May 2013
1 post
14 tags
To My Starry-Eyed Dreamer
For you, love and kindness come in endless strings, and you freely unwind yours, lifting everybody around you like kites. Happy, happy, birthday, Dandan! Only a few people have the gift of making others believe that there’s so much hope to be found in any place—you definitely leave a trail of good vibrations wherever you go.
What gets us out of our beds in the morning, what makes...
April 2013
6 posts
13 tags
Land Ahoy, Siquijor
In true traveling with a purpose style, my fellow adventure-loving friends started planning for this trip almost half a year ago. Our goal: to explore Siquijor as a local, with no rock left unturned. Spontaneity is always sexy. But those few months as lead time gave us the luxury of being able to map out our itinerary, save up for pocket money, and lift the mystery that has shrouded the island for...
13 tags
For A Change
When you’re feeling down, hieing off to the mountains can lift up your spirits. Especially at times when you’re in a contemplative mood… cloistering yourself at one of your favorite cafes can really let your thoughts swirl around freely, and take flight.
Here, the lower your heart is sinking, the higher you can pull it right back into place. Having a flock of clouds...
14 tags
Travel With A Purpose
So, you’re on the road again. When you were younger, traveling for the sake of getting away was enough to give you a fleeting high. Now that you’re beginning to feel just how fast time is slipping through your fingers; you’re also understanding that an irreversible change is happening inside of you.
Youth isn’t infinite, and your priorities are shifting. You now want to...
14 tags
Go on A Stroll, See Everything Anew
It’s mighty optimistic of me to believe that I can stumble on new ways of looking at familiar places. (Even ones that I’ve gone to since I was a kid.) But I really think that if you pack an open mind, along with your other essentials for any trip, your usual getaways can still manage to surprise you.
Shang ri la Mactan is one of my super favorite beaches in the planet. If you save...
11 tags
Sway Back And Forth With the Tides
I want you to think of that one person who has always been your source of unwavering strength. Are your feet on steadier ground? Does your back harden, pulling itself up so it can take on anything? When you hold out your arms, do you finally feel what it will be like to play with clouds?
I want you to picture the light fading from that one person’s eyes. For the first time in your life,...
March 2013
8 posts
12 tags
Celebrate Your Milestones
Treat yourself. For pushing your limits, doing something you never thought you could do, and working hard without expecting anything in return. For choosing to love even when you were afraid that you had nothing more to give. For still finding out about who you really are, and being okay with it.
Milestones, big or small, are worthy of being celebrated. You deserve it all.
...
30 tags
What Fairy Tales Are Made Of
The girls and I threw a surprise bridal shower for one of my best friends, Angel days before she was set to marry Dan. For a sweetheart like her, we felt that it was as though La Maison Rose, with its French chinoiserie interiors and menu, was designed for the occasion. Thanks to maid of honor Melissa who led the pack, we were able to have the private dining room all to ourselves.
...
17 tags
Remember Resilience
You met Resilience before you discovered your own name.
It was the voice that taught you how to reach for things with your small hands, to utter your first words, to stand on your feet and walk. Newborns, despite being fragile, had no room for quitting. You came into this world, made with the same indestructible, iron-willed fiber.
Resilience let you grow, and helped bring you here.
Now...
9 tags
What Keeps You Going?
At least once a month, you’d find me at the beach. Most of the time, I do my best to carefully plan out the trip. But on this fine morning, the opportunity presented itself, and work and play were synonymous to each other.
As the guys from the Philippine Inter-Island Sailing Foundation (PHINSAF) steered their catamarans on the sea’s horizon, my breath got caught in my throat. To...
7 tags
Take Your Time Being Outdoors
As always, no tricks—the grass really was this green on this day.
Do you take the time and effort to be outdoors at least once a week too? Waking up at dawn to ride out to the beach, spending an afternoon in the park, or getting treated to a day in a resort like Anvaya…being close to nature would never fail to invigorate your spirit. Where do you go to unwind,...
17 tags
What's on Your Summer Travel List?
There’s really no better time to start mapping out your must-see sites than when you’re reeling into the cusp of summer. Grey, somber clouds looming over the skies are becoming a rarity, and every day is shaping up to be a perfect chance to travel. Now all you need is to actually make it happen.
Let’s pack up our imaginary suitcases and rucksacks, shall we?
Before we blindly...
