Vision 2015

It's been awhile since I last posted. Time just seems to fly by. 
2014 was an amazing year. 
2015, I hit the ground running. 
There are so many thing I want to do. 
So many experiences I want to try. 
This will be my year. I own it. 

Work Life Balance will be my goal. 
I know I'll be able to hit my targets this year. 
Mediocre is just not enough.
Status Quo will not suffice. 
We are taking the business to a different level. 
Time to level up! 

Travel will keep me thirsty for life's simple lessons. 
Immersing myself in another Culture and learning from a country's history will show me different perspectives.  
I plan on visiting the mysteries of Eastern Europe. 
Swimming with great white sharks in Australia. 
Diving the glorious depths of Palau. 
Climbing new mountains in Kota Kinabalu and Japan. 
And simply enjoying my family on the beaches of Thailand. 

Passion will fuel my athletic dreams. 
Learning and mastering new sports are challenges I love to take. 
Windsurfing - I wish to study the direction of where my sail will take me. 
Flying Trapeze - Get over my fear of losing control and soar higher than ever before. 
JiuJitsu - Always be 2 steps ahead and finish with flourish. 
Diving - Slowly move towards my goal of one day being a master of the sea. 
Time will be my investment. 
Passion will get me where I want to be. 

Health and balance is the key. 
I will strive to keep my body lean, my mind clear and my soul clean. 
Eat only what is good for my body. 
Drink only to cleanse the spirit. 
Yoga and meditation will help my balance both physically and mentally. 
While my family will keep me grounded. 

2015 is a blank 365 page book waiting to be written. 
Each page will be full of excitement and of living life to the fullest.   
Each day will bring me happiness and love. 
This will be my year. I will own every single day of it.

2014

I hit 2014 running. I'm still literally catching my breath. 

So much has happened in the past few months, still cannot believe its May. 

Looking back, I was able to tick off major items from my bucket list. 

I was able to climb Mount Pulag again and hold a very successful event at the summit. That will hopefully be my first and last event past 9,000 feet. 

From Summit to Sea... 

From more than 9,000 feet up in the air to 100 feet below sea level, my next adventure took me to the cold depths of Malapascua, off the Island of Cebu. 

My goal was to see the very elusive Thresher Shark native to the Island. 

We were not disappointed. We saw huge Thresher Sharks that seem to also know that we were watching them. They kept coming close to take a look at us. A mere rope separated the human and shark territory. It was an amazing experience. 

Kick starting the summer with the sisterhood of the travelling cousins... 

Off to another adventure with the sisters. Again visiting the Island of Boracay but with an entirely different jungle to explore. We were there to accompany the "Batch Bora" kids who just graduated from High School. My jaw dropped at what some of the kids are into these days. Reminded me of how innocent I was way back then.. Yeah right! 

Its been an awesome year so far. Looking forward to more traveling and pushing my limits. Planning on Sky Diving and Kite Boarding soon, and thats really pushing it, just the thought makes me want to hurl. I also seem to have accidentally fallen in love with climbing mountains, its the camping part thats a nightmare. Learning to bike again too, they say its "like riding a bike" but I never remembered the tires being so thin and wobbly. Oh well, you'll never know until you do it. 

2014, please don't go by too fast. Let me catch up first and enjoy every minute of every day! 

Just Say It

There are so many words we leave unspoken.
There are so many times we just let pass by.
We never think it will be too late. 
We never know when time is up. 
So many times we should have said I love you... 
But we didn't. 
Just say it. It might be the last time. 

It happens all the time...
Brothers fight with brothers,
Children fight their parents, 
We argue and bicker about issues that do not matter. 
Nothing matters but the Love you have for each other.

You think to yourself...
Instead of the hateful words that lashed like whips to the soul, 
You should have just said, I Love You. 
Say it now, before its too late. 

Strong bonds are shattered because of pride
Words, spoken in anger, can kill anyone 
I ask a question...
If you knew you were going to die in a month, 
What would you do? 
My answer is simple. 
I'll make sure people I love know how much they mean to me. 
I'll spend every waking moment I can with them...
And tell them I love them every minute of the day. 

Say that you love me. 
I might not know it today. 
I promise to tell you every moment that I can. 
There are times when you will probably want to strangle me. 
There will be times I feel the same. 
Let us promise to just say it while we still can. 

I love you. 

Climbing Out of My Comfort Zone

Its August. Wow, next month will be preparations for Christmas already. 

The first half of the year has been exciting, adventurous and fun. 

I'm looking forward to what the rest of the year brings me. 

Let go of the past. Decide your future. 

Seize the now. Live in the present. 

I've had so many wonderful opportunities to travel and climb out of my comfort zone. It feels great to look back and appreciate the memories. 

Climbing out of my comfort zone - The Mt. Pulag Akiki Trail Expedition 

One of the best experiences of my life was ironically forced down my throat. 

I'm not an experienced climber. I haven't even climbed a stairmaster in awhile. 

Mt. Pulag is 2,900 meters above sea level and is considered Luzon's highest peak. I kept asking myself - Why the hell am i doing this? 

They say you always have to stretch your limits. We really stepped out of the box climbing the 3rd highest mountain in the Philippines BUT took it one step further and chose its hardest trail - the Akiki Trail. The sign should have said it all - Hard Trail. Did we listen? Hell no. 

