Hello? Is this thing on?
Well. Hi.
Yup, it’s me. 7 years later.
As I type this with clammy palms and a sheepish grin on my face, I’m happy to announce that I’m back. Back from where, you ask? Oof, where do I even begin…
I’m just gonna pretend like I’m speaking to 20 year old Daya, getting her up to speed about what has happened in the last 6 years or so. Here we go:
- You got a diploma.
Yup, that cute little website you started at 19 got your foot in the door after all. The endless nights you spent sobbing over every “We regret to inform you…” email was simply God’s way of steering you in the direction He had written for you. What started as an innocent attempt at becoming Zoella, got you into a school that allowed you to unlock your fullest potential as a creative. You spent the next 3 years pulling all nighters and sharpening your craft, building a portfolio to secure your dream job after you graduated (spoiler alert: you did just that hehe). Oh and you met your future husband while studying there too. But we’ll get to that later :p - You went to London.
For TWO months. Yeah. Even going downstairs to buy bread felt like a chore (still does), but you flew across the globe for 13 hours straight to live in a foreign land with your best friends for two whole months. And you guys had the time of your lives. Granted, you still had more lazy days than you’d like to admit. Part of you still regrets that a little, not going out as much as the others to explore the city while you were living there. You’re still a chronic homebody today, btw. Nothing’s changed. But the feeling of wanting to be a bit more adventurous is there, thanks to the people around you. It’s okay to enjoy solitude. But you can enjoy solitude in places that you aren’t familiar with too, you know? There’s really nothing to be afraid of. It’s all in your mind, love. Romanticise every bit of life while you still can. I promise, you’ll be just fine. - You became an auntie.
You used to wonder what it’d be like no longer being the centre of attention anymore. Being the youngest in your family, that was all you ever knew. And now, you have this tiny human that runs up to you as soon as he sees you. Pure dopamine. There are no words to describe how much you love your nephew and niece (you have one more otw too). You’re their protector. Their best friend. The one they go to for unlimited affection. To be spoiled. To be nurtured. To watch them grow into wonderful human beings. To heal their wounds before they turn into trauma. You’re the one they’ll brag about and tell your future kids to treasure someday. Because before you become Mummy, you were Antaya. And Antaya will be there for all of them, always. - You got a degree.
Wow, even typing that out felt surreal. Like, you? The one who almost retained in Sec 3? The one who got caught skipping tuition every weekend out of fear and anxiety from completing 10-year series mock exam papers? Yup. That one. Okayyy fine it wasn’t some economics degree or something your parents could brag about during Hari Raya. But hey, a degree is a degree, right? In the wise words of a relative after you told them where you were taking your degree: “takpe lah, asalkan dapat belajar.” Thanks for the reassurance, cik. Totally didn’t feel backhanded at all. So ya! You did it, love. You got your degree. - You went to New Zealand.
Another long haul flight? Who IS she? But yes. You took a trip with your cousins and created core memories for a lifetime. Oh, and you planned the whole thing btw. Absolutely nuts if you think about it. But knowing how Type A you’ve been all your life, ehh not much of a surprise. No doubt there were hiccups here and there, but you had the most amazing and supportive people around you that made it less stressful. Everyone rolled with the punches and everything turned out fine in the end. Cousins really are the best. They’re the friends your parents trust you with, and the siblings you can let loose with no holds barred. It was easily a trip to remember that brought us closer than ever. And you’d do it all over again in a heartbeat. - You started playing golf.
And you love it. Yes. Present tense. Golf was the last thing you’d expect to pick up, let alone enjoy. Here’s how it happened: Inci and Bel invited you to the range one night. You had the urge to decline their invitation, simply because the only time you ever held a golf club in your life was at Frankel’s backyard. And it belonged to Papa. It was a silly attempt at putting on uneven grass. No thoughts, head empty. Just hehe haha. And that core memory gave you the push to just go for it. We all start somewhere, right? What you thought would be a one-time thing at the range, became a whole love for the game. You started going to the range on your own. No clubs, no gloves, just a yearning urge to whack some balls (yikes). And you did. You Googled the nearest driving range, drove down there one random afternoon (you got your driving license in 2 months after getting back from London btw), brought the only pair of gloves you owned (they were winter gloves, you psycho), rented a men’s 7 iron, bought a bucket of balls, and the rest was history. God knows what possessed you at the time, but I miss her. The sad truth is that it’s been AGES since you went to the range. Adulting’s hard, bruh. Like, you finally find a hobby that makes you happy. That doesn’t involve doom scrolling and rotting in bed. Then all of a sudden, you’re thrusted into a new routine that drains the life out of you. That leaves you wanting to just go home and do what? Doom scroll and rot in bed after a long day. I don’t know how everyone else does it. You’re still figuring it out tbh. But you’ll be back at the range soon. Airpods in, narrowing swing thoughts, and hitting buckets of neon balls towards the night sky. Perghhh - You got a job.
Remember that new routine I mentioned earlier? That entails working in an office at Duxton Road and writing copy for a living. That’s right. You’re a Copywriter now, love. Your office is located at one of the coolest parts of the city. Every morning you’re walking through narrow shophouse corridors, with jazz instrumentals humming from the boutique hotel next door. And the stairway is constantly filled with the scent of fresh bakes, thanks to the cafe one level down. The little girl who wrote with colourful gel pens in her journal now writes copy for big brands. You’re surrounded by a smol team of talented writers and designers. More importantly, they’re the kindest people you’ll ever come across in this industry. It was scary at first, but you came to realise how supportive your team is, and that every project is an opportunity to learn. Some days are longer than others, but you have amazing colleagues who make it a little less painful heh. So if there’s one thing to be grateful for, it’s this wonderful job that God was waiting to bless you with. Alhamdulillah. - You got engaged.
MasyaAllah tabarakallah. You and the love of your life took one step closer to forever. Everything went smoothly. And the room was filled with so much love and barakah. I can’t imagine how the actual wedding day would be like. Naturally, the two of you are anxious. Excited. Just wanting to get married already. But God has a plan, and you both need to trust it. His divine timing is all that matters. And the two of you will look back on this period of your lives, and laugh together about how there truly never was anything to worry about. Because as long as your intentions are lillahita’ala, He will ease your affairs. Always. So keep tying your camel and making duaa. Everything will fall into place eventually, insyaAllah. Ameen yra.
That’s about it. Hope you’re all caught up.
I’m gonna make a conscious effort to write here more often. It’s kinda therapeutic. Healing even. Not sure why I ever stopped.
Stay tuned for more silly little thoughts in this cosy little corner of mine.
Till then, baiiii <3