We are now in another chapter of our lives. Another opportunity for us to start a year with a clean slate. I know, most of you are now up and about in achieving all your New Year’s resolution but allow me to have this moment to take a step back and see the beauty that 2018 was.

I will be honest, despite the overwhelming blessings that was given to me last year, 2018 wasn’t an entire year of joy and laughter. I had a lot of struggles too and there were times that I was always so anxious. So anxious that I felt like I was falling into a pit of depression. But whenever I was about to give up, I surrendered everything to God. He was the only one who knew how to push me forward.

He surrounded me with right people at the right time. He didn’t take all the struggles away but He blessed me with the right opportunities to keep me going. He was there in every moment of my life, whether it be bad or good.

There were times when I lose my will to leave my bed and face life because I felt like there was really nothing to it. For me, it was like a never ending routine that didn’t excite me at all. I felt so ungrateful for feeling that way but somehow I just felt empty inside. So that’s when God gave me the opportunity to travel to places or do things I’ve never done before. God blessed me with weekends that are worth remembering. I saw the beauty of the Taal Volcano crater, surfed in the thrillingwaves of La Union, swam in the majestic water of Palawan and most of all, finally explored my dream country-Japan! All of these breathe some new life to me and somehow I felt more alive than ever.

There were also times when I felt like I’m no longer performing well in my job that I really considered quitting. Every day, I sat at the same chair, worked on the same table and did my task the best way that I can but oftentimes, I felt like it was not enough. So every time I make a single mistake, I go hard on myself. I felt unappreciated when in fact, it was all just in my head. God made a way to make me realize this by making me win as the employee of the month and making me reach my goal of getting a loyalty award. He showed me that everything can be rewarded if you put passion, hard work and patience in what you do.

There were also times when I started to doubt everything about me- my worth, my relationship and my capabilities. I was just a ball of negativity and there were countless times that I’ll just be crying over the most trivial things because I felt like I was in so much emotional pain. The kind wherein you can’t pinpoint where it started, so you don’t really know what to do to make the pain go away. But God knew exactly how to heal me. He gave me people who untiringly reminded me that I’m more than I think I am. When I almost gave up on trying to be a writer and completely shut down this blog, He blessed me with 10,000 page views. Something that might seem so small for most but was more than enough reason for me to keep writing. He blessed me with relationships that withstood every obstacle. A loving family and friends who supported me no matter what. A partner in life who never gave up on us despite everything that we went through last year, we came out stronger and united than ever. So strong that God gave him enough courage to bend his knee and ask me the question I’ve always dreamed of. YES! Got engaged to the man I've loved for ten years!!! So excited to start another chapter with him!

There are so much I’m so thankful of for 2018 and I didn’t know what I did to deserve everything. If there is something I’m most proud of that would be my faith. How I never gave up on what I want and whom I want to believe in through my faith in Him. My heart is humbled by how great God is. He truly works in the most mysterious and amazing ways. I’ve seen how His plan will always be better than mine and that I just have to trust Him to make everything okay. Actually, more than okay, it will be wonderful! I’m just so grateful and overwhelmed of His greatness! Thankful for 2018 and so excited to see what 2019 is about. With my God, I’m ready to say, “Thank you, next!”

It was already nighttime when we arrived in our hotel in Osaka, just in time to catch the glorious spectacle unraveled by the Dotonbori area. Located in the heart of Osaka, (and about 10-15 minutes walk from our lodging place), is a busy area where bright neon lights which included the famous Glico Man Sign, extremely extravagant signage and vast selection of food bars and restaurants lined the Dotonborigawa River. For me, it was a Las Vegas strip in Asia. 

I wish I took a lot more photos but I was just so excited to explore the Dotonbori area, I ended up just taking it all in and forgetting to document the way I should be. I recommend that you avail the Tombori river cruise to have a better view of the Dotonbori area. This mini cruise last for 20 minutes for the price of Y900 for Adults (13 yrs old and up) and Y400 for children (6-12 yrs old). But for those who have an Osaka Amazing Pass, this Tombori river cruise is for free.  

Of course, this also gave me a better view of the very famous Glico Man Sign that was originally installed in 1935. This billboard for a confectionery company Glico is one of the area’s most prominent feature that you’ll see a lot of people taking a picture of it. Which we didn’t want to miss as well. Look at me, trying and failing to copy the iconic athlete in the Glico Man Sign. 


I highly recommend that you see this place at night for an eye thrilling experience! I swear you won't regret it! 

I've always dreamed of going to Japan (check out my Bucketlist) and it finally came true last November 10, 2018, just in time to witness the leaves turn into fall colors. 

