Travel – Love, Yves

I’m back!!!

I can’t believe it was almost a year since I wrote something and I mean, how on earth did I let that happen when I told myself that I wouldn’t let life get in the way of doing this? This was supposed to be my outlet but yep, it just goes to show how I often let life eat me.

Let me see.. it was August of 2017 when I awkwardly left things off that there’s no way to bounce back from that lol. So pardon me if I would just dive right back in with random but pretty significant life updates.

JM and I continued travelling as much as we could.

Here are some photos from our Vietnam trip. I think this was from November of last year.

I love food but I’m mostly into oily, fried and salty food so the fresh, minty and food full of veggies from Vietnam surprised me. Not really a big coffee drinker but maaaan, I think I drank atleast 5 cups of coffee when we were there.

We, of course, did some touristy things such as visiting churches, temples, museums and good food spots. We even hung out on the streets and at the park, ate street food, drank beer at the local bars and just did some people-watching.

We also went to La Union… and discovered that I could love a place so much, that for some time, I was really considering moving there. No joke.

My sister, Yna, always talked so much about La Union. We were dying to see what the hype was all about so in a spur of the moment, we packed our bags and just went. We were SO obsessed with the easy and carefree vibe that place offered. Did not expect to like surfing, too! I remember thinking and really ASKING the locals how much and what would it cost to really learn how to surf. Did you know that you have to train everyday if you really want to be a pro and that also means you have to relocate in La Union for atleast a month or two. Someday, La Union, someday!

For our 1st wedding anniversary / JM’s birthday, we thought of going to Baler. We stayed at L’Sirene Boutique Resort ( a lot of my friends have been asking me about this because the place was sooooo IG-worthy) plus it was new, pretty and clean. Three things that I look for in a place. 😊

Though we pretty much did nothing but lay around, eat, drink and soak up some sun, I remember having the time of my life. It really is a damn dream to find someone you can do nothing with (especially for a lazy girl like me lol).

Aside from seeing places, I think this is the most significant of all updates (so far!). Remember this post? No? Well, I expected that :p

I FINALLY DID IT!!! I had lasik surgery!

From an eye grade of -6.75 (R) and -7.50 (L), my eyes are now both 25/25 (when I had it checked a month ago)! I am due for another check-up tomorrow and I have a good feeling it’s already 20/20 na because my eyesight has dramatically improved, like so much!!! I can even read those tiny letters at the bottom of billboards when I drive. IT WAS LIFE-CHANGING.

I. SIMPLY. HAVE. NO. WORDS.

Anyway, I’ll do another detailed blog post for that to answer all the questions I got from my IG story! 🙂

On a more personal note, in a span of a year since I started out this blog…

No babies yet!!! Though JM and I are more than thrilled to move on to the next chapter of our married life, we’re trying to take things little by little by laying a good foundation for our future family life. It sounds so cheesy but I guess we just want the best future possible. I might appear expressionless when people ask me when we’re having a baby (or babies, really praying for twins!), but you don’t know how kilig I am when you ask me and I’m dreaming of the day when I get a mini JM and mini Yves. Lol.
I got into sales (I know right?? From HR to tutoring kids to writing and working from home… I don’t know, I think I’m in that phase where I just want to explore) and I’m glad I did because it really taught myself a lot of things. I mean, growing up and by simply living, you think you’re this person but life really surprises you and you’ll be amazed on how your own self will surprise you more. I did things I thought I couldn’t do, I accomplished things that I thought were too challenging and of course, broke down numerous times! (That part wasn’t new but anyway), all I’m saying is keep working on yourself and trust the process. I used to be so anxious about things, I still am, but I guess, I am more positive this time around and it is SOOOO liberating. To just live life with a positive mind. So I hope if you’re reading this, I hope in your own way, try to embrace life’s flaws and just spread happiness, love and good vibes. Just what this world needs more of.

I guess that’s it! I know it’s not much but I believe that life has so much to offer and I just cannot wait to keep moving forward!

I know you all have better plans than reading this blog on a Saturday night but I hope somehow, I gave you all a bit of love and positivity 🙂

Wishing you all brighter and beautiful days ahead!

