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. ;)

The Day that was Christmas

Christmas has now become my least favorite holiday...

My Visit to Cagayan de Oro, City of Golden Friendship

My First Night in Cagayan de Oro

The moment my parents and I touched down CDO airport, I wanted to see my best friend. It's just that I dunno how I was going to excuse myself since the main reason why we visited CDO was to be with my grandpa. We arrived at 4pm not knowing if someone from my granny's household would pick us up. The oldies are not that good at communicating important things like this so we were prepared to take a cab and just check-in at some hotel in the city.

Luckily, my mom recognized one of my step grandma's teachers who came with their driver (my grandparents are educators and as much as possible they take in servants while helping them get an education degree. In fact, our former tutors/yayas/maids now have PhDs and I find that amazing.)

So anyway, we headed straight to Apovel Subdivision where my grannies live. Going back there is like a trip back to memory lane. How many times have I told myself before that I will never go back yet there I was eating (again) every word of my promise.

Valentine's and Birthday Week Highlights

I feel like I just came from a 2-week Valentine/Birthday celebration and thinking about it, I actually did. It felt like Christmas with the tons of love shared, tons of alcohol that went through my system, tons of food eaten, and tons of money spent on shopping (40 pieces of clothes, 8 pairs of shoes, 3 new bags, 2 belts, a pair of earring, new microwave, new hot and cold water dispenser, new electric fans, new bolts for the house). I am grateful to my sponsors, (you know who you are... *wink*) my special angel, and my hubby. THANK YOU, God! I feel so blessed! I absolutely had no intention of celebrating either but I guess the universe had a different plan for me. Sometimes, it really is important to celebrate occasions like your date of birth. It shows how much you value yourself and that you're worth every penny, every ounce of energy, every little thing that goes with the magic of your creation.

If there's one thing I've realized in this 2-week Valentine's/Birthday hullabaloo, it's about being happy, acknowledging the good inside of me and everything around me. I've also realized that I ought to be more focused with the things I want for myself this year.

I am 33 years old. I've accepted the fact that I only have 24 hours in a day, some of which I actually have to use for sleeping. I'm not like an energizer bunny anymore. I now easily get tired unlike before when I can practically go on, and on, and on. My liver also can't tolerate as much alcohol as before, and I need some down time to recuperate. So I have to streamline my activities and prioritize. This means less time blogging, less time on social networks, less time watching mindless DVDs and more time for the following: my projects, my rakets, my freelance work, my books, water sports activities, friends, family, and yes, rest. Health is still a top priority so I can enjoy life longer and be able to do more of the things I want. Oh, and traveling (I actually booked a number of trips this year --- Boracay, Bohol, Siargao, Bacolod, Bangkok and I'm still looking forward to a trip to Brazil which Koryn and the girls planned to do this year).

Anyway, this is going to be a long post but I'll try to just show you the highlights of the past two weeks.

Valentine's Eve - Dinner Buffet at Sofitel

A Weekend of FAB and Fashion

A week ago, I had the pleasure of witnessing a FAB Fashion Show held at World Trade Center so I can see what latest designs young fashion entrepreneurs are coming up with these days. Most designs, in my opinion, are really nothing new. They're fabulous styles that have been recycled and rehashed for many, many years, yet they still look gorgeous and trendy. I guess, it's really how one wears an outfit. Whether the style is new, old, or recycled and revamped, as long as the wearer is comfortable and confident in it, most often than not, the outfit will always look fab.Unfortunately, I didn't get any information about the prices but I'm sure they stand competitive in today's market.

Subic Treetop and All Hands Beach Birthday Adventure

After my Momolicious birthday lunch at Momo with my hubby and my Max's birthday dinner with my family, we now come to the adventurous part of my being 32. See, I've never felt more alive and happy and so I wanted to honor my 32 years here on Earth by doing something I have never done before. This includes braving rides such as the TREE DROP which I already previewed here on my blog, CANOPY RIDE and INTERACTIVE FREE FALL at Treetop Adventure in Subic. We were supposed to do Superman and Silver Surfer too. But the Canopy ride took  a lot of time and Super Man ride was undergoing maintenance when we went there on my birthday weekend last Feb. 21, 2010. So we'll just do the other 2 dangerous rides another time, like say, this coming weekend, (which is in a few hours from now!) when we go to Subic again with my hubby and girlfriend, Ninette this time. ^_^ Before I leave, I just want to share this travelogue first. 

 

That day, Feb. 21, 2010,  started smoothly. We went out of my parents' house in San Mateo Rizal at about 6:00 am  that Sunday morning. Thanks to SCTEX, by 8:00, we were already in Subic! We were all feeling quite hungry by then so breakfast at Jollibee was in order. It took quite a while for our orders to be served. There were so many people there that day. I guess it wa sbecause Feb. 22 was declared holiday for students and lo and behold --- many of these students (and their parents) decidedto take a day trip to Subic that same day. After our Jollibee family breakfast, we headed to Treetop Adventure and had the rides of our lives! Come and see!