13 tags
Country Style Goodness, Jude + Alexa
You’ll be hard pressed to find a couple as adorable as Jude and Alet, the creative duo behind Strawberry Apparel. When their country style wedding came to a full gallop last November, we could barely contain our giddy feels. Reflecting who this talented pair was, the event showed handmade details, understated elegance, and playful touches (plus a kick of rock and roll and folksy...
15 tags
Stars Align, A Music Review With My Lover
Getting to watch one of my favorite bands of all time, Stars, with my boyfriend was already a sweet treat itself. But to have had the chance to co-write a music review (for GMA News, what!) on this bucket-list-worthy night took our relationship to an entirely deeper level.
An excerpt:
There’s the kind of music that you stumble upon, and fall in love with all by yourself. It’s yours,...
12 tags
A Backpacker’s Photo Diary: Enchanted River,...
It took six hours of traveling by land from Davao City to reach Surigao del Sur. Touching the color turquoise with my fingers—just knowing what it would feel like, was the much awaited prize.
There were dozens of people swimming in the Enchanted River when my family and I arrived, so we patiently bided our time for them to clear out. Noon was the magic hour when the caretakers played...
February 2013
3 posts
12 tags
2013 Goal Three: Put Yourself Out There
Going after what makes your heart beat the fastest strips you naked. Because you know just how much is at stake, your deepest desires and worries are exposed, and you face the harshest truths about who you really are, and what you can do. You have to look at your own eyes in the mirror, and be starkly honest with yourself. Unbutton your bravado, and throw it on the floor.
This 2013, my third...
12 tags
2013 Goal Two: Stay Loyal to Your Pursuits
“Oh, we just threw her in the water when she was a baby. She somehow never got out of it,” my parents would say about me as I was growing up.
All great loves—even when they’re not with people—have the habit of falling on your lap. That’s the easy part. For you to be able to hang on to them calls for a pouring of your whole self. The feeling turns into a...
16 tags
2013 Goal One: Cherish Experiences, Not Things
Another glorious weekend. How did I ever become so lucky?
Seleena and I hit the beach during the start of our birthday month last December with our best travel buddy, Sannds.
The long ride to Batangas (remember how I absolutely get smashed during road trips?) knocked me out, as expected. So while they spent the early part of the afternoon lounging by the shore, I was cocooned in our hut,...
January 2013
6 posts
12 tags
Signs of The Times
Some nights go way beyond your expectations. This was one of those nights.
Sannds put together a party at their house (don’t you just love the design?) last Christmas. It was such an amazing way to see friends from Ateneo, both old and new, as 2012 came to a close. And it was the best reason to get smashed, hands down.
It was sobering to think that we had it this good in college though....
11 tags
Taking It Slow
During the second half of our time in Puerto Princesa, my good friend Borj and I moved from here, to Palo Palto Bed and Breakfast. We stood outside of its nondescript gates, apprehensive. Unpaved roads, and walls that looked like freshly dried cement…were we just duped by the photos from its site?
It turned out that we were worried over nothing. Greens, striking woodwork, and warm hues...
10 tags
Palm Readings and Caravan Dreams at The Gypsy's...
Ever since I read Neil Gaiman’s “Stardust” years ago, I became fascinated by the allure of having life on the road, and chasing after your “heart’s desire,” no matter what the cost was. I’m so glad that one of my good friends Borj found The Gypsy’s Lair Art Cafe during our trip to Puerto Princesa. The restaurant could have easily been part of the...
thesecretpolaroid-deactivated20 asked: I really love the atmosphere of your blog whenever I'm kinda feeling blue or whatsoever I always go to this page. :) It's a great lift!
8 tags
Always A Good Day to Hit The Beach
If there’s one thing you should never turn down, it’s the chance to go to Palawan.
I was stoked for being sent there for work to begin with. But when I found out that our hotel was close enough to the city proper, and offered easy access to the beach at the same time, I could barely sit still inside the van on our way there. The white sanded beaches nearest to Puerto Princesa...
9 tags
Between Staying Still and Moving
When you’re about to make that defining step—from the boarding ramp and into the plane, from that dry part on the shore to the sliver of wet sand, from the final curb before you reach the top of a hill…you just know that you’re different. Although you’re crossing the smallest of spaces, you feel like a great change happened.
Regardless of the thousands of miles...
