knows I don’t like having my pictures taken but I love taking pictures of other people. He has these interesting dreadlocks. He takes beautiful silhouettes of the sweet souls I am with, then I’m asked to go try one. I stand up (miraculously not staggering) and tell him I want a shot where I’m gently holding the sunset. He says, “Say no more.”

The lake is beautiful. The sunset is breathtaking. 

But I doubt he’ll capture it well.

His battery dies. He assures me he “already got a hot one.” I laugh because.. yeah, right.

He disappears, comes back, shows the picture to the soul beside me. They go, “daaamn, hi ni kali.” I stay unimpressed. I keep staring at the lake. Then he shows me the photo… and I’m like, “daaamn! it’s actually good.”

The evening unfolds. Live band, then the DJ.

The lake shimmering under the night.

And I keep watching people my favorite habit. Quietly, without making it awkward. 

The tiny, strange things you notice about strangers? Fascinating.

Then I get into a conversation, of course I love a good conversation. Then back to silence. Then a lot of trips to the washroom.

My toes feel weird. Wrong shoes. Feels like stepping on sand over and over. Not the grounding I had in mind. Mental note…. wear better shoes next time. And I do want a next time…to feel everything I felt, to listen to the lake more intentionally.

These are the moments I treasure.

The evening disappears quickly, the way all good things do. Darkness wraps around us. I barely touched my phone. I just existed. I took it all in the softness of the moment, the music, the laughter, the lake, the warmth.

To more days of chasing sunsets.

It’s now 4:58pm. The rain stopped without me noticing. I was too lost in this.

Today, I slowed down. I feel calm. Peaceful.

It’s not too late to wish you sweet souls a beautiful weekend.

Cheers.