My Treetop and All Hands Beach Birthday Adventure in Subic

After my Momolicious birthday lunch with my hubby and my Max’s birthday dinner with my family, we now come to the adventurous part of my being 32. See, I’ve never felt more alive and happy and so I wanted to honor my 32 years here on Earth by doing something I have never done before. This includes braving rides such as the TREE DROP which I already previewed here on my blog, CANOPY RIDE and INTERACTIVE FREE FALL at Treetop Adventure in Subic. We were supposed to do Superman and Silver Surfer too. But the Canopy ride took  a lot of time and Super Man ride was undergoing maintenance when we went there on my birthday weekend last Feb. 21, 2010. So we’ll just do the other 2 dangerous rides another time, like say, this coming weekend, (which is in a few hours from now!) when we go to Subic again with my hubby and girlfriend, Ninette this time. ^_^ Before I leave, I just want to share this travelogue first. 

 

That day, Feb. 21, 2010,  started smoothly. We went out of my parents’ house in San Mateo Rizal at about 6:00 am  that Sunday morning. Thanks to SCTEX, by 8:00, we were already in Subic! We were all feeling quite hungry by then so breakfast at Jollibee was in order. It took quite a while for our orders to be served. There were so many people there that day. I guess it wa sbecause Feb. 22 was declared holiday for students and lo and behold — many of these students (and their parents) decidedto take a day trip to Subic that same day. After our Jollibee family breakfast, we headed to Treetop Adventure and had the rides of our lives! Come and see!

  This is Tree Top Adventure, a park where the beauty of unspoiled forest presents itself as a perfect backdrop for your holiday activity.

We invite you to experience nature tripping from a breathtaking view – from 100 feet above the ground! With jungle trails comprised of platforms nestled on branches, suspension bridges, and the world’s first motorized canopy tour, what we offer is more than just the peak of excitement.

Learn new things; with fresh eyes, we encourage you to explore. Find inner peace as you go through a natural sanctuary hidden by foliage. Or at the very least, conquer your fear of heights. Tree Top Adventure offers each one a personal journey, with unforgettable memories as dense as the forest that you won’t help but feel closer to the ones you take this most marvelous trip with. 

 Peter’s Tree Drop

Jen’s Tree Drop

 

  Jen & Smeerf’s Interactive Free Fall

Bukidnon - Little Baguio of the South

Pineapple…the ultimate symbol of Bukidnon

If you’re already somewhere in Northern Mindanao, like Cagayan de Oro for instance, perhaps you might want to go up the mountains and visit Bukidnon. It is a mere  25-minute ride from the city, a bit longer if you are commuting and depending  on city traffic, of course. Just like Baguio, the air is  refreshing and the view of the sea below is just simply breathtaking, similar to the view ofPuerto Galera as we went up Tamaraw Falls before.

My grandparents’ old farm house is still there and it’s been refurbished!

   Another farm house was built right across the old one in 2005.

Green Nature Resort, San Mateo Rizal

Manila Ocean Park on Mother's Day

This is the first time (I think) that we ever really celebrated Mother’s Day. Usually, I would dread this day because I was just that type of person who hated family days. Talk about severe angst and hang-ups, huh? But like I said in my previous posts, I am feeling so much better about my life right now and something inside of me wanted to be more open and forgiving. And so, without hesitation, a week before last, I texted my mom and asked her "Gusto mo pumunta Manila Ocean Park for Mother’s Day?" To which she replied, "Shempre gusto ko." Oo nga naman… it’s been ages since we last saw each other. I can’t even remember when that was. And so, there we were last Sunday, enjoying the little creatures of the ocean (some were not so little) and having a blast!

  L-R: My brother Mac, his preggy girlfriend Smeerf, Mommy, Me & Peter

Mabua Beach Surigao del Norte (Vis-Min Tour)

The next series of travelogues that  I will be sharing with you consist of three weeks worth of vacation,  touring parts of Visayas and Mindanao two summers ago.  This was the time when both of us were able to scrimp the P40,000 we saved up for this adventure and learned the art of backpacking by experience. I’ve already posted the first, second, and third legs of our trip (Cebu ,Dumaguete, and Bohol). Now, let’s check out Surigao Part I. Come, join us on our journey and explore the beauty of our country. Maybe next time, we can do a backpack tour of Asia and Europe as well. *crossing our fingers now*

~~~oOo~~~

 
We met up with my Dad while waiting for our boat ride.

So from Alona, we took the same tricycle that brought us to Danao on our first day in Bohol and was then taking us back to the pier where we boarded the Supercat going to Cebu to first meet with my parents before boarding Superferry that will bring us to Surigao. Upon arrival, we were met by my uncle who brought us to the rest house my Lola Acion (who came all the way from London) built for her family. Obviously, she’s (and my aunts from UK) the one with the money in the family. We stayed with them for five days and boy… what a little (mis)adventure we had!

 

 I was feeling a bit excited when we first arrived on the land of my forefathers…

Could I pass for a haciendera or just a simple farm girl? What do you think???

Hundred Islands in Pangasinan

sunrise over the hundred islands

I miss the beach — my sun, my sand, my water. It’s been really hot lately as if it’s summer once again. If only it never rained, you wouldn’t really know that we’re  still in the middle of September. So where can one go  even for just a weekend? I think I may just have the answer to that. How about a trip to the Hundred Islands in Pangasinan?

            

exploring General Luna island

            

view from the top of General Luna island