Ilocos Trip 2023

 

Travel Date: July 19 – 22, 2023

After eight years, I was back to my moving on escaping zone – the wonderful province of Ilocos.

But this time, it’s for work.

Our flight time was 4 am. By 5 am, we were already at Laoag Airport.

We had breakfast at McDonalds and then we did some work by 9 am.

Then just before lunch, we rode a bus going to Vigan and checked in to our hotel.

 It was a two-hour trip from Laoag City to Vigan City. We then checked in at Hotel Mercante just near Calle Crisologo.

Later in the afternoon, we had some time to visit Calle Crisologo and we bought some pasalubong. Of course, photo ops are part of our itinerary for that day.

We had dinner on a restaurant along Calle Crisologo then we headed back to our hotel for an early sleep because we’re tired and we don’t have enough sleep last night due to our very early flight.

For our Day 2, we had a whole day of work.

 

We had our breakfast on our hotel’s restaurant by 7 am. 

Then we’re off to our meeting place. It was a product training at Max’s Vigan.

Then by night, we had a chill time at one of the bars along Calle Crisologo with our colleagues.

The following day, we went to work again until before lunch.

We had a yummy lunch at Calle Brewery.

Then we’re back to Laoag.

We had some quick side trip to Bantay Bell Tower, Baluarte, and Paoay Church.

By 6 pm, we were already at Sola Hotel – a hotel in Laoag and it was such a nice play to stay. 

I love it there especially that during the time of our stay, it was not crowded.

We had a dipping time by its pool then dinner by 8 pm.

Our flight for the following day was at 5 am.

It was a quick trip for work but definitely I am grateful for having the opportunity to visit my healing place once again.

My first time here was when I was brokenhearted but now when I came back, my heart is already full of love, happiness and gratefulness.

I just feel so blessed and loved and everything really happens for a reason. 

I would definitely love to go back here in Ilocos to visit again some famous tourist spots  like the Borjador Lighthouse, Paoay Sand Dunes, the windmills, its white-sand beaches, and other beautiful nature spots it offers.

Our 2023 Boracay and Antique Family Trip

Boracay and Antique Trip

June 3-7, 2023

As they say, “invest more on experiences rather than material things.”

And I do believe in this.

Because money can still be earned but time – especially those moments with our loved ones won’t. 

 

I’ve been to Boracay and of course to my hometown Antique for countless times already but this year was different and will be forever cherished.

It became extra special for this trip because for the first time, Hubby and I rode on a plane together.

Also, I was with my family. And times with people close to my heart are always priceless.

 

So, without further ado, here’s our timeline for our recent trip.

 

Day 1 | July 3, 2023 Saturday

Hubby and I flew out together from Manila to Roxas City, Capiz at 4 am.

We visited my cousin living in Roxas. We had a breakfast and lunch at their home.

Then by two p.m. we travelled to Kalibo via van. It was a 2-hr ride.

When we reached Kalibo, we waited for my brother, his girlfriend and our cousin. Their ETA was 4 pm.

And we all rode a bus going to our hometown – Antique which was another 2-3hrs ride.

It was already 7 in the evening when we reached home. Hubby cooked for our dinner.

Then we went to our relative’s family resort and we slept there.

But before we slept, we had a night swimming on their pool.

It was a long day but our hearts were full.

 

Day 2 | June 4, 2023 Sunday

Our agenda for this day was our trip to Boracay.

From our place, it’s 2-3 hrs road trip going to Caticlan.

Then upon reaching Caticlan, we rode a ferry going to Boracay Island.

A shuttle drove us to our booked hotel.

We checked in at Faith Village Hotel and our rooms were simple but nice.

We ate for our late lunch at Mang Inasal then we had some photo ops and long walks at Station 3 to Station 2.

Boracay sunsets are breathtaking as always.

It was and always a nice feeling to sit on the sand and just do nothing but stare on the beauty of the sea.

It was also entertaining to watch people having the best time of their lives same as ours.

