Today marks my second year at VXI. It has been a challenging yet fulfilling time so far. Everything happened so fast, as if yesterday was my first day on the job. I feel joy, gratitude, and truly blessed as I continue to move forward on the path life has prepared for me.

Over these two years, a lot has changed, many things have improved, and some people have moved on. The challenges have helped me become a much better person than I was yesterday, and the failures have given me reasons to do my best. The achievements made me realize that every effort was worth it. None of this would have been possible without the support of my team-turned-family.

I am a person who lacks confidence in unfamiliar situations. I would stay silent in the corner, envious of those who can express their thoughts and make connections so easily. Part of me would push me beyond my boundaries, while the other part would fight tooth and nail to keep me at bay. This internal war often saw the latter side winning. But everything changed when I joined my team-turned-family. They allowed me to share my life with them and gave me a sense of belonging. Although we are different in some ways, they never made me feel lesser than anyone. As a family, we haven't always been on top of the world: we have had disagreements, trivial issues, and heated arguments, but we always return to being a family. This has made us stronger, strengthening our bond, learning from each other, and learning to love what can't be changed.

When I realized it had been two years, I thought, "Hey! This calls for celebrating success and for the many years to come!" But then I remembered that the people who had been my team-turned-family for (almost) two years were now, unfortunately, my former team. I feel brokenhearted. If only I had known that we would end up like this after resuming work from the community quarantine, I would have let them know on the last day how sincerely grateful I am for being part of the many beautiful things that have ever happened in my life. I found comfort with them; they helped me overcome my fears and taught me the value of teamwork. This might sound too emotional, as if we don't work in the same company (LOL), but nothing compares to being with them because they were a family to me.

This is another problem of mine. I can get too attached and am afraid to let go. This is the same reason I’ve been trying to avoid including myself in somebody else's life. But hey! It's time to grow up (coming from someone turning 31, LOL). It's time to develop that part of myself that has been long delayed. HAHAHAHAHA! So, yeah! I guess this is farewell to my team-now-turned-former-family. I love you guys, and thank you so much.

Leomar Tulang, signing off from Team Perfect.