First Achievement and Accomplishment in early 2025!

By Somaly,

Namaste wonderful souls and dear readers, 

Since I was ten year old, I saw a friend who raise and grow up in city. she had her journal book and she wrote her stories. I never wrote any things about my stories and childhood memories. it was beginning desire. Then I was 23 year old. I saw a friend from church who share and talked about her journal writing and set some plan her life. this was second time that I felt inspire and have been learning " how to journal my stories, memories, and experiences in my life". I have been using digital journal and hard copy books. I gave up so many time, but I never stop trying and starting my journal every year! 

I started to write my stories, memories, and experiences again since 2024. I use digital journal and blog. It has been improving and developing into habit. I learn to express ideas, thought, and inner voice inside me. when I wrote about my feelings, memories, experiences, and stories, I felt better, release, and let's go the past experiences which no longer benefit in my life. sometimes, it was hard to face the truth that I had made some mistakes, some made wrong choices, and chose to trust the wrong person in my life. Now I decided to forgive myself and others, so we all could be free and move on with our future journey!

I never complaint about what had happed in the past? I saw and acknowledge them as some lessons, maps and guidelines that I was in the right path or I might stay on the wrong path. Thank universe that I learn about my health, goals, desire, goals, plans, and strategies. I never thought that I could reach these answers, align my true purpose in life, and build my dream into reality. when I could recognise and be able understand what strategies work best in me! I start flow and take a small steps every days! 

Since 2025 I enjoyed wrote on my note books, journal books, and calendars. It was a great success! I could wrote a small note each days and I feel that my life have been more organise and well-prepare. 

These are my note books, journal books, and calendars! 

I enjoyed the moment that I use my pencil on books. I learn to listening my inner voice. sometimes I could get the vision and feel the connect between my heart and high-self! I am grateful that I could find a piece of puzzle in my life which I could reach the future answers. I have been build secure and safe base. I feel more resilient, confident, and being myself. I enjoyed and be proud to be myself. I do not allow some negative people and energy affect me! I will respect others as they also respect mine!

These books help me to record different experiences and reflect the whole strategies and plans which work or does not work! I have been writing my life stories, experiences, and memories. I feel secure and safe that my future children could learn and benefit in their life.

Finally, I also feel proud that I could use own ideas and words. It might be not perfect English form or sentence structures. I will be improve and develop the skills. I am glad that ideas flow into the stories. I am going to do my best. I am going to see what my life could achieve and accomplish in the next five year.

Thank you for your previous times to reading and support our writing. 
🌟Thank you for being part of our community. 
🌟 Thank you for your likes, shares, comments, and follows. 
🌟If you feel it might be not resonate and align with your life, please leave my stories and experiences behind. Thank you.
🌟Send a lot of love, hugs, peace, miracles, and blessings to you and your family.
Copyright by So and Jo Stories:
©2025 by So and Jo Stories. All right are reserved

High Five Yourself!

by: Icie

Namaste wonderful souls and dear readers, New year, new reflections, but some things are pretty much the same. 2024 was rife with all kinds of gruelling and enjoyable things that happened in my life. I created this blog with my best friend Somaly to talk about our personal lifestyle choices and the shit that the two of us do in Australia, whether together or with other people.

I've seen things on stage last year: Chicago, Beauty and the Beast, Cirque Du Soleil Luzia, Wicked (for the 2nd time since 2014. This time with my other best friend Danielle.) The Chicago stage play wasn't what I expected (because I saw the movie first) and the Beauty and the Beast Musical wasn't what I expected either (it was updated to look more like the 2017 version instead of the 1991 but with a better dress than Emma Watson's.) Luzia was, for me, Cirque du Soleil's comeback after a bad one (Crystal).

I have been on several museum dates with my loved ones to see things about fairy tales, Lego dinosaurs, Alphonse Mucha, Iris van Herpen, and Ancient Egypt. Though Australia's museums aren't as world renowned as others, we try our best and a trip to the museum is always educational and awe-inspiring.

I also coloured a goddess for the artist Jash Lee. Not just in a Facebook group of sorts, but he approached me to do one for him personally. I wish I could have done better, but I'm an amateur!

I have been to festivals about cats, dogs and the annual Matsuri Brisbane. It's the 3rd time I went to the festival and I enjoy it every year.

My grief happened when I experienced the loss of my beloved dog Mallows. The sad thing about this was that I didn't see him in his last moments as I was in Australia while he was with my family in the Philippines.

I reconnected with my friends and family after 4 years of separation due to Covid. I finally met my nephew and was so excited when they visited me this time. We explored Brisbane and we took them to our favourite spots.

Then Gio and I explored Sydney and fell in love with Australia even more.

Other things I did was grinded coffee beans with an antique,

did a low cost cosplay of Anya Forger for Halloween,

created art with literal babies (8 months to 19 months) for Christmas which reconnected me to art,

and wasted a lot of time on Infinity Nikki (my game of the year). Did some Dreamlight Valley on the side too. I found out that I am getting too old for stressful games as my work is already too stressful, so I sauntered on to cozy games and never went back.