When the sun was already down, we were back to our hotel which was only walking distance to the beach to rinse off and took a rest. I slept early because ‘Hello, Tita feels’ and I was just so tired from our land travel. I just listened to my body and I know that my social and physical batteries were already drained and needed to recharge for another wonderful day ahead.

 

Day 3 | June 5, 2023 Monday

We woke up early and it was raining.

We ate on a nearby cafeteria.

Then after breakfast, we took a morning dip by the beach. We even tried kayaking and paddle boarding and of course photo ops will never be absent during our family gatherings.

My mom loves taking photos and I think I got it from her.

My cousins just had pancit and bread for lunch.

Then at 12 noon, we already checked out and back to Caticlan. A shuttle fetched us on our hotel and dropped us off at the pier then we took a ferry again back to the main island.

We rented a van going back to our home in Antique. It was almost 5 p.m. and it was raining on and off.

We washed our wet clothes and prepared for dinner.

At 8 p.m., we decided to buy milk tea.

And at 10 p.m. we finally called it a day because tomorrow is another adventure day for us.

 

Day 4 | June 6, 2023 Tuesday

The whole gang decided to go to our relative’s mountain resort. It has a river and a lot of amenities.

We went to Calawag Mountain Resort. Our first stop upon reaching the resort was the hanging bridge.

And then we decided to go trekking and we went to see the majestic waterfall of Bugtong Bato Falls.

I’ve already been there but it was nice to be back and this time with my husband.

It was a half an hour trek going to the falls. Green sceneries filled our eyes along the way.

It was an easy trail yet a bit of tiring to those who are not used to take long walks.

The water was cold yet refreshing.

And we take some moments to appreciate the beauty of nature in front of us.

After a few minutes, we decided to go back to the resort to have our lunch.

We had a boodle fight and we totally enjoyed it!

After having our lunch, we enjoyed the Kawa Bath even though it was raining.

For our night stay, we went again to Kawa Inn and we had our dinner there.

 

Day 5| June 7, 2023 Wednesday

It’s our last day at the province.

We had our early breakfast and we were back to our Lola’s house to pack our things.

We also dropped by at my cousin’s grave to pay a visit.

Our flight was at 7 pm.

We ate lunch at my lola’s house.

So, by 1 pm, we rode a bus going to Kalibo and it was a 3-hour ride.

When we reached Kalibo, we ate at Chowking for our early dinner.

Then when we reached Kalibo Airport, we bought some pasalubong there.

Our flight was a bit delayed but we reached Manila at 9 pm.

So, this ends our trip.

And I will be forever grateful for all the opportunities given to us to travel.

Thank you, Universe for always providing. All glory to the Lord.

My Antique Trip 2022

(Date Written: June 24, 2022)

It always feels good to have a place called hometown. This is where you go back over and over again every time there's a chance.

This is a home away from home. 

A quick escape from the busyness of city life. 

The vibe of provincial life is unexplainable in a good way.

A simple, peaceful, slow-living kind of life.

Where the sea and the mountains meet halfway and you live in between. 

People with the same face, then the culture and traditions that are still part of our lives.

And I am fortunate enough to have Antique, Philippines as my hometown. 

Last June 9, we flew to Antique. My brother and I traveled via Kalibo, then two hours of land travel going to our hometown.

My last visit here was way back on May 2019. 

It was nice to see familiar faces and places once again.

The following day, my brother and I went to the beach near our home to see the sunset. 

The waves were big as it's going to be a high tide later in the evening. 

And then the next morning, we went back to the beach to witness the sunrise. The sea was already calm and it's low tide just before the sun went up.

We rode on a kayak that we borrowed from our neighbor. 

Next, we went to a river resort that is owned by our relatives. 

And it felt amazing to be back here. The relaxing vibe was an overwhelming feeling. The cold river flow was easing all the stresses and pressures I had at work. When I was here, my thoughts and worries about work in Manila were nowhere to be found and I'm grateful for this short and quick escape.

