Sundo

Kay tagal kong sinusuyod ang buong mundo
Para hanapin, para hanapin ka
Nilibot ang distrito ng iyong lumbay
Pupulutin, pupulutin ka

Sinusundo kita, sinusundo

Asahan mong mula ngayon pag-ibig ko’y sayo
Asahan mong mula ngayon pag-ibig ko’y sayo

Sa akin mo isabit ang pangarap mo
Di kukulangin ang ibibigay
Di kukulangin ang ibibigay
Isuko ang kaba tuluyan kang bumitaw
Ika’y manalig, manalig ka..

Sinusundo kita, sinusundo

Asahan mong mula ngayon pag-ibig ko’y sayo
Asahan mong mula ngayon pag-ibig ko’y sayo

Handa na sa liwanag mo
Sinuyod ang buong mundo
Maghihintay sayo’ng sundo

Photo credit: Chris Sanchez

Green Tea Break

Let me just tell you about my day while I take an afternoon break (in preparation for the busy evening ahead of me) and sip my green tea.

At 12 noon today, my boss kicked me out of the office and told me to just go home and rest. I love my boss!!!! He's frank, caring and funny in a brutal way hehehe.

To save time, I ordered take away from a Chinese fastfood and ate my chicken and rice inside the train. My first time to try eating rice on board the train---it was one of those kapal moments but who cares, the care bears diba? I'm hungry and craving for rice so they can't do anything about it.

So what does a girl do with a half day off work? Syempre malling :)

Well, I didn't actually go there to unwind. I had to do some last minute errands like drop by the bank and pharmacy and buy a gift for a friend. After all that's been done, I went straight to my hair stylist.

When I had a haircut two weeks ago, I asked the stylist to take away the layers so parang one-length ang effect nya. Kaso, after one week, my hair felt heavy and I didn't like the feeling. Since Monday, all I think about was "I have to have my hair cut again". And so I went today, kasi paano ba naman kagabi napapanaginipan ko na yung hair stylist ko---bothered talaga ako hehehe. When I came in the salon, ayun pinagalitan pa ako ng stylist kasi hindi naman daw talaga pwede na walang layer ang hair ko dahil super straight. Sus! Matapos ang lahat, he made me pay only half the price, gave me a kiss and said "Enjoy your trip honey!"

My last stop was Starbucks. I just had to reward myself for a job well done at work and for having a good day. At bilang huling hirit sa tag-init (autumn na dito pero may konti pang init), I ordered their Summer Special called Dulce de Leche Frappuccino topped with whipped cream and caramel. Yum!!!

Now off I go to dinner and after that another round of travel preps (just double checking things) and getting myself ready for tomorrow's hectic day.

Kaya ko 'to! Aja!

Travel Preps (Itineraries and Logistics)

This is just a sneak preview of how I plan itineraries and prepare logistics for travel. Sneak preview lang ha? :P

Planning Itineraries

Chris and I plan our itineraries well because we really want to make the most of our trips, plus both of us have certain must-see, must-photograph and must-eat places in every place we go.

One of the reasons we take ample time in researching about a country or a city is because it is a means for us to come up with an itinerary that will have the musts on our list plus have some time for rests in between and time for exploration and surprises.

A sample itinerary would look like this:

Time	DATE	DATE
	DAY 1	DAY 2
5:00 PM		Gold Souq
6:00 PM	Party with Workmates
7:00 PM
8:00 PM		Dinner - Restaurant 1
9:00 PM		After Dinner Coffee

We gave each other lists of places we want to see, restos we want to dine and activities we want to do for each city that we plan to visit. Pag may list na kami, saka kami bubuo ng itinerary.

Please don't be fooled by our itinerary, you might think we follow everything to the dot. Although there are specified times for each place/activity, it only serves as a guide. On a given moment, we are very flexible especially if a place or an activity is extra fun and enjoyable. May mga parts pa rin dyan na we can readily give up if needed or we can cut short if the place turned out boring and pointless to explore.

Some reasons why you need to plan your itineraries:

• You need to determine what outfits you need to bring.
• You need to make reservations at hotels/restaurants you want to dine in.
• You need to know what activities you want to and have money ready for entrance fees, train/cable fares, etc.
• You need to identify your top of the list places to go to given a certain amount of time.
• You still need to rest---you may be able to go to all the places you want to see but it's not worth it if at the end of the trip you suffer from overfatigue or worse, you get sick in the middle of your trip.

