I do not have any professional experience in content writing but I often write my thoughts about my experiences. The articles below are some of my works.

Upskilling: Is It Worth It?

By Mae Urbina

September 30, 2024

It has been eight years since I graduated from university, and I can say I am slowly reaching my dreams by having a stable job. I only work six hours a day, and I spend my three-hour lunch break lounging in my apartment, watching my favorite Korean dramas, and playing mobile games. One day, as I was playing, a thought crossed my mind: “It would be great if I could earn money doing this.” Then I brushed it off.

Days passed, and I kept thinking about it, but I didn’t know what to do, so I always ended up ignoring the thought. Then one day, I shared my idea with a friend who is a beginner bookkeeping virtual assistant. She suggested I watch some videos about virtual assistance on social media platforms and specifically recommended checking out ProVA PH. I looked into it and was intrigued by how the coaches help trainees land jobs from scratch. That was a month ago. I brushed it off again.

However, since I followed ProVA PH’s Facebook page, I started seeing their posts every day. Eventually, I thought, maybe it’s time to take a step. Why not turn my thoughts into reality? Why not try to earn extra income instead of spending money on mobile games? Why not learn another skill?

Nowadays, having a degree and a stable job doesn’t guarantee success. Providing virtual assistance is a 21st-century skill after all, so why not give it a try? I took my first step and enrolled in a training course—a five to eight-hour webinar on a Sunday afternoon. Sounds long, right? But you know what? It was fun—so much fun. I quietly listened and took notes behind the screen, but everything sounded so interesting. Medical and legal virtual assistance aren’t for me, for sure, but they all sounded intriguing. Some of the skills they talked about are things I do in my daily life; maybe I can dig deeper into them and use them as skills for my side hustles. I should give it a go.

So now, I’m on my second step. Yes, writing this article is my second step. I don’t know how many steps it will take to successfully venture down this path—it might take a hundred or even a thousand. And that’s okay. What I know for sure is that there’s no turning back, only moving forward.

Before I end this article, I want to answer my question: I believe that taking even a single step on this path is worth it. However, it's up to each of us to make it truly worth our time and effort.

ME BEFORE YOU

by Mae Urbina

March 26, 2023

I’ve been wanting to rewatch Me Before You since last year. I was about to, but I decided to read the book first.

One thing about reading the book that brought my favorite movie to life is that it made me feel emotions I didn’t get just by watching it. I felt sudden waves of emotion that made me pause because I couldn’t read the next words as tears welled up, blurring my vision.

Those moments of sobbing, while gently pressing a soft tissue to the corner of my eyes, made me reflect on my own life. Every word that Will said to Louisa pierced my heart, making me want to step outside my comfort zone.

Who would have thought I’d be searching for the nearest skydiving spots at midnight? Smiling and feeling excited at the thought. Browsing flights I want to take solo. Thinking of the languages I want to learn. All the things that go against the norm. Things that scare me, but I’d do them anyway. Brave decisions I could make, even knowing they might lead to sleepless nights of overthinking.

It made me wonder—what can I do for myself? I want to do things for me. I care. I’d sacrifice my own desires for others. I’m willing to compromise my decisions for people. But I also want to be able to pause, lay everything out, and think about Me Before You. Before all of you.

Quarter-Life Crisis (Struggle of a 25-Year-Old)

By Mae Urbina

May 2020

I used to be happy and carefree,
Feeling like a kid at a party.
But things have changed,
And it surprised me—
My past self has now left me.

Is this feeling okay?
Is the world still the same?
I’m amazed at how I’ve changed.
I only have myself to blame.

They say it’s normal,
I have to go through it in my quarter life.
“You’re only 25,” I always hear them,
But I can’t understand how to deal with it.

I can’t wait for this feeling to be over.
Maybe when I’m 26, I’ll be sober.
I know I’m not alone—
It comforts me.
Millions of 25-year-olds around me.

It’s hard to endure and act mature,
When inside, I just want to hide.
Just finish the race and keep the pace.
When this is done, maybe life will be fun.

Dawn

by Mae Urbina

March 2020

In my room, it’s dark, I can’t sleep,
Alone, thinking about you and me.
I blink, and morning comes—it daunted me.
How will this end? When will this end?

Every day, still the same,
In a way, it’s a shame.
How do I deal with this?
I feel it day by day without a miss.

Wake up, stand up, live up,
Fight on, move on, and live on.
You just have to deal with it.
It won’t help if you deny it.

New day, I rise up, I put on a smile.
They won’t know what you felt last night.
Be brave; no hate; it’s your life.
Just have to wake up and strive!

Wake up, stand up, live up,
Fight on, move on, and live on.
It’s for me, only me—my reality.
Just be happy, for my ecstasy.

It’s not easy, never easy.
Not easy, never easy.
But I’m fighting; I’ll keep on fighting.
I am striving; keep on striving.

Until one day, I will forget—
Only remember that we’ve met.