And I may say that this was a much needed break.

I invite everyone to visit our province. 

Discover Antique! Kruhay!

There's a lot of places and tourist spots to visit here. 

And I will never get tired of going home here. 

One Proud Antiquena here! (two hands both raised)

This short break from my usual busy life is a blessing I am so grateful to have.

See you again soon my favorite hometown!

Oops! I only have one. :)

One Year of Marriage (An Open Letter For My Hubs)

One year.

It was bliss. 

Who would have thought that a year has swiftly passed? 

And as they say, it was a roller coaster kind of ride. 

Same day last year, I saw your most joyous tears when you saw me walking down the aisle with my mom and brother towards you.

And for me, the happiest part of our simple wedding ceremony witnessed by our close family, relatives and friends was when Reverend Jay announced that we're officially husband and wife and then we kissed and then we hugged each other so tight with full of happiness in our hearts. I consider this as one of the loveliest moments of my life and this forever rewinds in my memory lane. Whenever I am stressed, burned out, feeling hopeless or mad, I just keep on refreshing my mind  that certain special day of ours and it makes my day lighter and brighter. That is my happy vibes pill! 

Our wedding day was not perfect. It was the simplest as it could be (and budget-friendly actually). 

But it was what I prayed for and I couldn't thank you enough for making one of my dreams turned into reality - and that was to marry you. 

Our journey as a married couple for the past year had its ups and downs, challenges, happiness and celebrations. 

To highlight some, one of us got Covid and had to be isolated for 14 days - it was the most challenging that happened this year actually. We were in LDR for 14 days. 

And then another not so good highlight was when one of us packed the clothes to almost run away (true story - this actually happened). 

There were petty and huge fights, and then there were tears but by God's grace, most of our moments together were laughter and craziness  (in a good way) and just love. 

Yes there were bad days, but there were also happy days like salary increases (pa-SB ka naman dyan!), new job acceptances, new gadgets/stuffs for the house, dining outs - the Al Fresco type, grocery days (Yes, those are happy times for us because we have money to spend on), running or walkathons together, modifying and improving our future plans, more cuddle times, and a lot more! 

Marriage is truly a lifetime of hard work and one thing I've learned this year is that it should also be smart work.

Wise enough of who should do the laundry and dishes (Ha-ha-ha!). 

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank my husband for accepting the lifetime duty of taking out the garbage.

I may not be good at cooking (because it's your job by the way) but at least I'm the best wife in helping you prepare for work. 

You are brutally honest actually when I tried cooking but it didn't taste good. You'd say that you couldn't swallow the food but you'd still eat it anyway.

I also do the laundry when I know that you're tired from work. 

Since you love cluttering and I'm the one who cleans your mess, thank you for sweeping inside and outside of our home when I told you to do it. Keep up the good work!

Our marriage is also a lifetime learning experience and I'm happy to learn new things and improve more with you. 

I will be forever grateful to the universe and to the Lord because I've got to get married with the love of my life since I was 18. 

Our paths have crossed in one of the most famous fast food chains in the country and since then both our lives have changed forever. 

Our first meeting and dating place also reminded us of our humble beginnings. 

It is still a long journey though but I will be forever grateful to have this lifetime spent with you. 

Cheers to our goals waiting to be reached! (The soonest, praying and claiming it!)

Happy 1st wedding anniversary, Mahal! 

This is me showing and telling what 'I love you' means. 

One down forever to go!

Yours, 

Lablab.

After More Than 2 Years, I Volunteer Again

Date Written: May 15, 2022 Sunday

I missed doing something good. Something that I am proud of. And that is volunteering or helping others. I can’t donate any financial goods right now and all I have is time, effort and love so that’s what I share. 

I woke up at 5 am. And then I’m off to my usual routine during pre-pandemic weekends.

I met the other volunteers at McDonald’s Tayuman at 7 am and then we’re off to Helping Land, Tondo, Manila. 