Preparing Your Logistics--in other words: Packing your stuff for travel

This is one activity that I love doing---packing everything for travel. Ako ang dakilang tagapag-impake ng pamilya ko. Sa tuwing mag-travel ang family ko, ako ang naiiwan na nag-aayos ng lahat gamit at naglalagay sa maleta. Ang pag-iimpake ay parang isang laro sa akin--feeling ko Lego ito na binubuo kaya kahit pagod at puyat na ako sa pag-iimpake ng maleta ng bawat kapamilya ko, okay lang sa akin.

Here's a peek on how I pack my stuff:

1. With our itinerary at hand, I prepare a travel list like this:

Documents	Passports
	Visas
	Resident Status in Australia document
	Change of Name document
	Plane Tickets
	Confirmation of Hotels
Clothing	Shirts, Jeans, Shorts, Undergarments
	Evening Dresses for Night outs
	Sleepwear
	Beachwear
	Towel

2. I have what I call a "packing rehearsal" (parang dress rehearsal kumbaga sa isang theatre play). For short trips (10-15 days), I practice packing at least a week before. For long trips (16 days-up), I rehearse a month before. Why? Pag long trip mas madaming dala, kung talagang overweight na ang luggages mo (airlines have certain weight limits), you have the option to (1) lessen your stuff or (2) send your things via DHL/Fedex/UPS--for these two reasons you need ample time.

Now this is what happens during rehearsals:

I lay all the things I plan and want to bring on my bed. It literally looks like a mess but it's "my storm before the calm" kaya wala nang kokontra (my family knows that when I start packing I'm not to be disturbed coz I really focus on it--ganun ako ka-enjoy pag nag-iimpake to the point na super nagko-concentrate ako) and believe it or not, it's still sorted out in a way that only I can understand. :)

In one corner, I have there my gadgets, travel diary, travel guides and reading for pleasure book (for this travel I'm bringing "Love in the Time of Cholera").

In this corner, you'll find all the souvenirs, chocolates and loot bags I will be giving away to friends.

This colored folders contains important documents for the trip: e-tickets, hotel confirmations, etc. Why four folders? Each luggage will have one folder each so that if we lose a folder, we'll have an extra somewhere.

The small fuschia bag is where I'll put my passport, a copy of my e-ticket, money and one credit card. Whatever happens I'll have my this bag wrapped around me everywhere I go, as in EVERYWHERE.

If I have laid out everything I need for my travel, I start putting each one unto their respective luggages. Packing can take hours or even days. I never stop unless I get everything in the right place or I get the right weight for the luggages.

3. Secure the little ones that may spill

This is one of my favorite activities in packing---packing for my toiletries. I like finding mini-me shampoos, conditioners, lotions, etc. They're sooo cute! For some essentials that I can't find mini-ones, I buy little bottle/containers (see facial cleanser bottle below). But before putting them inside the luggage, I make sure they're tightly closed and plastered with sticky tape to avoid spills inside the luggage:

So there, some of my packing-for-travel habits. I still have a lot more "rituals" prior to traveling I'd like to share but I'm pressed for time right now as I about to leave in like 2 days!!! :) Yes, 2 days!!!! Can you believe it?

Am I ready? Let's see:

• I'm done with 3 weeks worth of work at the office
• I've filed all my day-offs and vaycay leaves
• I have somebody who will take over for me at work while I'm away
• I'm done with pasalubong shopping
• I'm done with packing (just need to double check everything tomorrow)
• I'm done with preliminary preps for Chris' Welcome Party next month (menu finalized, guests confirmed)
• Confirmed driver that will take me to the airport
• Checked-in online and booked seat on the plane (Yay! I got the window seat)

So I guess I'm ready.

Travel Preps (Mental and Physical Readiness)

Travel is one of my passions and I make sure that I'm almost 100% ready for it.

Being Mentally Ready

For me, this is the first step and the most important aspect in terms of preparing for travel. This helps in readying the self for the challenge that travel may bring. Travel is enjoyable but exhausting and the only way to ease off a bit of stress is to start with the strengthening and conditioning of the mind.

Why the strengthening of the mind? Travel will present situations that will need you to think--like figuring out how to pack your things, planning your itineraries, knowing the ins and outs of an airport, analyzing maps and directions, etc. Sa pagba-byahe, kailangan streetsmart, madiskarte at kalmado ka. Bawal ang mental block at bawal ang tanga (sorry, but I just had to emphasize that). My way of mental strengthening is to study the country, maps, itineraries, good and bad reviews and even hearsays. I take everything into account. In this way, I'm able to have a sneak peak on what to expect on the place I will be going to. This practice lessens the element of bad surprises for me.

