They say we only have ten truly vibrant summers in our twenties.

I’m not entirely certain who authored that pressure or if I simply internalized it while scrolling through a Pinterest mood board of how I wanted my life to look when I finally hit my prime. That idea sparked a specific kind of FOMO that if we aren’t living at our absolute peak during these ten fleeting orbits around the sun, we are somehow failing the decade.

I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t let that ideology steer my ship. I spent my twenties accumulating milestones like they were limited-edition accessories. I chased the grand and “successful,” often reaching markers of achievement that most expect in their thirties. Back then, everything had to be monumental for my life to feel awesome.

Maybe because I didn’t come from privilege. I grew up with the odds stacked against me, and started working for my dreams as soon as I turned 18. So I turned into a professional opportunist, grabbing every chance I could get.

I was never sure when the universe might stop offering them.

Because of that drive, my life eventually looked meticulously curated on paper. It’s even more glamorous when viewed on a 120Hz Super AMOLED+ display.

However, as Taylor Swift so astutely noted, familiarity breeds contempt. As a lifestyle journalist, that contempt often manifests as a weary cynicism toward the very tools of my trade. In a world of iterative design, the novelty of a new smartphone often feels like a ghost.

When I packed the Samsung Galaxy A57 5G to experience a summer to remember in Boracay Island, I didn’t expect to be surprised. I expected a standard device and a beautiful island, but what I actually found was a paradigm shift in how I view my own life.

Sparkle of new beginnings

Arriving at Discovery Boracay, the scenery felt like a familiar embrace.

I had stayed at this resort years ago, yet as I walked toward the shore, the sensation of the Galaxy A57 in my hand felt distinctly different.

Shot on the Samsung Galaxy A57 | Photo by MJ Jucutan

The device is unapologetically slim at 6.9mm, which is a feat of engineering that feels more like a piece of jewelry than a piece of technology.

Shot on the Samsung Galaxy A57 | Photo by MJ Jucutan

The Awesome Blue finish captures the shifting hues of the sea and features the new Ambient Island translucent camera bump. This design choice mirrored the soft pastels of the morning sky I used to watch, proving that even a tool for work can possess an aesthetic that resonates with a creative soul.

Watching the sun rise while eating Tahô, those warm pearls of sweetened silken tofu, I realized that my personal form of touching grass is actually touching sand and watching the ocean sparkle.

This realization helped me put things into perspective, which is the defining lesson of the final summer of my twenties. Along the way, I had been taking the awesome for granted because I was looking for it in all the wrong places.

Shot on the Samsung Galaxy A57 | Photo by MJ Jucutan

I was busy waiting for a grand, sweeping crescendo when I should have been looking at the way the light hits the salt spray on the horizon.

Finding awesome in the everyday

Life is truly awesome if you possess the courage to look at it without the heavy filter of expectation.

In between Boracay sunsets, shared mojitos, and crisp white linen shirts, I’ve met new people and realized that I’m standing at the precipice of a new chapter.

Kyle Vergara holding the Samsung Galaxy A57, while Mikee Bernabe holds a glass of Mojito

I’m leaving certain things behind, yet I no longer feel the sting of sadness regarding these endings. I’ve come to understand that they are merely setting the stage for new beginnings. This sentiment may feel like a cliché, but I’ve learned that truths often become clichés because they are universal.

People we meet on vacation, friendship version featuring Jo Serrano, Mikee Bernabe, and Kyle Vergara

With a group of new friends, I boarded a yacht to watch the sunset from the open water. I had done this same activity for my birthday two years ago. At that time, I couldn’t fully appreciate the beauty or the joy of the moment. I was carrying an immense emotional weight in my heart that kept me anchored to the past.

This time, I simply allowed myself to let go. I felt a profound sense of gratitude as I found myself laughing and dancing with abandon. The people I have met on this journey have made me realize that there was never anything wrong with me to begin with, and that is a realization I intend to keep.

Stabilizing the blur of my 20s

Out on the open water, where the movements are frantic and the wind is unpredictable, the 50MP OIS Main Camera on the Galaxy A57 became my most reliable companion. I wanted to capture these fleeting moments with precision. I recorded the clinking of canned beers and the sound of laughter being lost to the sea breeze while the sun dipped below the horizon.

Shot on the Samsung Galaxy A57 | Photo by Jayson Dionisio (Left) and MJ Jucutan (Right)

These moments were transformed into stabilized, high-definition memories that I know I will carry for the rest of my life.

To celebrate this internal change, I even began asking others to take my photo. In my early twenties, I would have hovered over the photographer, consumed by worry regarding the angle and the light.

Shot on the Samsung Galaxy A57 | Photo by Mikee Bernabe (Left) and MJ Jucutan (Right)

I was obsessed with achieving a hollow version of perfection. Now, I have learned to trust the process.

The Best Face through Galaxy AI on the Galaxy A57 creates a promise that even if I blink or the boat lurches unexpectedly, the device will select the ideal facial expressions for everyone in the frame. It allows the final result to capture the actual essence of my joy rather than just a curated pose.

Trading milestones for moments

We spend a significant portion of our twenties waiting for the world to show us something amazing. We wait for the next professional promotion or that one grand vacation we booked months in advance.

Shot on the Samsung Galaxy A57 | Photo by MJ Jucutan

As I sat on the sand, I realized I was already in the middle of everything I had been searching for. The Galaxy A57 didn’t just document a beautiful summer trip filled with new people I have come to love.

It taught me to notice the finer details of the world around me. I guess life unfolds beautifully if you simply allow it to be. Maybe, we don’t actually require ten perfect summers to feel whole.

Shot on the Samsung Galaxy A57

We just need to realize that every single day is an opportunity to step up our A-Game. As I head toward thirty, I am intentionally leaving the milestone-chasing behind me. I’m trading the monumental for the authentic.

Now, I am keeping my eyes open and my heart ready. That, and a reliable smartphone like the Samsung Galaxy A57 in my pocket to make sure I do not miss a single second of the ‘awesome’ that was there all along.