It was my birthday (though we were celebrating our second anniversary) and I certainly got myself tons of gifts, in the form of friends and family. We opted not to take any souvenir items with us on the way home from Eden, but those memories will forever be fresh in my memory. 
“If I had a day to give you, I’d give you a day just like today.”
These two would always be in conjunction with each other if you were to ask me what heaven on earth should be like.
I love food – although it might not be too obvious if you were to see my tiny frame (laughs out loud). However, I’d like to take that as an advantage, knowing that I can devour (sorry for the word) any food that I like. Traveling is also another passion of mine. As a kid, I always listed places all over the world that I wanted to visit. Beyond seeing new places or world class attractions, it is experiencing new cultures, meeting new people, and the act of traveling itself that entice me. Hence, road trips always excite me and have been on several of them as a child.
That is why I am crazy over Food Network’s “Giada’s Weekend Getaways“. I’ve always loved Giada de Laurentiis’ Everday Italian but this is like Super Bowl for travel and food shows. Call it voyeurism if you like, I like that the show satisfies my dream – a day in a foreign country and enjoying local delicacies. Indeed, Giada hit the spot: “One of the best ways to get to know a city is through its food.“
Watch the video below for Giada’s weekend getaway in Santa Barbara, California:
Most people hate geography, which I find hard to discern why. It is one of the geekiest things about me that only a few people know about.
As a kid, I always kept a world map. Then, I would study different countries from certain continents. After recognizing each country, I would memorize their capital cities, which is indicated by a star (or they usually come in bold letters). And while my expertise in geography has waned as I grew up, I could still remember some of them. Lately, this urge to learn more about cities from other countries is fueled by my dream to travel.
Not many people might be aware of this but I know every capital city for all of the US’ 50 states. Hence, I also wanted to visit every single state in the US. I am serious about this but will be something worth investing on. It amazes me how each state offers a unique experience each time. Here are a few things I look forward to in visiting these states:
1. The rich history of the South – visiting states like Alabama, Mississippi, or Louisiana. I’d like to listen to some jazz music or attend at least one Mardi Gras celebration before I die.
2. Beauty of natural formation in the Southwest – canyon formations in California and Arizona, and the huge desserts in Nebraska, Utah, or Nevada.
3. Roadtrip – It should be fun to drive around Florida and experience its famed Everglades National Park and the world-class Daytona Beach.
4. And who says you can’t have fun with snow? Over at Alaska, I might be able to learn some new snow skiing skills.
Some rainy nights, I would sit on my bed and watch the world through the window, especially when a slight rain is pouring. I always dream I was in Paris, walking in cobbled stone paths. Or in Amsterdam, picking out my favorite white tulips on a spring day. Or better yet, bungee jumping in New Zealand.
Just the other night, I was flipping through magazines on a bookshop and I saw this log cabin house and I dreamt of a winter vacation on the American Midwest, Aspen perhaps. Meanwhile, another shown a bungalow somewhere in Hawaii, with a terrace overlooking the blue-green ocean. I instantly thought of having breakfast there while sipping a cup of coffee.
I’ve been wanting to go on vacation in a long time now. The last time I went on one was way back in May – that is a good 4 months from now. With a few days left on my vacation leave credits, I wanted to reserve that for a special occasion. These past few months, I feel like I have been an extreme workaholic, burrowing myself into work and just taking whatever free time I got to spend with Ed. So, I was extremely glad that we finally got the chance to do our own mini pool getaway for the 21st monthsary celebration. However, we were both planning to do something not so grandiose but extreme for our second anniversary.
While strolling at the mall last night, we saw this exhibit that features activities which was exactly what me and Ed had in mind. When they went to Kaputian Island last February, he got the chance to do some snorkeling – something of which I envied so much because we both wanted to do that together (see attached photo of Ed while snorkeling). During the same exhibit, we got to look through some exciting activities that we could do. Until we learned about this diving tour and we both got so excited that we were already planning on a perfect date to do that. It is quite costly but that would be nothing compared to the experience and the time we could both spend together (awwww). I am already thinking about the underwater pics that we’ll be getting. We were contemplating on that island tour adventure as well.