And what about conditioning of the mind? This one will help you in hoping for the best but expecting the worst. Not all trips are made in heaven. Almost all travels are prone to situations beyond your control. Condition the mind that you should be ready in bad situations that may come up, in that way, you can also prepare for plans B, C and D. Prior to travel, I play a mental game called "What if?". What I'll do is ask myself "what if" questions regarding travel, for example: "What if I lost my luggage, what will I do?"---questions like that also makes me logistically ready. For that question, one of my answers would be "to have my airlines' phone number for lost luggages". Most importantly, I condition my mind that every trip will have its hassles and my formula is to still enjoy it (it might turn out to be a blessing sometimes!) and to get thru every bad situation as gracefully as I can (the last thing I want to happen is to lose my temper).

Being Physically Ready

As soon as I know the date of my travel, I immediately start a couple of physical activities:

1. Briskwalk 4-5 times a week from 30-45 minutes.
2. On weekends, I mix briskwalking and running.
3. Lift light weights for strengthening of arms, I try to do this thrice a week
4. Eat more rich in protein foods.
5. Eat youghurt at least a week prior to travel (youghurt helps in the adjustment of your stomach because when you travel you are susceptible to eating new cuisines).
6. Religiously drink my supplements: Vitamin E and C, Calcium and Biotin.
7. Sleep every chance I get

For my vaycay and wedding in January 2007, I physically trained six months prior to leaving Sydney because the reason of my travel then was of too many tedious things: my wedding, honeymoon, vacationing the phils. For the seven weeks of non-stop going and eating everywhere--not to mention that weddings are really really stressful!--I never got sick. My physical training paid off. On the other my husband got sick two weeks prior to our wedding day--hah! He wasn't physically prepared.

For my upcoming trip this week, I started physical training on the 3rd week of February. Then I also had an additional task: to eat McDo's cheeseburger twice before I leave Sydney. To make the long story short: I stopped eating hamburgers in 2005 but I eat when I travel coz I sometimes want one. Now since Hubby told me that we will be staying at place where there is a nearby Jollibee (yay!), so I needed my stomach to familiarize with cheeseburgers again, hence, I ate McDo's cheeseburger twice now. Now I think my tummy's ready for Jollibee.

Up next: Travel Preps (Itineraries and Logistics)

May the celebration of Easter bring
brighter and happier
beginnings for you!

Cheers to renewed
FAITH
HOPE
and
LOVE.

WHAT I GOT FROM THE HUNT! :)
...and the reason why I love being a "kid" on Easter Holidays---lots of CHOCOLATE Easter bunnies and eggs...plus I got Hello Kitty Marshmallows today too!!!!! Yay!!!

I now have pasalubong for Hubby hehehe :)

Book: Happy Housewives by Darla Shine

If you're ever wondering what to expect if you become a Stay-at-home Mom or what to do in case you are already experiencing being one or simply wanting to know the reasons why it's not so bad being a housewife---then this book is for you!

In the cover of the book, it says:

I Was a Whining, Miserable, Desperate Housewife--But I Finally Snapped Out of It...You Can, Too!

by Darla Shine

The author was once a television producer who chose to leave work when she got pregnant with her first baby. At first she was a desperate housewife--ungrateful of her lovely home, stable family life and loving husband--until she snapped out of it and became a happy housewife.

In her book, she shared 10 easy steps towards becoming a happy housewife:

1. Please stop whining!
   
2. Be proud! Being an At-Home Mom is the most important job
   
3. Stop looking like a housewife
   
4. Make your marriage a priority
   
5. Bond with your home
   
6. Get back in the kitchen
   
7. Keep your girlfriends
   
8. Make time for yourself
   
9. Don't take it all too seriously
   
10. Don't wish for someone else' problems

A good read especially to housewives that need that morale boost or to those wanting to know what's on the other side of the fence if you are wondering how it's gonna be if you shift from careerwoman wife to housewife. This book will somehow ease a lot of anxiety worries you have.

A warning to Careerwoman Wifeys and Moms: The author is not subtle when it comes to telling us that the place of the Wife/Mom is in the home. At first I found it annoying how she was putting housewives on a pedestal of some sort and somehow making the Careerwoman Wives/Moms like they're doing something wrong by choosing to juggle home and work life. On the basis that she had experienced being on both fences, I forgive her, however, nowadays some families need that both parents are working (not all women have a Senior Vice President of a TV network for a husband like her) and most women who manage a home and work at the same time are really really good at juggling things.

