It was one of those moments when you know that you are at the right place, at the right time, and with the right people.  Unplanned, it may seem; unprepared, we may be; as indulgent, as it may appear, it was definitely an adventure that I will forever remember.

It was crazy at work.  My boss is out of town, my co team leader is in the middle of a maternity leave, and I found myself at the middle of the busiest season, with two sign offs I needed to make. As expected, I can only think “I want a vacation”.

And then, my phone rings, and my adventure began.

“Follow us!” they kept on insisting.  All I can say was “we’ll see”;  “ There’s a bus leaving at 8pm this evening, it’ll arrive here around 6am.  We’ll meet you at the bus station”.  Again, I replied “We’ll see”.

I can’t skip work, well, I’m weird that way.  But all I know is, I had to be there… with my friends, at the beautiful island of Calaguas.  It was a good thing that my credit card arrived a week before.   I immediately booked a flight, and few hours after my shift, I was on my way to Naga.

I arrived at Naga airport around 8am, rode a bus to the terminal, where I met my friends.  We stayed momentarily at their hotel to catch up with activities and our journey begins.

To get to Calaguas from Naga, we took a Daet bound bus, a shuttle to Paracale, and ultimately, a banca to the island.  Approximately, travel time is a little over 5 hours, but it was all worth it.  

Photos below are taken by my friends Ange Pedro and Kathy Seraspi

 

Something about Challenge #5...

Day tour challege in a Visayas or Mindanao City...

City of choice: Iloilo City

It started with a to-do-list turned to an all year round challenge. I spent the day with my friend/competitor and had one of the best times in my life. It was an all day laugh trip and adventure.

We got lost, ate one whole chicken, listened to what it seems like an never ending speech from local officials, met interesting people... All in all, a wonderful experience.

It was supposed to be a one time deal, but I ended up looking forward for another adventure (similar to this) with him.

Something about Independence Day...

I was supposed to celebrate Independence day today but I ended up receiving this from someone ...

Something about Gratitude...

I’ve always been a to-do-list girl. I list everything that I need to do, who I want to be, and what I need to achieve. What most people don’t know is that coupled with my obsession in listing everything, I used to believe that I know exactly who I will be at a specific time of my life.

In the perspective of the School Girl Nina, by the age of 25, she is on her way as one of the best lawyers in Manila. Having graduated in the University of the Philippines Law School and having earned the number one spot at the recent Bar exam, her success in her chosen field is inevitable. She doesn’t mind being single, believing that not all people are destined for marriage, and probably she is one of those people who are supposed to spend the rest of her life alone, and quite frankly, she doesn’t mind at all, and actually loving it.

But reality strikes and at the onset of my 25th, I was thinking what have become of me. I used to know what I want and exactly how to get it, but at that moment, I was clueless. I didn’t know where to start because I don’t know where I’m supposed to go. It was as if I went blind.

For a person, who find happiness in planning, and in getting what she wants, it was a very confusing time. I was questioning the person I had become. I was thinking that I was a failure. I am not a lawyer. I did not attend UP. I am single but no longer believe that I am destined for solitary life. I felt I was dissappointing a lot of people, most especially myself.

It was just fortunate that I was surrounded by people who have been a very good influence on me. They continuously inspire me to build new dreams, to achieve them, and never give up. Having been blessed with a family that loves me, friends that support me, and faith that uplifts me, hesitations and doubts became an option, and I choose not to be affected by them. I choose to continue being happy, building dreams, and achieving them.

On the last day of my 25th year, I realized that although I am not the person I thought I would be at this age, I could honestly say that I am happy of the person that I’ve become and it is all because of everyone that has been part of my life.

I hope that this is enough to express my gratitude. Everyone who became part of my life, inspired me to be the best that I can be. Every moments, every conversation, every experienced shared, will be treasured. I am really thankful that you allowed me to become part of your lives and that you let me show you glimpse of my true self.

Thank you.

At the onset of my “new” year, I promise to always choose to be happy, determined to make the best out of everything, continue creating opportunities, be thankful for each experience, and to continue to dream, aim, and believe.

Something about my to-do-list....

I got inspired by the 50 things to do in Manila piece I found at www.spot.ph. I created this additional 2010 to-do-list based on this article and hopefully, I get to finished this before the end of this year.

•     Eat Ox brain at Shawarma Center. It is located at Salas Street, Malate, Manila
•     Watch a film at Mogwai, located in Cubao Expo.
•     Try imported beers and cocktail drinks at Murphy’s Pub in Makati
•     Visit Bookay Ukay, a second hand bookstore, at Maginhawa St., UP Village, Diliman, QC
•     Photoshoot at Paco Park
•     Try Beer Ice Cream at Elfav at 2/F Pergola Mall, Paranaque City
•     Photoshoot at Chinese Cemetery
•     Go to Club Mwah
•     Visit La Solidaridad book store at Padre Fauna Street, Ermita, Manila
•     Photoshoot at American Cemetery

Here’s the status of my “original” 2010 to do list:

•     Buy a dog – Done! His name is Coachie, and he’s simply amazing.
•     Go back to Palawan
•     Take more photos
•     Spend more time with friends
•     Fall in love - not feasible this year.
•     Go to Luneta
•     Go to Pasig Forest Park – Done! Had a photo shoot with my College Best Friend J
•     Buy new lens – hopefully wide angle lens
•     Buy new phone – Done! Thanks to Sir Law
•     Attend mass regularly
•     Learn to Drive
•     Do something I haven’t done before – DONE!!!!!!! Thanks to teacher Yeye!
•     Do something that scares me
•     Out of the country trip