December 2012
3 posts
14 tags
BTW's Summer Girl Series: Shaan
There are women who strut around, knowing just how much they’ve got it. And then there’s someone made of pure gold dust—Shaan. Her hotness is never in your face, but is as undeniable as air flows into your lungs. It penetrates your skin as a slow burn, making it everlasting.
In this issue of BTW’s Summer Girl Series, she takes us to Japan, and lets its allure unfurl in...
15 tags
Pre-birthday Good Vibes
If your family and friends are saying just how much light you’re carrying with you lately, they’re probably on to something. As December 17 draws nearer, I feel like it’s just going to be a regular day. Mainly because I’ve been so happy, each day seems as though it’s my birthday. (Cue in farting of rainbows here.)
But yeah. Just look at that mug! Being at the...
10 tags
Short And Sweet
It’s incredible how, even when your dearest friends have built their own nests in other countries, everything feels the same whenever they come home.
Bianca was back from Boston, and although she could only stay here for several days, my college friends and I were so stoked to be with her again. That night, we regressed to being in our tambayan in Ateneo, when we were cocooned by our...
November 2012
5 posts
16 tags
Positive Thinking is Not Enough
It might make you feel better. You get to tilt up your chin, and the world would seem more bearable to take in. When your dose of optimism wears off though (and it does, it always does), what would actually turn things around for you is if you shape your positive thoughts into action.
Hold on to hope, and use it as a fuel so you could keep going…but the crucial part is if you decide to do...
11 tags
Gratitude is A Mindset
It’s that time of the year when you glimpse back on everything that happened to yourself in 2012, before it came to a full close. My eyes have changed. What 2012 taught me was that gratitude wasn’t a feeling. It was a conscious decision that you made each day.
Willing yourself to be grateful was just the first jump—you then had to hit the ground running, and find concrete...
10 tags
Road Trip with the Family
Anyone who’s ever met my family would immediately understand where my love affair with travel came from. Some of my earliest memories took place in transit—in cars, ships, and planes. My parents instilled a thirst for adventure in my brother and me before we learned how to properly talk. My cousins would tell you the same thing about their childhood.
Alo, Zach and Nikki (and...
9 tags
In Your Element
It was one of those days when everything that could go right, went right.
The Ber months were in full swing, cloaking the city in grays and chilly weather. But there at the beach, the sun blazed. With a glass of frozen margarita in hand, and peals of laughter from your friends around you…you were transported to the summer season. All was well.
That’s what happens when...
October 2012
16 posts
9 tags
A Backpacker's Photo Diary: Puerto Princesa
I have more to say about Puerto Princesa when I get home. Right now, I’m hitting the road for a six-hour drive to Surigao. In the meantime, I hope these photos can keep you company.
Brave the waves,
Stoked to hear from you on Facebook and Twitter. See you there!
8 tags
Let Nature Make You Feel Small
I just came from Palawan. I woke up at 5AM, and got jolted by this misty, golden sunrise. The whole island really is a natural wonder that just happens to have people in it.
This looks like it comes from an entirely different eon, doesn’t it?
And how many times can you say that a rain cloud literally ran across the horizon, and chased after you?
Then and there, I felt as...
9 tags
The Great Affair is to Move
After watching the action packed launch of the regatta, we took a breather at Santelmo Cove.
What better sight is there than an array of hammocks, just for you?
Sanndra’s tattoo, lifted from this inspiring quote. It was made to be inked on her skin.
“I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move.”
...
12 tags
Affinity with Sea Lovers
There’s an indefinable, immediate feeling of being at ease with fellow sea lovers.
When the regatta kicked off last Saturday, it was comforting to slip back into this rapport shared with the sailors of the Philippine Inter-Island Sailing Foundation (PHINSAF). I was fortunate (a kid during Christmas, really) to have had the chance to go to Hamilo Coast, and play spectator for a day on the...
clairevoyannt-deactivated201211 asked: Hello! It's such a pleasure to meet a co-Cebuano here on Tumblr! And what's more interesting is that your blog focuses more on outdoor adventures! I'm truly loving it! By the way, I stumbled upon your blog while I was looking for reviews about La Maison Rose. It seems that you personally know one of the owners of the house before it was converted into a fine dining restaurant!...
8 tags
Ever the Optimist
Seleena and I had brunch at Wildflour Cafe + Bakery a few weeks ago.
