Given that a worthwhile collection of Nine Loves would be best populated by people and places, I think I’ll limit myself to those boundaries. Though, referring to people as a group is probably some cheat code for me.

1. Tough teachers?–Of all that I had, it was Ms. E who put up with me; up to my first job! I can’t thank her enough. Of course, I hated her for being so demanding, but–hey-down the line, you see how it all came from intending to bring out your latent skills. Tough love can come in many shapes and sizes.

2. A trek up mountains. My best experience was going up Mt. Talinis and I miss it terribly. There’s nothing I love more than wandering through foliage and seeking out divinely crafted details.

3. With my mentors, it’s a love-hate relationship: KC, Coach Bing, Mux, Ate Pep and Ate Rosemel… my coaches from football, muay thai and the academy. There have been so many. People who’ve always had good in mind when they posed a challenge, reprimanded me or just took the time to correct my perspective.

4. One of these days I will scale Angkor Wat, take several pictures and walk around, reeling in the whole experience.

5. Wee hours. Midnight to dawn are my active hours: offering silent solace for work related activities with the privilege of being pensive. It allows me to ruminate and sort out my thoughts. This isn’t exactly a person or a place, it can be a brand of refuge, though.

6. Alex Maleev is my muse. Will you look at that cover?–These are the two world’s I’ve been wanting to gel together: comic art and painting! He’s done it! He will forever be one of my heroes.

7. The Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland. As a child, I trailed across this wonder while flipping through encyclopedia pages. 13 years later, bummed in the office, it was the wallpaper for my monitor and I swore I’d visit it.

What a beauty, it helps me understand the balance between the infinite and infinitesimal.

8.  Mum helps me dream. There’s nothing impossible with her. Once, she convinced me I could grow to be 5’8″… ate age 18, I was heartbroken and disappointed to be several inches lacking.

Nevertheless, “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars,” describes her manner of thinking. I don’t back down because of her.

9. Dad grants roots to my branches. That he never helped me with assignments, even when I knew he could, allowed me to appreciate the process of learning. Figuring it out for yourself is the hard way and I respond best to this type of challenge.

I like to dream and, thanks to dad, I’m always trying to figure out means of granting legs to these aspirations. Life is more than just a collection of ‘what-if’s’, after all.