If you want to feel the autumn atmosphere, hunting for momiji is really a must. Although, hunting for momiji won't really be that hard since it is autumn in Japan and most tourist spots will have them. You can easily fall in love with this season since it gives out a serene kind of feeling for anyone that experiences autumn. Because of such beauty, autumn in Japan easily topped my best travel destination list.

Everything felt majestic. I must say that there were times when I felt like I was just dreaming because of how perfect each view was. My eyes definitely had a feast on how warm the color of the environment was, despite the temperature dropping down and my mind was definitely happy because of the peaceful ambiance. I could easily envision myself just sitting in a non-crowded park which is lined with momiji while reading a book or just feeding pigeons (which we did) whenever I take a break from my writing. Yes, I’ve envisioned myself experiencing autumn in Japan annually! Yeap! Just like that! And to think we've only stayed for a week.

I don’t know how to put it in a non-cheesy way but experiencing the autumn in Japan made me feel like I was reborn and I couldn't be more grateful to God for blessing me with this experience. Autumn showed me that the process of letting go is necessary to give way for something better, such as the falling leaves, and that process can be done in such a beautiful manner. It was definitely so much more than I've ever dreamed of and this time, I can say that dreams really do come true! 



P.S. I'll be sharing our budget and itinerary with some of my personal thoughts with regards to my Japan experience very soon! Please be patient! ;)

They say in order to know if you really like something, you should at least try it twice. And so I did. Which is why I must say, despite my non-sporty facade, I am confident that I do like surfing. I first experienced surfing way back 2015 when I joined last minute in a trip to Baler, Aurora with my officemates. It was actually that experience that inspired me to start this blog and wrote my first ever travel blog post A Traveler Born in Baler. Three years is definitely a long time and a lot have changed but my love for the waves remained and was definitely awakened by the beauty of La Union.

All this time, I was just passing through La Union every time I travel back to my hometown in Ilocos Norte. I had no idea what a surfing paradise La Union was.

We went surfing in San Juan, La Union last August and I must say that I really enjoyed the waves. According to our surf instructor, surfers prefer to visit from October- March where the waves are big. But for me, the August waves were prefect. The waves were not that calm, yet it weren’t that crazy. It gave me just enough interval to ride the waves and to just enjoy the water. Plus, the golden hour in La Union is just so amazing I wanted to just stare at the sky for as much as I can.

If you ever plan to go surfing in San Juan, La Union, you can book your stay at the Sebay Central Surf Resort. They have the most affordable rooms and the most accommodating staff. Just make sure you claim your complimentary drinks right away because you won’t be able to get them the next day. Yes! I felt really bad for not getting those free drinks!

Also, they have the best surf instructors. We were guided by pair and kuya Jherico really believed in my skill that he let me surf without a leg rope. Yeap! He clearly saw my talent from within. Haha! That or maybe he was just punishing me for throwing my leg rope into the water when it snapped at the very beginning of our session. The waves took the leg rope and it was definitely nowhere to be found. Haha! Sorry! I didn’t know that it was something that can be fixed and so I was just trying to hide the evidence. Nonetheless, this experience really developed my courage to try new things and to have the faith that everything will turn out just fine.

Make sure to look for kuya Jherico as your surf instructor. He’s a great photographer too! He basically took all the photos of us on our surfboards. Imagine, he can take photos while fighting the waves from drifting our surfboards back to shore.

Aside from surfing, there are other places that you can visit in La Union. But because we only had so little time, we were just able to see the BaluarteWatchtower and Kamay na Bato. I will definitely come back to have this experience again and again, hopefully with so much more time on our hands. Who’s coming with me?

The famous artist of the Bahay na Bato, Mr. Bong Kim, created another artistic place to visit when in La Union.


The Kamay na Bato Art Gallery is located at Brgy. Nalvo Norte, a few minutes drive from Baluarte Watch tower.  So if you are off in that direction, might as well visit this art gallery.

With just an entrance fee of 20 pesos, you can already explore the place and stay there for an hour. To be honest, you won’t be able to consume that much time because the place isn’t really that big. But it was still worth the visit.

I personally liked the stone art and wood sculptures.

I also had fun taking pictures at the 3D wall paintings. Although I think I wasn’t that impressed since I’ve already been to the largest 3D museum in Asia, (I know, it’s unfair to compare them but I can’t help it), still I really enjoyed every shot.

Kita naman di ba? I was sooo into my character.



Last but definitely my fave part- getting to sit after all the exploring. Ofcourse, the resting area should also look artistic. Just the entrance to the garden reminded me of an anime I’ve watched before.

The garden was definitely worth taking photos of. See? Resting and taking photos at the same time!

Before the exit, you will find a souvenir shop where you can buy pasalubongs and memorabilias.

Make sure to visit this art gallery in La Union and go early so you can have more time to take your pictures and avoid the crowd. Have fun in this artistic place!