Goodbye Sexynomad, Hello Momtraneur!

I thought of writing a very long detailed post on why I decided to no longer update this blog and open a new one instead but I don't want to dwell in the past as much as I already have and I just want to fully move on... so I'll just summarize my reasons here: 

1. The term "Sexynomad" was coined by my ex and I just want to let everything about him go. 

2. I can no longer relate to the term "Sexynomad" because my life now revolves around my son. I can't just up and go whenever I want to because the last time we did, my son got sick. So it's all about my little angel now while I still try to balance other aspects of my life. 

3. Sexynomad embodies, for the most part, my past life which I am still grateful to have had because it made me the kind of person I am now --- stronger, more resilient, wiser and kinder, But just like any case of fully moving on, I really really wanted to start fresh and new. 

Hence, my new blog MOMTRANEUR. That's where I'll be sharing my new life from now on as a mother, traveler and entrepreneur. 

See you there! 

A Mother's Day Message

I want to shout to the whole world, HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY, to all mommies, nanays, mamas, mothers, inangs out there most especially sa mommy ko, Erlinda M. Adams. I never really quite realized how much sacrifice, pain and hardship being a mother entails until I became one myself. It's no walk in the park, it's the hardest thing in the whole wide world and yet here is my mom, surviving all of life's challenges with my dad by her side in order to provide a good life for us three siblings to the best of her ability.

Review: NWorld, Black Pearl, Jericho, Proactive, Bio Oil --- My Facial Skin Journey

The following is a detailed account of the experiences my facial skin went through from February 18, 2016 up to present (April 26). This is not to generalize the effects of the various skin products I used because there so many factors concerned which is why effects on skin may vary from person to person depending on existing variables like skin type, age, hormonal changes, genes, etc. 

Read more: 

JERICHO, BLACK PEARL, NWORLD, PROACTIVE AND BIO OIL SKIN PRODUCT REVIEW

Holy Week Last Minute Plans

 The Plan

We had plans of spending the Holy Week at the beach with my parents and nephews. My mom suggested Calaguas and since we haven't been there yet, I got excited at the thought of it. Since I couldn't anymore find the time to handle the planning for that trip, I delegated it to Bebeko Hanz. He was doing a great job researching for everything, from hotels we can stay at, to places to see in the area, things to do, what we need to buy, etc. when the boatman he was texting said that the coast guard won't be allowing any infants in the boat trip. The kid has to be 2 years old and up before they could board and go island hopping. Oh no!!! To make this long story short and to my dismay, we decided not to go anymore. Baby Tuz is just 4 months old and we don't want to go anywhere without him. We'll just wait for him until he turns two and that's when we'll revisit our Calaguas plans. 

Now what? 

So it's already the Holy Week and we don't have any other contingencies. Everywhere else is booked, if not, rooms are available at twice the price or more since it's peak season. It's gonna be one heck of a traffic ride going to and fro, and we'll just be stuck in a stressful situation if we decide to book a last minute beach vacation. 

What to do? 

My Life List. What's Yours?

I've been asking myself where am I getting all this energy I have day in and day out? Despite feeling oh so tired at times, I always feel excited about life. Then I thought about my life list.  I started listing stuff I wanted to do with my life back in college. I was 18, around the same time I began watching Oprah on TV and had this little mantra in my head that I'd recite every morning and night to help me get out of the rut I was feeling and live a fulfilling life despite poverty and hardships. 

New Year, New Me! My Resolution for 2015 and Beyond!

Happy New Year, everyone! Even after the Three Kings and the celebration of the Black Nazarene have gone by, it still feels like the first day of the new year for me. Hehehe.

So, how did the first 12 days of the new year treat you so far? I hope this year of the sheep is turning out the way you wanted it to be, or if not, I hope you're all coping very well and getting yourself ready for all the blessings and challenges that lie ahead.

As for me, it really didn't happen the way I planned it to be. Well, come to think of it, my entire life, though a blessing with everything I have achieved and accomplished, didn't really happen as planned. But I won't bore you with all the details. (If you're an old reader / follower of mine, you'd know what I'm talking about). Let's just focus on the past two weeks. Teehee. ;)

Adventour Magazine Features Sexy Nomad

I was surprised to receive a copy of Adventour magazine last week! It was actually delivered to my home Wednesday evening just before I went out to do the groceries. I didn't have the time to read it though until Friday late afternoon and boy oh boy was I surprised to see myself featured on 7 full pages!!! I was so ecstatic!!!

