Life of a late 20-something with the Peugeot 2008

Adulting with the 2008

So this is what it's like to be an adult.

That's what I was thinking to myself while wearing a tuxedo as I stood by to witness another close friend tie the knot with his long-time girlfriend.

Apart from the usual motoring events at work, I've noticed these are the invites I'm getting a lot of these days - weddings. I can't remember anymore how many I've gone to in the past two years. And yes, most of those weddings I attended involved persons that belong to my circle – high school friends, college mates, car buddies, you name it.

This is the stage when you're already being pestered asked by your relatives when your turn will be. And really, as my friend was up there at the altar exchanging vows with his other half, sooner or later, I'll find myself in the same place. But I'm just not sure when. I'm doing a lot of things these days, but ideally, that's where I'm heading. Some may call it going to wedding season, but it's more like a wedding era for me.

Earlier that day, I was getting ready for a Sunday drive to San Pablo in Laguna. I won't be driving my trusty old hatchback like I always do, this time I'm taking the Peugeot 2008 for the wedding – a subcompact crossover.

With my coat hanging at the 2008's rear grab handles, I set off on a cool and misty morning.

Not too long ago, you'd either find me sleeping, or nursing a bad hangover at 6:00 AM on a weekend. But not in this case, or not anymore. Instead, I'm at the Tiaong-Lipa road driving a vehicle type that I consider ideal for those starting a young family of three. It's for those who are... umm... what's that word again? Ahh yes. Maturing.

I have the road all to myself from Padre Garcia to Tiaong. These roads have an interesting mix of long straights, sweeping corners, and some twisties. Of course, there are uneven surfaces in some areas, so it would be nice to drive something with good ground clearance as well. These all play into the strengths of the 2008, as it is a nice handling crossover with a potent 1.2-liter turbo engine.

In my younger years, my idea of driving fun would have been to turn this into a tarmac rally stage and power through like there's no tomorrow. But today, I have a wedding to attend, and cruising along an empty road is just as fun for me nowadays. It's not every day I get to do these things since I live in Manila, so pop goes the Spotify road trip playlist on Android Auto.

It only took me around an hour to get to San Pablo. By the time I reached Villa Escudero and towards the San Pablo arch, I noticed a lot of developments in the area. The last time I was here was 12 years ago when I first applied for a driver's license. There were only two lanes on the national highway, but now the roads are nice and wide with four lanes. And not to mention, smooth pavement.

But really, the one that caught my eye was the ongoing SLEX TR4 project, which extends the expressway from Laguna to Quezon. One of the sections cross through San Pablo, and I noticed construction works have already started. A concrete overpass is already in place at the national highway, and the areas where the roads will be laid have been cleared. Development and growth are well on their way in this part of the country, much like how Peugeot is growing and developing in the automotive market.

Eventually, I reached the wedding venue. After the ceremony had ended and all the pictures have been taken, I headed back to Batangas and dropped by Yummies Lomi Houuse along San Carlos in Rosario before heading home.

Yummies Lomi House offers different sizes of bowls – the smallest was the Regular, the bigger one is the Special and the biggest were the Jumbo and Super Jumbo. You can even go for extra toppings or the overload, for plenty of chicharon, lumpia, kikiam, and egg, like the ones you see on social media.

But for me, I ordered the Special lomi as I thought this one was just the right size and the amount of toppings to satisfy my craving. Plus, I'm not getting any younger either, so I also have to keep things in moderation. In a way, the Special lomi is the 2008 too. It's just the right size, has the right amount of flavor, plus the number of tech and features aren't overwhelming. Nothing fancy. Just a good time. 

As I reflected on the day that was, I realized I've literally gone from doing things like binge drinking, late-night partying, and Fast and Furious driving to attending weddings, being health-conscious, and driving slow and steady on the road. So is this the part where my life has become boring? Most definitely, not. 

Sure, it's nice to have a laugh and reminisce about the past. And yes, I do miss the things I did (and all the time I had) back then, but I'm doing things now that I'm not able to do before. It's all about finding the beauty in exploring this thing called adulthood. Most of the time, you'll even do things by yourself. But best believe your friends and other buddies your age are doing the same, and that's perfectly alright. Being by yourself doesn't mean becoming miserable. You just have to find new ways to have fun.

Speaking of fun, the very next day I headed to a track day at Clark. And I'm going to be driving my own car that I fixed up with my own money. 

Getting older doesn't seem to be so bad after all.