But what I really want to high five myself about was that I quit my good job for a better paying one. I was happy where I was and the people in the work place were amazing and fun. The work ethic was chill and I have made friends. But I wasn't progressing and I am full of ambition and I know my worth. Also, it was far from where I live.

I looked for a different job were I was placed in a leadership role with better pay as well, only to realise that it was a terrible one. It reminded me of the time I worked in companies that valued profit over the people and we were treated like numbers. I missed my old job and wished I could go back to my old one even if there was an invitation to go back from my previous owner. I cried from the stress every day. So I quit again and found a new one after staying there for just 4 months. Again, I know my worth.

And the new one is amazing! (even if it had lower pay.)

It may sound like I'm anti-work but I have never been prouder or happier that I moved on from them. I was proud that I didn't have to be a martyr to jobs that made me feel stagnant or jobs that are so toxic to its employees. I am proud and giving myself a high five for learning how to move on and treat myself to something better. I have learned not to just say yes to any company that offers me a lot of money because they are traps. Hopefully this new year and new endeavor will be good to me and the people around me but for now, I am giving myself a high five for everything that I've done in 2024. It was a good year, and I hope it's better this year.

Thank you for your previous times to reading and support our writing. 
🌟Thank you for being part of our community. 
🌟 Thank you for your likes, shares, comments, and follows. 
🌟If you feel it might be not resonate and align with your life, please leave my stories and experiences behind. Thank you.
🌟Send a lot of love, hugs, peace, miracles, and blessings to you and your family.
Copyright by So and Jo Stories:
©2025 by So and Jo Stories. All right are reserved

After three months processing grief, I felt better and accept the fact!

 by Somaly

Namaste wonderful souls and dear readers, 

After three processing grief, I felt better and accept the fact! I still miss and cried every time that I think about my beloved mother. my currently emotion and physical health have been improved. I return to doing normal hobbies such as gardening, traveling, colouring, and creating video contents.

I realise that I have to forgive myself for what happens in the past? and it was somethings that I could not control. I keep praying and remembering the beautiful memories with my mother. I hope she could rest in peace. During Christmas and New Year holiday break, my husband and I had a short trip near by.

A couple picnic at Brisbane Botanic Gardens at Mt Coot-tha

My husband lost his young sister last November 2024, we decided to have a quiet Christmas celebration together. we had picnic at Brisbane Botanic Gardens at Mt Coot-tha. It was the best celebration picnic area during the Christmas Day. It was beautiful green and less crowed. there are some people visit there around 9:00 am. We arrived at 7:30 am. we could see turtles, eels, ducks, dragon flies, butterflies, and other wild animals. it was relaxing and peaceful moments. we really enjoyed the day. Brisbane Botanic Gardens has many beautiful areas where we could explored with nature walk and had refresh feelings. our favourite spots are waterlilies pond and home kitchen area( a place where council gardener grown different type vegetables, fruits tree, herbs, flowers, compost, bee hive, and worm farm.)

We live close by to the city, we rarely visit the South Bank and Kangaroo Point Cliffs.

Last Boxing Day, we spend half day walking from the Kangaroo Point Cliffs to the South Bank. Some areas were crowed. families brought their young children played, cycling, and walked their dogs. there are many people enjoyed their holiday break as well. we also enjoyed our walking and sightseeing the beautiful city views. we had fun and enjoyed time. we also could take some Power Nap during our holiday break. the holiday season could bring some new fresh start ideas and let's go for what happens last year? I felt grateful that we could overcome our challenges. we decided to bring more joy and happy moments into our life. Now we relaxed and trust the flow life with universal plans. it was time to let's go the past.

This was in the Coolangatta area. we also love to visit these beaches.

We decided to two day trip on 29/12/24 to 30/12/24. It was our second time that we visited some beaches between New South wales and Queensland border. there are some many magnificent and dazzling beaches and places. we spent time in Coolangatta beach, Kira beach, Rainbow Bay beach, Snapper Rocks, Froggy Beach, Flagstaff beach, Hastings Point, and Hastings Point Lookout. There beaches were crowed and busy. We decided to road trip where we could see small farm, cattle farm, sheep form, local towns, and some countryside area. people live simple and peaceful with nature. there are some areas where we could have internet connecting in our phone. we had exciting and also nervous as well. we managed to find our back home. I post some videos on my YouTube Channels if you are interest... Please checked the link below: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCemx-eEKXmaq2A7oDr07JMg .

last year, my husband and I cleaned and decluttered our place. we felt release and happy with our new environment. we selected and adapted our growing season according to the weather conditions. We are looking for better future , healthy lifestyle, and abundance life.

Thank you for your previous times to reading and support our writing.
🌟Thank you for being part of our community.
🌟 Thank you for your likes, shares, comments, and follows.
🌟If you feel it might be not resonate and align with your life, please leave my stories and experiences behind. Thank you.
🌟Send a lot of love, hugs, peace, miracles, and blessings to you and your family.
Copyright by So and Jo Stories:
©2025 by So and Jo Stories. All right are reserved