I saw the same faces and places again. I volunteered again just like I used to before. 

The first part of the program was orientation of volunteers. Many were first timers and some were old volunteers. We introduced ourselves and then the major activities began. 

People were already lined up outside the courtyard for food. 

Elderlies and kids were there to have a decent meal. 

We assisted them. 

After the distribution of food was the next activity. This is the ASP or After School Program wherein the kids were grouped according to their current grade level and then volunteer-teachers were assigned per table to teach these kids. 

I was assigned to teach pre-school and our subject for today was Math. 

At first, I introduced myself to them and then I also got to know each of the kids I was handling for the day. 

My students for that day were Jessa Mae, Princess and Belen. Their age range were 5-7. 

We started the lesson by asking them if they already know how to subtract. They said yes. 

We discussed Subtraction and tried subtracting using our hands.

And then they answered my sample questions. 

 

Apparently, when I handed them the activity papers, it was only Jessa Mae and Belen who already knew how to write and could answer it. 

Princess only traced the numbers and texts written on the paper. 

I did not pressure her though so I just let her color the pictures and trace the numbers. 

I guided Jessa Mae and Belen to solve the Math problems. Belen is also having trouble writing the numbers so I helped her.

By the end of the session, we gave the kids chocolates as a reward. 

I also had some selfies with them when we were done. 

When the kids were already out of the courtyard, we cleaned the place, stacked up the tables and chairs and returned all the learning materials that were used.

A group photo of volunteers was also done. 

And then it’s time to go.

It was a three-hour worth of time, sweat and effort. 

 

It really felt so great to be back in Tondo to do one of the things I love, which is volunteering. 

Tondo, Manila was a happy place for me. I interact with kids, nanays and co-volunteers which eventually became my friends/family. 

I have also practiced my writing and Social Media skills before when I was part-time working for Project Pearls. This is the NGO I was supporting. So, it was really a passion I was happily doing before and until now.

My last volunteer activity was December 2019. And only now that I was able to go back. 

I started my volunteering life as a volunteer-tutor. 

I was scared to go alone at first but I was able to do it. Those were the days that I am checking each box on my bucket list and this was number one.

I’m so grateful that because of a broken heart, I was able to do things that scare me. 

And also, I met different kinds of people and found new friends. My horizon has expanded. I have gone to more new places and tried new adventures. 

It all boils down to being a volunteer.

I wouldn’t trade my mid 20’s experiences to any other. 

I am always grateful for all the lessons and learnings I gained during those times. 

And now that I’m in my early 30’s, I hope to see more of life. 

Even though I am already married, I still have a lot to fulfill as an individual. 

I still want to try new things and to go to more new places I have never been yet. 

And I still want to volunteer and then to write down all my experiences, feelings and thoughts. 

Until the next volunteer!

Welcome To My Plantita Life and Journey

 Date Written: July 31, 2021

What do you do during your free time aside from being a couch potato and scrolling on your Social Media feed?

What makes you get up early in the morning?

Let me share with you my away-from-the-Social-Media journey that I have just started in April of this year. 

It all started with 10 pieces of water spinach that we bought in the market. Instead of throwing the lower part  of the stems which we don't  include when we make dishes out of this vegetable, I then decided to just plant it. My husband also picked some cuttings of Kamote Tops near our street.

 

I soaked it in water and let the roots grow from it. One week later, the branches  started to bear another tiny branch with leaves.

Before I planted these stems, I already watched some tutorial videos on YouTube and I learned  how to make self -watering plant containers out of pet bottles. 

I applied what I have learned.

And since we are living in an apartment and we are on the third floor, my greatest challenge was space and soil to use.  Also the plots to use were a problem.

But as they say, if there's a will, there will always be ways; so I asked my neighbors for empty pet bottles and soil.  

And yey! My plantita life finally started. 

I just realized recently what my dreams really are, my retirement plan and one of it is to have my own farmland. I believe that  in farming, we'll have a sustainable life. If everyone knows how to plant, we will never get hungry. 

