I spent all the afternoon lounging on the cargo nets where I was enjoying a 360-degree view of the Kitanglad Mountain Range in Bukidnon. I was on my third cup of coffee and for the first time after so many years, I felt in control of everything that was presented to me. No need to hurry. No dramas to deal with. No reason to speak to anyone. Engaging in a solo trip was the perfect way to spend my 40th birthday, I’m so glad that I did it. No, I wasn’t “escaping” my wonderful life with my two boys but I just had this feeling that I needed to do something for my 40th birthday, and going on a sol ..read more

Camiguin was never part of the plan. It was just an option that I gladly took. A lovely happenstance or maybe, a destiny. What are the odds that the owner of the inn I am staying at has the same birthday as mine? And I was on my solo birthday trip. What a way to celebrate my 40th year of existence. As I mentioned in my previous article, I was never that person who would celebrate my birthdays with parties or expensive gifts. I am so introverted that I wouldn’t want everybody’s attention on me at any given time. So for my 40th birthday, I told my husband, Christian, that I would like to go on ..read more

It wasn’t a planned trip. I was thinking about doing nothing special for my big 4-0. I don’t usually celebrate birthdays with parties but for this milestone, I thought of doing something special—not a grand birthday bash or buying myself an expensive gift—I thought of having a solo trip somewhere, anywhere. I grew up not having any party for my birthdays—usually, it’s just a simple dinner with my family with a cake. The introvert in me was thankful though, as I never wanted any focus or attention on me on any given day. Even our simple orchard wedding in Zambales was so for introverts that w ..read more

It was two in the afternoon and the sea breeze was lulling me to sleep. I was sitting on the veranda of our suite in Rebak Island, watching the waves softly hit the shore, birds fluttering and flying across the clear sky. I gazed through the glass door of the suite and noticed that our son was fast asleep. I then gestured to the hubby to join me for an afternoon coffee. It was one of those rare moments when all I could think about was to be present at the moment. Langkawi was our second stop on our 35-day backpacking trip around Malaysia, Singapore, and a couple of islands in the Philippines ..read more

It was ten in the morning and a few of my students were shouting in rage and crying uncontrollably, while a few were quietly protesting. All of the 200 students were so consumed in expressing their disbelief at what just happened. I stood there as I shared their grief with them, but also admiring how these kids weren’t afraid to show their true feelings anywhere, anytime—a stark contrast to my childhood memories of equating “strength” and “resilience” to not crying in public. February is National Arts Month and every year, our department hosts several activities in our school to celebrate it ..read more

Friday the 13th. Unlucky. Eight grader. Start of the teen years. 13 playing cards in each suit. 13 diners at the Last Supper. Thirteen. Labing-tatlo. Trese. Today marks my thirteenth year of blogging and although I may not be as diligent as before I am still keeping this little space of mine in the blogosphere. ‘Coz it keeps me sane. ‘Coz I want to write. ‘Coz I can. Just because. It was fourteen years ago when I planned a D-I-Y trip to Cebu and Bohol with some friends. It made me realize that I can do a backpacking trip with my frugal means. And it made me happy. A few months later, I dared ..read more

It was seven in the evening when we went out to the beach. It was our first day in Langkawi and we're about to witness the famous sunset at Pantai Cenang. There were so many things going on and our son, Akira, gravitated to what seemed to be a bubble factory. Apparently, there were bubble makers for rent where you pay a rental fee for bubble-blowing stuff. We watched him pop other kids’ bubbles and he’s having so much fun, for free. It’s my third time visiting the island of Langkawi in Malaysia and none of my three trips are the same. The first time, Christian and I stayed in rather farther ..read more

Exploring Europe, with its diverse landscapes and rich cultural tapestry, calls for a reliable and versatile mode of transportation. Renting a car provides the freedom to traverse city streets, coastal roads, and everything in between. The demand for cheap car rental in Europe has led to a plethora of options, catering to various needs and preferences. From compact cars ideal for narrow city lanes to comfortable SUVs for long coastal drives, the choices are abundant. This is particularly evident in European car rentals in Italy, where the blend of urban exploration and scenic countryside driv ..read more

We were halfway through our visit to the Underwater World Langkawi when our son shrieked out of excitement. He asked me to come to him fast ‘coz there’s something interesting. He then showed me the penguin that seemed to be playing with Zeb Zeb (his White Tiger plush toy) and following it anywhere he placed it. He was giggling and so happy that he uttered, “This is the best day ever, Nanay!” It was our very first day in Langkawi when we decided to go to Underwater World Langkawi while we waited for our check-in time at Mercure Langkawi Pantai Cenang. We availed of our discounted Underwater W ..read more

We were halfway through our visit to the Underwater World Langkawi when our son shrieked out of excitement. He asked me to come to him fast ‘coz there’s something interesting. He then showed me the penguin that seemed to be playing with Zeb Zeb (his White Tiger plush toy) and following it anywhere he placed it. He was giggling and so happy that he uttered, “This is the best day ever, Nanay!” It was our very first day in Langkawi when we decided to go to Underwater World Langkawi while we waited for our check-in time at Mercure Langkawi Pantai Cenang. We availed of our discounted Underwater W ..read more