Barefoot Travels Magdalena Whitewater Rafting Adventure

 This white water rafting photo above was taken at Ayung River in Indonesia back in 2009.

Bebeko will be here soon and we're joining Barefoot Travels in their white water rafting adventure. Weee!!! This will be my third time to do such an adventurous thing. The first time I did whitewater rafting was back in 2006 in Padas River in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia. The second was in Ayung, River, Bali, Indonesia in 2009. 

Bebeko and I wanted to try this before in Cagayan de Oro when we visited my grandparents and at another time when we went to Dahilayan in Bukidnon but we always ran out of time. I guess now, the universe has conspired for us to get what we want because I was personally invited by Rons Nebre, the founder of Barefoot Travels and I'm going to bring my bebe with me. Yipeee!

Buri Resort and Spa - Answer to My Prayer

This was the exact room I was provided with during my stay!

God works in mysterious ways and he does answer our prayers whether we see it or not. In my case, with my work being home-based, and myself being home alone most of the time (if I'm not traveling), I do get lonely. Usually, this feeling of loneliness is manageable but there comes a time, like a few days after my bessy Hanz went back to Cebu and I was missing him a lot, that I felt really sad. The pain in my heart was so palpable like I couldn't breathe. So I talked to God and told him that I can't live like this... I don't want to be by myself all the time; I need some semblance of social life (love life if possible!). But most, if not all of my friends, are busy with kids, families and careers. And the current object of my affection is miles away. Then I remember what I learned from Rhonda Byrne's The Secret before, that I don't have to know nor see how my wishes will be granted, but that I should just believe that it will happen in God's own time. And true enough, the universe opened its doors the moment it saw that I was ready. 

Taiwan Buddha Memorial Center and the 2012 International Youth Seminar on Life and Ch'an Day 3.

Hi guys! Si here's the continuation... Like I said in my previous post (Taiwan FGS Buddha Memorial Center Tour: A Prologue), so far, the third day of the youth camp has been the most fun of all. Aside from the usual protocol done during early morning meditation, breakfast and lunch, we did Sutra Calligraphy, listened to a talk about Life and Ch'an, witnessed Buddhist chanting, did a Dharma Hunt, watched a concert and ended the day with a Light Offering and Prayer Ceremony. So first things first...


Sutra Calligraphy

At 8am, all delegates gathered at the assembly hall. For the first time, we saw the hall filled with rows and rows of tables and chairs. We all went to our respective groups then took a seat. On our table were sheets of calligraphy and pens. At 8:00, one of the Venerable Masters explained to us what calligraphy is and what it entails to trace the different characters on the piece of parchment. It's not just about copying or tracing, but it's about meditating about the meaning of the characters as we trace them... it's about finding wisdom in the calligraphy... it's about ch'an or meditation. It's about freeing the mind from worries and other attachments and living at the moment.

Before we all started tracing the calligraphy, a little prayer ceremony was done where all delegates participated by praying through chanting. Then from 8:30 am - 9:00 am, we all traced the calligraphy.

Taiwan FGS Buddha Memorial Center Tour: A Prologue

I've been doing a lot of meditation and contemplation as of late that it made me think back to my 2-week trip to Taiwan when I was lucky enough to be chosen as one of the Philippine delegates to attend the International Youth Seminar on Life and Ch'an. 

Heading to Real, Quezon with Barefoot Travels... Who wants to join?

*Due to typhoon Glenda and Henry recently, this trip was re-scheduled to Aug. 2 and September 6.

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Just a quick post... I'll be going with Barefoot Travels this Saturday, July 19, 2014. There are still a few slots left. Who wants to join? Please read the details below:

Surf and Trek Adventure

Real, Quezon

Real is a small first class municipality in Quezon province, approximately 145 kilometers from Manila. Conveniently located only 2.5-3 hours away from the Metro passing by the picturesque Laguna Lake and the scenic Sierra Madre Mountain Ranges, this town is slowly becoming a beach destination for quick and easy weekend getaways. With its coastline facing the Pacific Ocean, this has also become a surfers’ haven due to its great waves and much less crowded surf spots.

