Sometimes the chapters in our lives don’t close quietly.
Sometimes they take years — years of healing, growing, losing people, finding new ones, and slowly becoming someone stronger than you ever imagined.
This blog is my way of closing one of the hardest chapters of my life… and finally turning the page.
Three Years Later: Closing the Chapter That Changed My Life
Three years ago… wow. Time flew by quickly. So much has happened in the past three years. So many great things, and so many heavy moments.
After that post in February 2023, I went back to Vancouver after traveling for a couple of weeks in Asia. It was an amazing trip. While I was in LA in May 2023, I met someone — someone who would end up changing my life.
The funny thing is, even though we met in LA, he also lived in Vancouver.
We had such a great summer together, and friends visited me over the summer.
During the Fall of 2023, I struggled with weed addiction. That was when everything started to feel really heavy for me. My financial situation, dealing with my ICBC case, and the constant uncertainty — it was overwhelming. Almost every night I felt like I was drowning in anxiety. It was hard.
Instead of opening up to my friends about what I was going through, my coping mechanism became smoking weed every night until the morning. At the time it felt like it helped me escape, but in reality it only made my mental health worse.
Then February 2024 came. After being together for about eight months, he ended things. It was hard. And just like that, I found myself at rock bottom. At this point I was already extremely depressed and struggling with addiction. He didn’t know what to do, and honestly, I can’t blame him so he left.
But in a strange way, it also became a wake-up call.
I realized I had a choice to make. I could either keep drowning in my sorrows… or I could get my shit together.
And that’s when I decided I was fed up with everything in my life and the direction things were going.
So I started changing things immediately.
Literally the next day, I began building a routine — practicing gratitude, journaling, reading, working out, and doing the small things I knew would slowly bring me back to myself.
I also decided to quit smoking weed for good.
I went back to therapy as well during that time. My friend Charlotte told me that I had to rebuild my foundation from the ground up — and this time stronger than ever.
She was right.
One of the reasons I struggled was because I lost trust in myself. I wasn’t sure if I would be able to make it through the situation I was facing at the time. It was also really difficult for me to ask for help.
That led me to ask myself why.
Because there is usually a reason why we are the way we are. Often it stems from unresolved childhood experiences — and in my case, it did.
I had to learn how to change that.
At one point, you really have to ask yourself:
Who am I deep inside?
After all the conditioning, after all the trauma that life has put me through, who is Jayce underneath all of that? Who am I if I strip everything away?
That was the question I had to answer — and then work hard to become that version of myself.
During that time, my bestie’s mom Sarah introduced Mel Robbins into my life. Where do I even begin with Mel? Her podcast and the guests she brings on taught me so much — about what creates a good life, relationships, confidence, routines, and so much more.
It was a quiet phase in my life, but also one of the most transformational.
For months, I really worked on myself mentally, physically, and emotionally. I followed the routine I set for myself for 155 days straight. Even when I was sick, I still worked out and showed up for myself.
I did this because I wanted to prove to myself that I was still in control of my life.
I also made it a priority during my healing journey to strengthen the relationships that truly mattered — my friends, my family, and my relationship with my mom.
Then July 2024 came, and my mom and I flew back to the Philippines. It was my first time coming back after 13 years. I was already in a much healthier headspace. It felt great to be surrounded by family after months of quiet healing. Not long after arriving, I decided to stay longer.
A couple of months later, I found myself in Siquijor for the first time in September 2024. What a coincidence that I arrived on this island exactly four years after my car accident.
Then in October 2024, I went to Taipei Pride last minute on my own to reconnect with my friend Istredd. I had no expectations for that trip other than spending time with her.
But little did I know that I would meet some of the most amazing people — people who would eventually become part of my village - the House of Pretty.
Meeting them became one of the reasons why I stayed longer in the Philippines. I truly felt seen, loved, and heard within that group. I ended up staying until July 2025 because of them.
Honestly, that year became one of the most memorable years of my life.
Needless to say, it was a busy year.
In June 2025, after almost five years, I finally decided to settle my personal injury case. It had taken up so much of my time and energy, and I knew it was time to close that chapter.
I didn’t get what I deserved, but someone once told me that peace costs a lot.
And it’s true.
I was ready to move on with my life.
The following month, I went back to Vancouver and began packing up my life there. I sold most of my belongings and gave away about 90% of my clothes. The rest I placed into storage.
Then something really hit me.
I had just spent the best year of my life traveling — with nothing but a carry-on suitcase and a backpack.
That’s when I realized I didn’t need much to live a full life.
It felt good to be back home in Vancouver, but deep down I knew my travel adventures were far from over. So in September, I flew back to the Philippines again. I had promised myself I would take a few months to travel after settling my case — and that I’d return to Taipei Pride with my friends.
The trip was supposed to be just a couple of months. But life had other plans.
I spent over a month in Taiwan studying Mandarin, reconnecting with family, and enjoying some much-needed time alone. After such a social year of traveling with friends, that quiet time to walk, read, and simply be by myself felt incredibly grounding.
Then December came, and I flew to Bangkok for White Party with friends. It was the perfect way to close the year — new memories, new friendships, and moments I know I’ll never forget.
2026 started just as beautifully. I reconnected with my friend Laia in Krabi, experienced my first EDC festival in Thailand, and later spent some time in Saigon visiting a friend from Vancouver.
Saigon completely surprised me — vibrant yet relaxed, with incredible food and welcoming people. In such a short time, I made some great friends there.
I’m already looking forward to going back someday.
A few weeks later, I celebrated my 34th birthday in Vietnam during Lunar New Year. Celebrating my birthday in a place that was also welcoming a new year felt symbolic in a way.
I welcomed 34 feeling calm, grounded, and content.
Now it’s March 5th, and I’m back here in Siquijor writing this blog.
Three years ago, when I wrote my last blog, I was learning how to hold sadness and gratitude at the same time. Today, I’ve learned to welcome every emotion — and give each one the space it deserves.
Today feels different.
Today I’m closing that chapter.
The accident, the healing, the uncertainty — it was a long journey that changed me in ways I couldn’t fully understand at the time.
But now I see it clearly.
That chapter shaped me, but it no longer defines me.
And with that, I’m finally turning the page.
When I look back at the last five years since the accident, I can’t help but feel emotional. I have come so far. I struggled for years, but I honestly wouldn’t change a thing. It brought me to where I am now — to healing, clarity, and the people I have in my life today. It brought me to the best version of myself.
I’m filled with gratitude, love, and hope. I feel incredibly proud of the life I’ve built.
I guess that’s why I feel emotional sometimes — because I know what it’s like to be at rock bottom and pull myself out of it, and to be here now. It just makes me appreciate things so much more.
Here’s to whatever comes next.
Because sometimes the hardest chapters in life are the ones that lead us exactly where we were meant to be.
Everything works out ✨
Love,
Jayce
