Hi, my name is Roy.
Today I'm going to draw my life.
Psych!
I'm going to animate my life.
Let's get started.
So when my mom and dad got married,
they-- wait, wait, that's way too far.
Let's fast forward just a little bit.
It was August 21, 1991, and a new baby was born.
His name was Roy.
That's me.
I was born in the Kupang city Pangasinan in the Philippines.
I was a dark, big-headed baby, and I was cute, too.
At least, my parents said I was.
When I was two years old, my parents and I
moved across the world to America to a small town
called Durham, North Carolina.
My mom found a job there, and it was basically where I grew up.
When I was four, my parents brought home a little baby.
I was like, yo Ma!
Yo Pa!
Who dis?
Why is he in my space?
And they were like, this is your baby brother, Raymond.
I was like, wha?
How'd you do that?
And they're just like, it's a secret.
When I first went to school I was super shy,
and I always hated it.
I always wanted to be around my parents,
because they made me feel so happy.
One time in kindergarten, I had to pee so bad,
but the teacher was teaching at the time
so I couldn't, and I was so shy to tell anyone.
So I just eventually peed my pants.
I eventually took ESL, or English as a second language,
because my English was not too good.
It took me a while to get rid of it,
but I think I fixed my accent, which was really cool.
And then I remember playing LEGOs with Raymond,
and my parents came in with another baby.
We were both like, ew!
Who is that disgusting thing?
They were like, this is your baby brother, Russell.
I was just like freaked out.
I was like, how do you keep doing that?
And I remember Raymond was like, yo!
I thought that was a girl.
Eventually my brothers and I moved back to the Philippines
when I was eight.
My parents left us there while they got really situated
financially in America.
I remember I was horrified the first time I got there.
Like, being eight and knowing I'm
going to be living there for a while, that was a huge deal.
It took a really long time, but I grew to love the Philippines.
Just basking in my culture and being around my relatives
was just an awesome experience.
It really taught me how to open up to others
and appreciate things in life.
And just as I became comfortable living in the Philippines,
my dad came back and brought us back to America.
I was like, what?
I'm never going to be comfortable in my life.
Which is a good thing, because being uncomfortable
is the best way to grow.
When we got back to America, we saw this little baby
hanging around.
My mom was like, this is your baby sister, Ariel.
I was like, how do you guys keep doing this?
P.S. I was only 10 years old, so I really
didn't know how they kept doing that.
Anyways, I was in fifth grade at the time,
and I remember going to school, and I just remember
being extremely, extremely shy.
Mainly because I got so used to the Filipino culture,
and also I had a slight Filipino accent, which I thought
everyone would judge me.
It also sucked because everyone knew each other
because they'd been together all of elementary school.
And there's just me, the new boy from the other country.
I guess that really explains why I get quiet and shy sometimes.
But it took me a while to break out of my shell.
It wasn't until the eighth grade where
I met some friends I could be comfortable around.
Turns out, they weren't the best of friends,
but they really broke me out of my shell,
which I am thankful for.
That was also around the time my parents
bought a video camera they would never use,
so I would always use it and I would post it on YouTube.
This was also the same time YouTube was created-- 2005.
That was also when I created Wassabi productions.
I didn't think much of it back then,
but I'm so glad I made it.
Then high school came along, and that's really
when I started figuring out who I was.
I remember my friend invited me to this Catholic retreat called
Couples for Christ Youth, so I went.
And to be honest, hands down one of the best decisions
I have ever made.
I made a lot of lifelong friends there
who are like brothers and sisters to me now.
And being in that community, it really truly
helped me figure out my faith, myself, and it fixed me up.
With old friends gone and new friends made,
I've never been happier in my life.
I've gotten closer with my siblings, my parents,
and it was just so awesome.
After I graduated high school, I honestly
did not know what I wanted to do.
So I went to community college and tried
taking nursing classes.
It turns out nursing is not my thing,
so I transferred to North Carolina State University
to pursue computer engineering.
College was hard.
I remember sleeping in libraries multiple times,
because I was up all night studying
for some electrical circuit exam or whatever.
It wasn't until I posted a video on YouTube
called "Call Me Maybe Parody," when that video went viral,
I saw a change in perspective in my future.
I figured I would just focus on YouTube, because I
was already good at it.
So I changed my major to film studies.
And guess what?
I graduated.
I don't know how, but I did.
Plus, I did it for my mom, because her dream is for all
her kids to graduate college.
So I did it, Mom.
I don't know how.
I moved straight to Los Angeles right after college
to see what I could do with this YouTube career.
And Los Angeles really taught me a lot.
Remember when I said being uncomfortable
is what helps people grow?
That's what L.A. did to me.
It really solidified what I truly wanted in life.
Well, honestly, I still don't know what I want,
which is the greatest part.
I left Wassabi productions to create my own project
called Guava Juice.
Not sure where it's going to go.
But I know with constant hard work
it'll go somewhere eventually.
Being successful doesn't mean having the most money
or owning a nice car or house.
I just believe it means being truly happy with yourself
and doing your best to inspire those around you.
Honestly, if it wasn't for everyone watching,
I wouldn't even be here right now.
So I really want to thank everyone for supporting me
through my journey.
If you're new to my journey, welcome.
I can't wait to share what I have in store for you.
Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this Animate My Life.
Stay humble.
Remember you are amazing, and I'll see you guys later.
Bye