Berjaya, Petronas and Menare KL Tower: Kuala Lumpur Walking Tour

It's been a week since it happened and my days have been a roller coaster ride of varying degrees of extreme emotions. In order to get out of my funk, I thought I'd do other things that I enjoy like blogging. In this particular post, I'd like to just share with you that time Jayme and I did our Asian trip in January 2010. I never got to finish that series because life took over and as they say, the rest is history. Well, this is one history of my life that I'd like to document. And hopefully, from this post, my days will be filled with blogging about my previous trips all the way to present. It's always nice going back to old happy travel memories.

So Jayme and I had just come from Singapore and Vietnam. A quick stopover at Kuala Lumpur was next on the list. Since we were on a budget, we just decided to go around the city via bus and on foot. After checking out Batu Caves in Selangor, Malaysia located north of Kuala Lumpur, we had some lunch at a vegetarian Hindu place first just outside the gates of the Batu Caves before boarding a bus back to the city of Kuala Lumpur. 

 Lunch!

Back in the city, we stopped by Berjaya Times Square Shopping Mall just adjacent to the Berjaya Times Square Hotel majestically towering over the skyline of Kuala Lumpur City since it is located right at its center. 

Of Endings and Beginnings

I've been feeling the blues and it's been going on for a while now (severe depression which has been on and off since 2012). I was pretty ok last half of 2013. The NLP / Neurolinguistic Programming sessions I took in September helped a lot. In a way, the emotional baggage I've been bringing with me since I was a kid got healed somehow. Plus the non-stop travels I did the past two years did a lot of good to my psyche. 

The non-stop hopping from place to place was tiring, yes, and I was welcoming the rest I will be having from these trips come February, my birthday month which was last month, the only time I got to rest from my travels since January 2012. 

Fun, fun Feb, my birthday month!

Everything was going great; I was looking forward to celebrating my 36th birthday at home despite all the emotional trials I've been going through... until something hit me hard and since then I was never the same. :( :( :(

Summer Travel Schedule w/ Barefoot Travels

Can you feel the heat? Yep, I think summer is here! After that cold spell we all experienced in January, I'm ready to welcome the warm and sunny weather coz that means more beach trips and more travels!

If you're "nomadic" like me and have this immense thirst for traveling, you might be interested in what I want to share with you. Even if you're not the wanderer type, but you've been dreaming about getting out of the office and going on some adventure somewhere, then this post is for you too.  

In the past, I was used to traveling on my own if not with my hubby. Then a time came when I always wanted to travel with my old friends. Then sometime 2012, I started traveling with my bessy. Recently though, I discovered a group who likes organizing fun and affordable travels and I've already been with them thrice! They're called BAREFOOT TRAVELS. My experience with them in Sagada was life-changing! Then last month, I've been to Baler with them twice! The first was for an overnight trip and the second was for a 3D/2N surfcation. 

Before I came to know BAREFOOT TRAVELS, the only other traveling group I've been with was Travel Factor back in April 2012 when I first visited Baler with my hubby and gf Koryn. We had some mishaps at that time with Travel Factor but I still considered it fun because I was with my husband and friend. However, with BAREFOOT TRAVELS, considering that I was by myself and I didn't know anyone when I first went with them (to Sagada),  it was really a nice surprise how much I came to love, adore and miss this group! Plus, it's a bonus that every time I join them in their travels, I get to meet new and interesting individuals from all over! It's really an amazing experience every single time. I think it's because their travel coordinators who go along these trips are really nice, friendly and accommodating people. The bring out the best in each participant and they're also all for the adventure, camaraderie and bond that come with these trips which I love that about Barefoot Travels. 

And now that summer is here, it's time to travel some more and go BAREFOOT! I'm sure many of you are looking forward to spending some quality time relaxing on a beach, or surfing, or climbing mountains or just simply heading out there onto a new adventure, bonding with friends, families, loved ones or simply enjoying yourself or meeting new people. If so, check out the following schedules that BAREFOOT TRAVELS has for you beginning this month all the way through May: