THE JOURNEY: MY OWN PERSONAL TIMELINE

1970 - I, Vernon Anthony Cruz Tapalla, am BORN in MANILA 1976 - I go on my first trip abroad ever AROUND THE WORLD 1977 - I start first grade 1981 - While listening constantly to the song "Endless Love", I realise I am in LOVE with another boy 1982 - I begin high school and my sister and I are classmates 1986 - I begin college, but drop out after a semester 1987 - I resume college at a crap Makati school (no one ever took classes seriously and almost always, no one showed up) 1988 - My family flies to LONDON to take my sister to her school in the British Isles so she can join a program in Hotel & Restaurant Management 1989 - I transfer to College of Notre Dame in SAN FRANCISCO where I study for the next three years and earn my business degree 1992 - I come home to Manila to begin my master's program at the Asian Institute of Management where I drop out again after only two weeks 1993 - I party hard for the next several years 1995 - While at a dinner, I meet my future wife 1996 - I am bored and disillusioned with my life so, without telling my parents, I pack my bags and run off to NEW YORK CITY where I work awhile at a midtown office 1997 - I come home, get married, and later have a son 1998 - We separate and I open the doors to my consulting firm 2000 - I have three offices and am raking in money 2006 - I move into my own home and lose an important loved one 2011 - I meet Mark and he becomes my first and only boyfriend 2017- I am down to one full-time office, I am a few pounds lighter, I am (still) in love, and I am HAPPIER and BUSIER than I've ever been At 47, my life has taken me everywhere and I've done almost everything. In between all the highs and lows, was much love, happiness, laughter, and adventures. What I've learned is that life happens fast and before you know it, it's OVER. All I can do now is to continue to make the best possible choices so I can look forward to something like this: 2037 - I retire in a small village in FRANCE and teach English to the locals while writing articles, manuscripts, and my memoirs about how I've lived a truly amazing life. 😃😃😃 👍👍👍