However, we thought about doing this with some of our friends. It should be real exciting since we planned on going on a vacation anyway! We’ve scheduled this up for mid-October. So guys, are you up for it?
“today i am too young, tomorrow may be too late”
- Rilke
today, i got a new set of tasks from my client. he promised me before that i’d be writing something totally different, meaning it has nothing to do with playstation games whatsoever. sure thing, that made me excited.
when i arrived at the office today, i was curious to find out what that new task is. turns out, i’m going to write a sort of feature article of some of the major attraction cities in the US. one heck of a job right? i mean, i just returned from a brief vacation and having that short break only fueled my desire to have an even longer break, maybe out of town this time, who knows? and i here i am, writing about these famous tourist destinations and telling potential readers the best places to go in, say Beverly Hills or Miami, when I, myself, have never even been there yet. not only do i lack the means (right now, at least), but time is my biggest adversary as of the moment.
i guess i should quit procrastinating and return to writing my articles. cause then, i will not only be able to have a glimpse of places i’ve never been to, but also visit those that are so lovely and pristine, they existed only through the human process called imagination.
“All work and no play makes one dull.”
This is it! I’m taking a break (a paid holiday at that – thanks to my client who was kind enough to give me the incentive) from work for a couple of days. Hopefully, those couple of days will be put to good use. After all, summer’s almost done and this could be my last shot at being able to enjoy the season before it bids goodbye. And more hopefully (fingers crossed), it extends up until the weekends so I can enjoy it to its fullest.
I really do deserve this one, after all that I’ve been through this past week.
Oh, I hope I won’t miss work – all these articles to write. Nah! I don’t think so. Forget about the outside world for a while, and all the work and everyday stress that goes with it. Hopefully, I’d be back for work next week feeling more rejuvenated! So, here’s to hoping…
I’m sick of complaining.
A few weeks back, I was complaining about this flu that I had. I was forced to take medicines that were, ironically enough, making me feel more ill. I guess that’s how the mind works. Taking all these medicines made me feel sorry about myself; it made me feel worse than I actually am. And yet, this week has been consistently wet. I’m honest to goodness wishing I’ll survive this one.
On another note, I did not hear anything back from my boss for almost a week. And I was complaining, no whining, about it. When he came back, I was bombarded with all these GTA IV Project that I had to work on for another couple of weeks. Oh, great!
But, I wasn’t totally doomed (thank god!). I was just overreacting (I think). He did grant me a couple of days vacation, apart from the usual vacation leave that I can avail of. How’s that for motivation? I only wish you could see the look on my face right now.
Life isn’t cruel after all. The next thing I have to worry about is when can I get the time to shop for anything to wear on that nice getaway. Sure thing, it’s my favorite kind of dilemma. 
Since Survivor shot its 10th season in Palau, I have been engulfed by its unparalleled beauty. It was like one of those secret paradise that was awaiting to be discovered. And since then, many tourists from all over the world have gone on to visit the place. 
In fact, when the crew of “Survivor” returned to film the show’s 16th season, they noticed major changes in the tourism industry of Palau. Several hotels and restaurants have been put up to cater to the needs of the ever-growing number of tourists who have come to experience its beauty.
So, it’s not very unlikely that I have included this on my list of “places I must be able to visit before I turn 40“. There are amicably several things that you can occupy yourself with during your visit to this island at the heart of the Pacific.
It has one of the world’s most extraordinary diving spots, plus its wealthy marine life and coral formations is definitely worth checking out if you should decide to go snorkeling. Or better yet, you might want to dip in on the serene Jellyfish Lake, and have the luxury to swim with the jelly fish since (unlike common belief) they have tolerable amount of stinging cells. What better way to experience the beauty of nature first-hand!
And because it has basically a tropical climate, no matter what time of the year you decide to visit, you are sure to have the best experience as you can imagine.
So, the question now is: when do I get to visit Palau? It would be soon…real soon! I’m already starting to save up on some money. Anyhow, I’m sure I won’t be disappointed. 