Although the atmosphere and interior design were fantastic, the dishes really weren’t as stellar as they were hyped up to be. Compact serving sizes and high price points are fine if the quality of taste makes up for them, but this wasn’t the case here. In effect, the meal made me feel like we were...
7 tags
Beachside Picnic
Putting together a picnic can be similar to how you prepare a playlist. Before anything else, you think about who it is for. And when it’s by the beach, you can tell it’s already special to begin with.
I knew my friend Kitty was a fellow cheese lover, and that fruit slices, gooey chocolate, and munchies made her happy. I also took note of the fact that she wasn’t fond of...
7 tags
Going the Extra Mile
Our boat docked on Isla Reta, facing promising signs of a great beach. Aquamarine waters, powdery white sand, enough trees that shaded you from the midday sun…but Davaoenos urged us to get away from this crowded spot, and go the extra mile to reach Dayang.
You can never go wrong when you listen to the locals! I’ll be sharing with you more stories about Dayang Beach in...
11 tags
Displacement
I went to Talikod Island, Davao with a heavy soul; you could hear my bones creaking. You think you can steel and prepare yourself when you have to say goodbye to a loved one. You try to create a positive spin (It’s for growth! Change is good!). But when you actually have to do it, all defenses pretty much fly through the window.
I was the one left behind, and everything was supposed to...
6 tags
Lake Sebu in A Minute
Getting to Davao by land proved to be an adventure itself. Our group left Cotabato on the day that political aspirants had to file for their certificates of candidacy. Soldiers heavily monitored the roads, a convoy of no less than 100 vehicles zoomed past us, and people were generally more vigilant.
Lake Sebu was around 30 minutes away from our route, but we felt that we needed to make the...
7 tags
Postcard from Davao
As you sit there, staring at your screen, I want you to think of this day. You rode a boat, leaped on a motorcycle, and had sand between your toes—so fine, you didn’t even feel it. You didn’t know what to expect, had faith in what was laid out ahead of you, and were rewarded with this beach. It was all yours.
When you feel unsure of choices that you need to make, I want you...
thesecretpolaroid-deactivated20 asked: Hello. I was wondering what camera do you use to take your photos? Anyway thank you for your inspiring blog travel I could drift away just even on my sit.
aperture24 asked: love the mosque post! great shots. and it seems to be a "must visit" place :-D
10 tags
Sundown at The Grand Mosque
“Islam appears to me like a perfect work of architecture. All its parts are harmoniously conceived to complement and support each other; nothing is superfluous and nothing lacking; and the result is a structure of absolute balance and solid composure.” -Muhammad Asad
My throat constricted when we reached the Grand Mosque—the largest one in the...
8 tags
A Backpacker's Photo Diary: Cotabato
In Cotabato, you’ll be hard pressed to meet somebody who hasn’t lost a loved one—a victim of gunfire, kidnapping, or both. My mother spent the earlier years of her childhood there. One day, she was at the family’s sari-sari store, and witnessed her uncle get shot. She told me that her eyes were never the same after that incident. It just couldn’t be unseen.
...
8 tags
Change of Scenery
For the past few days, I went to Cotabato, plowed through Maguindanao, Koronadal, Sultan Kudarat, General Santos, Surallah, Digos, and finally settled in Davao. My heart is swimming in stories of survival, loss, and quiet bravery.
I grew up in Mindanao. Working in a city like Makati can make you prone to become detached from your roots…you’re presented with the challenge to get out of...
6 tags
A Backpacker's Photo Diary: Ayutthaya
The right people, place, or moment can make you feel humbled by the world. In Ayutthaya, all of those three elements were present at once. I remember walking around the temple ruins, falling behind my older brother, and being fully aware that I was listening to complete silence.
On the last day of our Thailand trip, we happily skipped any last minute shopping stops in the city, and went...
September 2012
24 posts
jepong2010 asked: Hi Mia, I came across your tumblr and I found it very interesting. I am excited as well to explore more in this place. Could be advice me which place you could recommend me to go not too far from makati. Thank you so much and glad if you made a reply to my favor. Thanks again and keep exploring...
9 tags
Under Canopies of Trees
Last week, I hiked deeper and deeper into the woods, where vegetation came in the most startling green hues.
Farther uphill, I came across a small community’s story. How, like this tree that survived despite being struck by lightning so intense, it lit up their whole area…the residents were determined to sustain themselves against all odds.
Mammoth sized boulders from Mt....
