Thank you, 2013!

Whenever a year ends, I tend to look back and reminisce how good or bad the year was for me.

I was asking myself what are the most memorable things during my 2013. Those 365 days, I cannot really tell everything but I am wrapping up my 2013 with these questions:

What are the new things I did in 2013?

I actually did a lot of new things in 2013. I will just write 2.

First, January, I started the year by traveling with strangers. I joined the first ever Journeying James Coron Tour. I traveled solo but I went home with 5 new friends (James, Alvin, Eena, Ivy and Melvin), good friends by the way. Second, to live in Munich, Germany for a year.

What did I get really excited about with my ‘big’ move?

Maybe I am really that crazy that even if I have a ‘life’ back home, I just wanted to widen my horizon. I was really excited doing new things, seeing new places, eating new food and drinks, meeting new people and just simply being in a new place.

What was/were the best thing/s I bought?

Train tickets to Luxembourg and Canon DSLR 550D.

Let me explain, the train tickets were the reminder of those very homesick days that I just wanted to escape or go back home. Those days I just feel like I really don’t belong in this place. Those days I am asking myself ‘what the heck am I doing here?’, those days I am so confused and those days I so miss home. My 4^th and 5^th months were really the sumpa months.

The Camera, of course I need that. Period.

What is my song for 2013?

Good life by One Republic

What places I visited?

Philippines:

Coron, Palawan

Clark, Pampanga

Villa Real, Samar & Tacloban, Leyte – back after 16 years

Calaguas & Bagasbas, Camarines Norte

Sagada & Baguio

Legaspi, Albay & Donsol + Gubat, Sorsogon

Liw – Liwa & Anawangin, Zambales

Puerto Princesa, El Nido & Coron, Palawan

Europe

Germany

Luxembourg

Canaria, Spain

Kitzbühel, Austria

Prague, Czech Republic

Where did most of my money go?

Please do the honor to answer this for me. Hahaha! As one saying goes:

“Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer” yun na yun!

Did I fall in love in 2013?

Hahahaha! Oh yezzir! I am always in love with the concept of LOVE and LIFE!

What was my biggest achievement?
That I gained weight already. Seriously.

Lessons learned in 2013?

I have learned that:

- Patience is a TALENT!

- Change can be hurtful. Very hurtful.

- Some will break their own promises.

- I am wonderfully lost is this beautiful world.

And I am gratefully blessed!

Sabi nga ng matatanda, always try to be positive especially if it is New Year para daw positive buong taon.

‘Travel is to spread your life all over the world.’ -Taxi Drive Wisdom

Thank you, 2013 and more travels for 2014!

Happy 2014, Loves!

Sharing a short video of 2013 travels.

Away from home..

What’s your name?
What are you doing here?
Where did you come from?
How do you find Germany/ Munich?
How long will you stay then?

These are the few questions I have been answering for three months now.

Moving from one place to another whether to the next house, next street, next town or city, near by country.. anywhere…
Moving out, or, and, moving on is haaard! :D

This year, 2013, during my birthday month, April and 3days before my birthday, I made changes in my life.

1. Changed career
2. Lived independently. Well, independent of my parents, siblings and nephews.
3. Moved to a different country, temporarily. ;)

Moving to a foreign land is difficult especially whenthe only people that you know in the new place are your host family. Only the Dad, the mom and their 2 sons. It’s becoming more difficult when out of 100 words they are saying you only understood 5 words. Poor me! Haha!

Removing yourself from your comfort zone is one of the hardest things to do. But of course, sometimes, we need to make crazy decisions.
Crazy decision I made. As the song goes, ‘living young and wild and free..’

A crazy girl who is still finding out where to fit perfectly in this universe. Finding out the things that she really loves and wants to do aside from having her own family in the ‘near’ future.

I know everything is hard in the beginning but for the 60 days I am here these are some of the things I realized and learned so far:

- Though my English is not good (and I’msorry for that.), Thank you good Lord for English Language! I am  surviving!
- Seeing or even riding to world’s most expensive cars is easier here. Of course! Hahaha!
- Be friendly. Smile at strangers, greet people. (I am still trying very hard on these since I am not really a friendly one.)
- Whenever I am out and needed or even just wanted to buy something, DON’T CONVERT! Or else you will just end up not buying at all. ;)
- Don’t be afraid to taste/try new food or drinks. Especially, drinks! :D
- When something bad happened to your loved ones back home and you cannot contact them right away, the best thing to do is to pray for them. And cry. It helps.
- It is very OKAY to be homesick and breakdown, sometimes.
- Sometimes, distance would either break or make your relationship to a person and last (for now),
- Way of living is much better here,but it is really more fun in the Philippines.

This is the longest moment that I am away with my family. I admit, its no joke and not easy. You get to miss them. A lot! The happy and ‘go-with-the-flow’ life you have back home.

90 days is still short but these things will surely help me to keep going for the next months or years and every waking up in this new place is an opportunity of learning and seeing how imperfect but magnificent life is. 

so enjoy the journey!