Overall it is a good book and very very helpful not only to housewives--it should be read by all wives and moms because it gives you better perspectives in being a wife and mom per se and the 10 steps she shared are definitely not only for housewives but also for all the wives and mommies (or even future wifeys) out there.

-o0o0o-

This book was a gift to me by my friend Michelle on my last birthday. This book was an eye-opener and very helpful in NOT becoming a desperate wife (regardless whether you're working or not). On the birthday card that came with the book, Michelle wrote:

"Here's a book which I thought would help you with the housewife role you'll be in the future maybe."

I certainly agree that one day soon maybe I would become a housewife, who knows? One thing is for sure, I won't ever trample on Careerwoman Wifeys/Mommies out there in case I become a happy housewife. All Wifeys/Mommies deserve all the respect in the world whether working or not.

Surviving A Long Distance Marriage

Some of my workmates actually thought that my husband lived in Sydney already...that's why when I told them the good news that he is finally coming over to live with me, their reaction was "Oh I thought your husband was here ages ago!!!!". After that the normal questions would be "How long have you been apart?" and "So you mean you haven't seen each other since your honeymoon?", and my answer to those would be "14 months since we got married" and "Oh yes" respectively.

The ones whom I'm good friends with would have a bonus question: "How were you able to do it?" referring of course to our long distance marriage.

Let me first admit that having a long distance relationship when you're still boyfriend-girlfriend is very different from a long distance relationship when you're already married. I can't pinpoint exactly but all I know was that when my husband and I parted after our honeymoon, it was more painful and I felt more empty than ever. Ibang-iba sa na-feel ko nang maghiwalay kami na mag-bf palang kami.

Anyway, sa dami ng nagtanong sa akin ng question na "Paano nyo nagawang magkahiwalay ng matagal?", eto nakaipon na ako ng sagot (hahaha):

- We are never too dependent on each other. I think this reason stems from the fact that our nature as a couple is that we are two happy and independent human beings. We have this thinking that we can survive and be happy without each other if needs be. And this factor was a big help in not sweating the long distance issue so much.

- We give each other the freedom to enjoy each other's here and now. With the thousand miles between us, we took out any pressure from each other, we gave each other space and we didn't follow any strict routines. We never used the phrase "Long distance na nga tayo, di mo pa ako bigyan ng time." We never had a serious issue with time. I made sure that even if we are apart, we lived in the present by enjoying what is given to us at any given moment.

- We always respect each other's time. There was never a moment that Chris called me in the middle of dinner with family or friends (or any other gimik) or I would call him in the middle of work or when he's out with friends. The only reason why we would call each other during gimik times was only if it was an emergency. And calls like this usually took less than five minutes. Other than respect for each other's time, we strongly feel that it is rude to do this infront of our family and friends. Gigimik-gimik kami tapos mag-uusap lang din pala kami sa telepono, ano yun?

- We are always ready to take a backseat for each other. Whenever Chris is doing a big project at work (i.e. the furniture exhibitions) I have to take a back seat and will never disturb him--no phone calls on the days he is preparing for the event...even email is a no-no. And if I'm too busy, he does the same for me.

- We don't have strict rules on when we should communicate. A lot of family and friends are amazed with this fact: Chris and I never email, call or chat everyday. Believe it or not, nakakatagal kami ng ilang araw na walang email or walang tawagan. We rarely chat because when I'm home, he's still at work (we have about 6-7 hours difference). Our normal phone dates are only every Friday and Saturday night. Yun lang. Emailing each other comes in trickles. And believe it or not, we don't send each other photos. He sees me only when he checks my Multiply site, which isn't all the time either.

- We are focused. We get tired, we cry together, we get lonely...but whenever sadness looms ahead, we embrace the pain and tell each other "This too shall pass, let's find our center and focus." We never let our emotions get the better of us. We believe it is important to be logical about things for better perspective.

- We use a lot of sense of humour and positive thinking. Malungkot talaga ang long distance relationship, and if you really love someone, kahit 5 minutes lang pwede mo yang ma-miss diba? But if you will always wallow and focus on the negatives, dadami lang ang wrinkles nyo and it will not solve anything. That's why we make an effort to make each other laugh even if we are sad sometimes. We also acknowledge that it is a sad thing this being away but in a few minutes, we move on and think of the good things that will come out of our sacrifices.