Myriad of emotions while climbing - exhaustion, body pain and dizziness combined with flashes of Nature's temperament. We really did feel that Mother Nature was a woman. She gave us intense heat, strong winds, rain and biting cold all in a span of a few hours. Now I know how it feels to battle the elements. 

All this for what? Reaching the summit answered all that. As soon as you step onto the camp site to rest, you feel immense achievement, satisfaction and contentment. 
All your hard work for the day is rewarded. 

You reached the top. You reached your goal. 

Towards that last steep stretch of reaching the peak of Mt. Pulag, your heart races with anticipation. I know when I reach the top, that will be my greatest accomplishment.  

As a child, I've always wondered what was above the clouds. And our kindergarten books were right - Heaven. 

My Japan Adventure

Japan - The Samurai, the Geisha, the Ninja Assassins, and every Anime I've seen and Manga I've read always gave me grand illusions about the Land of the rising sun. And it did not disappoint.

Conquering Kyoto

As soon as we arrived in Osaka, we spent the night to rest and rejuvenate. We left for Kyoto at 11am via train. It only took 1 hour.

As soon as we arrived at Kyoto, deposited bags at hotel and looked for lunch. We toured the nearby Subway restaurants and stalls looking for meals under 600 yen - about P250. Then looked for basics such as a grocery to buy water, a few snacks and prepare for our days ahead. Be sure to have dinner at Nishiki Market, which is only open from 5pm to 8pm. This is a great place to try the freshest and most authentic Japanese Cuisine – Ramen, Sushi, Takoyaki and so much more. But make sure you make it on time as most food kiosks close when their stocks are finished.

 

Kyoto equals Peace

The beauty of Kyoto lies within its Temples. Every single sacred place reminds me of the set of Memoirs of a Geisha or The Last Samurai.   

Here are the top 8 must see places in Kyoto:

Ginkukiji Temple

Honehin Temple

Imperial Castle

Nija Castle

Pontocho

Nishiki Market for Dinner

Kinkukuji Temple

Kiyumuzi Temple

Amazing Race Osaka

As soon as we get to Osaka, we have a light dinner of Sushi and Ramen then we were off to explore Dotunburi - the nightlife of Osaka. I was surprised by the Goth generation the twilight brings in. Men and women dressed in vampire-like personas filled the bright streets and quirky corners.

One-day Pass Osaka

Explore Osaka in a day. Luckily, our hotel sells the one-day pass for 4,000 yen roughly P 2,000. This is really value for your yen. We were able to reach the heart of Osaka and its core tourist attractions. The day pass includes even the subway passes and the entrance fees – making the trips fast and efficient.

One-day pass includes:

Osaka Castle

Tsūtenkaku Tower

Santa Maria Cruise

Tempozan Giant Ferris wheel

Umeda Sky Building Floating Garden

Japan was always my dream, my alternate universe. I love the culture, the fantasy and now, the reality. All my grand illusions were answered.

Land of the Rising Sun, thank you for not disappointing. 

What a Beautiful Life

It has been a whirlwind series of events for the past few months. 
I’m very excited to update my blog. 
Visited 6 amazing places and was able to take home more than a tan and more than a summer glow. 

In the past three months, I’ve challenged myself to the limits by climbing out of my comfort zone, expanded my knowledge of different cultures and also learned to relax, let my guard down once in awhile and enjoy what this beautiful life has to offer. 

I want to savor each moment and relive each memory. Little by little, I will relate in detail the life-changing places I’ve been and the wonderful people I was lucky to meet and spend time with. This entry is just to gather my thoughts and introduce the journey taken for 2013’s first semester. 

Hopefully, it will not end here. 

Summer has come and gone. My skin tanned golden brown. 
My heart warmed to the very core. 
I thank God for this beautiful life. 

Off to a Great Start!

January has blown by so fast. 
February is ending too quickly. 
Time is really something we cannot hold on to. 
We just have to learn to make the most of it. 

2013 has come off to a wonderful start. 
All career decisions have been good. 
I now enjoy a perfect symmetry of work-life balance.
Travel Plans are already in full swing.
We’re off to Japan next week. The last time I was there, I was alone. 
At least now, I have family to share experiences with... to take photos with. 

I’m excited to eat Sushi, Ramen and different kinds of Tempura. 
Looking forward to drinking Sake. 
I hope I finally see the Cherry Blossom Trees. 
I hope to meet a Geisha too. 
I’ve been obsessed with them since "Memoirs of a Geisha" came out. 

This year is the year of New Adventures and overcoming fear.
So far, I’ve tried Gymnastics and Wake boarding - love both! 
Started Ballroom Dancing again. 
Also back to MMA training. I have got to start Ballet... soon. 
I see each workout as a new adventure and very appreciative for the friends, new and old, that I meet and enjoy along the way. 

So many things to be grateful for. So many people to be thankful for. 
Excited that my family abroad are home and coming home.
Time to bring out the Diving Gear and Bikini. 
My baby cousin is getting married this March. 
My good friend ties the knot this November. 
Wow. Exciting times ahead.

Now that I know how time flies too quickly... 
I see each adventure as my first. 
I try to savor each experience like its my last. 
Time, we sometimes want to freeze it. 
We sometimes want to turn it back.
The only thing to do is...
To make the most of it while its here.