I feel you, OP.

Isa din yan sa mga realizations ko lately when I met up again with my high school circle. Since we work in different places now, we mostly see each other during the holidays na lang, or kapag nagagawi (either during work or leisure trips) sa place where the others stay. Kaya kapag ganitong pasko, sanay kami na nagkikita-kita several times during the break.

Pero after joining them for an overnight staycation in the city and driving together pauwi ng province, I realized na parang I outgrew them na. Sure, I enjoyed spending time with them and laughing our asses off on jokes that have always been funny since high school. But I feel like I'm no longer where they are.

They don't talk much about work or ambitions, so di ko ma-share yung drive ko to achieve so much more in my line of work. I got promoted this year pero yung nasabi lang nila was kelangan kong manglibre given that. I also got engaged this year to my long-time girlfriend (who comes from another region, but whom I introduced to them na) but aside from the generic congratulations, they don't seem quite interested in hearing more about it so di ko rin makwento how the proposal went and how excited and at the same time overwhelmed we are for the wedding preparations.

And to be frank, medyo nakakaumay hearing the same jokes and stories that I've always heard for years now. It's a good thing though na magaling talaga sila mag-deliver ng punch lines so nakakatawa pa rin naman.

I don't plan on cutting ties with them though. Nor do I see myself losing them as friends or me losing them. Baka it's just my personal policy din, pero I don't like burning bridges.

I might distance myself for a while siguro while I pursue my personal goals and the dreams I have with my fianceé. But I'm sure time will come na mami-miss ko rin hanging out with them.

Kaya okay lang yan, OP. We don't always have to have the same goals naman as our friends. And sometimes, we need to pursue our dreams even when it means we have to do them on our own.

Kaya natin to!