All my love! ♥

So this was supposed to be a “5 Things That Made Me Enjoy Cebu” blog but that would be such a cliché! Everyone knows the to-dos when in Cebu (btw, that’s exactly what we did: Kawasan canyoneering, Whale Shark watching in Oslob, swam in Sumilon Island, visited Magellan’s Cross, said a prayer at Basilica del Santo Niño, ate at Larsian, had some drinks at La Vie Parisienne, etc). So instead, I’m gonna write about the realizations I had while doing all the tourist-y things in Cebu! 😉

1. Putting down your phone does not equate to boredom.

JM and I got to Cebu City around 8pm and after having dinner at Zubuchon (Yes, we actually came to an agreement to try every lechon we could), we came across this pinterest-worthy coffee shop in Escario (Café Talk Library). We wanted to kill time so we got ourselves some coffee and played Scrabble. I think this was the only time that I wasn’t constantly checking my phone and wow, it’s been a while since JM and I laughed so hard at each other, like genuinely I-understood-what-you-said-I-did-not-just-nod-or-mumble-something-to-make-it-seem-like-I-was-listening. I know it’s super hard to just be in the moment especially at times when we are so obsessed with social media and the online world seems to be far more interesting than what’s in our faces but I highly suggest that once in a while we just live in the moment. Easier said than done but right now, JM and I practice our “time outs” where we just put our phones down and actually talk to each other. I think it’s a good practice!

2. If you can’t jump… swing.

I am quite sheltered (I’ve never hiked, gone up a mountain, went surfing or scuba diving, etc.), the cozy indoors was my comfort zone so when JM told me that we’re doing canyoneering in Cebu, I swear I spent all day researching about it. What to wear, how long will it take and most importantly…

True story.

Trekking was easy. I loved it. But jumping at such great heights was so hard for me! I can handle the heights but you know that feeling you get when you ride rollercoasters? That funny feeling in your tummy? Ugh. That, I can’t handle. JM was a natural. He jumped like the 35 ft. fall was nothing! I actually got so frustrated when I froze for an hour with legs that won’t budge. So a little tip guys, the more time you spend at the jumping point, the more chance that fear will conquer you. So just jump!

Or in my case, swing. Hahaha! I mean, realistically speaking, I guess in life you can’t always wing everything so in turn; you make adjustments, or find another way to get you a step closer in facing your fears.

And speaking of fears…

3. You can actually acquire “new fears”.

I used to ride rollercoasters, enjoy fast bus rides, be able to swim without overthinking what’s down under. Imagine the horror when I started feeling queasy about things like this! I was not able to do cliff jumping in Kawasan. On our way to Oslob, the roads were zigzagged and I swear I felt like we’re gonna fall over to the other end! I thought I’d be brave enough to enjoy watching the whale sharks but in my head, their size was too overwhelming and I know they’re gentle giants but no one can guarantee that they won’t do anything harmful! (People who have watched Blackfish will get me). On top of our various encounters with nature, I got the worst rashes which turned out to be irritant contact dermatitis aka hypersensitivity/allergic reaction to the wilderness so I have to be extra careful when going outdoors.

It’s still a mystery why I suddenly got so paranoid about things… or why I got so physically and mentally sensitive all of a sudden. That definitely goes to my “things-to-think-about” list.

4. Rico’s is the best lechon in Cebu. No one can argue with me on this.

But if for some reason, Rico’s balat ng lechon + CNT’s lechon meat + Zubuchon’s spicy filling somehow magically happens, then we’ll talk. 😛

5. The Pyramid is a hidden gem.

I have read about this restaurant but a friend of mine made sure that we paid a visit. It looks so fancy but their food is actually wallet-friendly! Meals range from P200-P600 per person. The interior, food and service were so on point, we were like “how is it cheap in this place???” Every angle is instagram-worthy!

The Pyramid is located in Central Bloc, Cebu I.T. Park in Lahug and is open from 10 am – 3 am (Sunday-Thursday) and 10am – 4am (Friday-Saturday).

Okay, so I may not have been able to write about the “5 Things That Made Me Enjoy Cebu” but it made me realize what ultimately did… exploring new places with the love of my life (and him not getting tired of my whiny ass)!

PS: To make up for not sharing much about the things we did, JM made a little video of our Cebu trip! Enjoy!!!

All my love ♥

Category: Travel

Back with Another (Long Overdue) Life Update

JM and I continued travelling as much as we could.

We also went to La Union… and discovered that I could love a place so much, that for some time, I was really considering moving there. No joke.

I FINALLY DID IT!!! I had lasik surgery!

I. SIMPLY. HAVE. NO. WORDS.

5 Things I Learned in Cebu