Also, all the products in the market are getting high due to inflation or different economic situations, and it won't affect us if we have food planted or produced around us.

It was also my dream to harvest my own fruit and vegetables straight from my own farm.

And I strongly believe that this dream has been the trigger for my planting journey.

Currently, the balcony of our apartment already has several plants. I still have my water spinach, then alugbati, bell pepper, tomatoes, rosemary, spring onion, aloe vera, chili,pechay, calamansi, oregano and I also have a pot of snake plant inside our room. It was just so addictive that I kept on adding plants to my collection. 

Planting also keeps me busy during my free time. 

My plants also motivate me to wake up early, get up from my bed and go see them.

Planting time or watering the plants goes first before my cup of freshly brewed coffee. And I'm okay. 

Also, there were times that I was working from home and when I got stressed, I just went to the balcony and looked into my plants. My cloudy mind and emotions became lighter again. 

I also made my own composts as fertilizers for my plants. 

I also bought loam soils and every time I make new plant pots, I mix the soils and compost that I have. Composting also lessens our kitchen wastes. By just properly composting - which I've learned online, there'll be no foul smells of your composts.

By looking at my plants, I felt excited as if I  am one step closer to my dreams. 

I am learning everyday. 

It is also a bonus joy during harvest time!

I don't believe in green thumb. 

I don't even believe that I have that. 

I'm just trying hard every day, I learn from my mistakes, and apply what I have learned.

Experiences will really take us somewhere. 

I was once a starter and I just thought that I'll just give it a try to make something productive out  of boredom. I didn't know that I would enjoy it this much. I have killed plants from the past (until now actually) and then believing that I don't have a green thumb. But because of my future plans that I am strongly pushing to get done, I won't give up planting and never will quit.

For those who want to start planting or just recently into planting, I personally guarantee that you will love the fruits of your labor.

Just don't stop learning, don't give up, and always give time to have peace of mind.

Yes, planting relaxes my mind. 

It's a bit messy but beautiful in the end. 

Even though we have limited space and resources, just start with one and look how far you'll go with your plant life journey.

So there!

This is me and this is my plantita journey. 

I hope you enjoyed reading as much as I enjoy my life now with my plants!

#ThisGirlCan

Date Written: March 20, 2021

In celebration of National Women's Month.

We can do this! 

To tell you honestly,

if you were going to ask me

how I am doing,

I will definitely say

that I am not okay.

I have struggles right now.

I do have problems

that I can't resolve immediately. 

And maybe just like you

who are having a hard time also

because of a broken heart

or being a lost soul,

you are not alone.

There are also other girls out there

who are currently lacking

in self confidence,

being too emotional,

having so many self issues, 

family concerns,

financial difficulties,

career challenges,

lost job,

health problems

and a lot more hard situations

that caused them so much pain right now.

Again, you are not alone.

We are all in this together. 

The number one rule

to overcome whatever hardships

we are facing right now

is to never blame yourself. 

Remember that there is no such thing

as failures but only lessons. 

In times of trouble,

we can also depend on others

and it's never a sign of weakness. 

Turn to your loved ones and friends.

Share your grief with them.

We can also even talk to strangers

to lighten the burden that we have. 

It's okay to ask help from professionals as well. 

I personally write down

all my worries and doubts in my journal.

In this way,

I am replacing all those thoughts

with positive ones.

Affirm positivism. 

Claim that all your problems will pass eventually. 

What we think is what we attract. Remember that. 

It's not easy to clear our thoughts

but consistent practice will make it easier.

Prayers and meditation

can also help us clear our mind.

We can re-focus on our goals.

Let's do something

about that childhood dream.

Take action

on the plans towards our goals. 

As girls, yes we can!

Let's take the challenge of doing something new

or even trying again

after the lessons we have currently learned.

Our plans may change but never the goal.

We can reroute but our destination stays the same.

After all,

it's the journey that really counts.

We can because we can!