This year, I took a big leap by traveling alone. Even though I must say that I treasure all the lessons and the serenity (wait for the separate blog post!) that come with solo travels, I am not one to pass for some good company and a quick getaway to the beach. So, together with 3 friends from work, we devised a plan to take a trip up north. We filed our leaves waaay ahead, and finalized an itinerary a few days before the date.

It was so funny, because people at work were skeptical that the four of us took a trip together. Each one belongs to a different department, and even though we are all friends, we were almost never seen as a group. And I assure you, coming with them was the best decision I made.

This is why I want to share with you some things to consider when looking for the perfect travel buddy (or buddies!). Think of it this way, the amount of happiness that you will have on the trip will be gravely affected by your rapport with that person. You don’t necessarily have to agree on everything, but you do not want to clash on everything either and harbor ill-feelings throughout your trip.

5/5

If you loved Frozen, then expect Moana to be waaaay better!

I watched it alone, and my only regret is not watching it on 3D. The movie has lots of underlying values about self-discovery, truth, and empathy. The characters are interesting, relatable and appealing in the simplest sense. Instead of the usual fight-to-be-with-the-one-you-love drama, they gave her Maui, a flawed Demigod, who (like the rest of us) is also in his own journey to finding purpose and self-worth.

Growing up, I have always loved watching the television. I’d spent hours in front of the TV, my mind escaping to another world, to someone else’s story. I never thought that I will be able to enter the media industry just a few months after I finished my studies.

A year out of college, I want to share with you my story of how I snagged my dream job at the age of 20 - for which, I do not claim all the credits, without my family and the Lord, I am nothing.

I must emphasize that it has not been an all happy and stress-free journey. That gap of time between graduating from college and landing your first job can truly be jam-packed with confusion, self-doubt and exhaustion. There are just so much expectations from family and friends and impeccable standards that we envision for ourselves.

On our way back from a field work, we passed by Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya for breakfast. My team leader chose this place that is quite popular among locals and travellers passing by the Vizcaya province. The place definitely radiates a cool atmosphere, with coconut trees at the back of the open resto. A casual dining place – what got my attention was when I first read the signage: "The only day the original Ilocano Pinakbet is not in the menu, is what our lola is not in the mood of cooking it."

Or, as I would like to bitterly refer to this article, “Why we would not be coming back to Tanay any time soon”.

For this specific day trip, we decided to follow a simple itinerary from various blogs to one of the nearby tourist destinations that are easily gaining popularity on the Internet and through the word of mouth: Tanay, Rizal.