- We hold on to our faith even more. In every challenge in our relationship as a couple it is easier to let go and let things be because of our faith. God is good, he is always faithful and he never fails.

- We are cool :). We never sweat the small stuff. That's why family and friends feel na parang wala lang ang lahat sa amin. Which is true in some ways. The thing is, we both decided to do this so why make a big deal out of it diba? Instead of focusing on being apart, we made the most of the time we spent apart...we both gained friends, made good with our respective careers, explored new countries and learned a lot of things that helped us became better individuals.

- We are a TEAM. In every decision, big or small, we take into considerations each other's values and we support each other 100 percent. We are each other's confidante and best friend. We are very independent individuals but as a couple, we are whole, we are PARTNERS bringing both our powers together...kaya mas madaling dalhin ang relasyon kahit malayo kami sa isa't-isa.

Now that our long distance marriage is coming to an end, we are grateful that the past 14 months wasn't that bad to us---it's still all good as the Aussies say. It is fulfilling, it is an achievement, it is of great learning and growth. And we will always be proud of ourselves that we were able to surpass this.

My "Waiting" photo captured by Jon Dael. Taken at Darling Harbour, and if you will notice there were two birds on both sides waiting with me.

I'm Sorry Nicky

I realized this morning that I forgot to greet my cuzin and best friend Nicky a happy birthday yesterday . My bad...I only emailed him this morning when I realized the big mistake that I've done. I'm truly, deeply sorry Nicky...I hope you forgive me soon.

There are certainly no excuses for what I've done...and this forgetting people's birthdays (especially the ones that matter to me) should stop, right now. I have got to create a more effective device of making me remember to greet people on their birthdays--AS IN ON THE DAY OF THEIR BIRTHDAY.

This is not the first time. Since I had a major operation in 2003, I seem to remember people's birthday either BEFORE or AFTER only. As in naiisip ko talaga na okay malapit na ang birthday nitong tao na'to, tapos sinusulat ko pa yan sa calendar ko. I'm not making excuses for being forgetful by blaming the operation I had (believe me, if you know me well, you'd know that human errors are not an excuse for me), but this forgetting people's birthdays has become prevalent after I had that operation. My friends had always applauded me for being good at remembering dates---but now, I don't know.

Last December, ang nakalimutan ko namang birthday ay yung sa Maid of Honor ko (na super-duper close friend ko). So after that experience, I bought a Birthday Planner so that I have a planner solely for birthdays and anniversaries. That Birthday Planner was placed near my computer monitor at home and I make it a point to check it every week.

Now the not-so-funny thing was, I even emailed Nicky on March 12...and while emailing him, I was thinking, birthday nya na bukas pero bukas ko na lang sya i-email ng happy birthday. Sheyt na malagkit!!!!! Dumaan ang March 13 at ni hindi ko man lang sya na-greet. Lech!

I'm thinking that when Chris arrives here, I'm going to ask his help in making a big birthday calendar that will be our reference at home, and that we'll put it in a place where we can see it everyday. This will be our first project when he arrives here in Sydney.

And again...

Nicky, belated happy birthday---I hope my being forgetful didn't ruin your day so much. I'm very very sorry. Please forgive me?

Multi-tasking to the Max!

- Getting ready at the office, need to get at least three weeks of work done before I go on my vaycay

- Need to file my Flex days (day-offs) and Leaves (I just remembered today that I need to do it ASAP--I almost forgot)

- Finalize our Dubai and Singapore itinerary (Chris is the one doing Dubai--I already sent him my list of places to see, eat and shop in Dubai...I'm incharge of Singapore--I have yet to write everything down!)

- Work on preliminary preps for Chris' Welcome Party (sent out the invites via email)

- Buy pasalubong and prepare loot bags for friends in Dubai and Singapore

- Tidy up my room and make sure that Chris' clothes will have space in my closet

- Do a little shopping for what I would need (almost done)

- Get a haircut

- Celebrate people's birthdays (yes, life goes on, I'm never too busy to be there for my loved ones)

- Pack, pack and pack

- Work out (I briskwalk almost everyday, do home exercises and lift weights to build stamina, strength and endurance for travel--the last thing I want to happen to me is get sick and I need to be able to carry my luggages)

- Rest and get as much sleep as I can!!!!!

I've got about two weeks to do all of this---thank God for Holy Week and Easter Week: we've got two public holidays (Good Friday and Easter Monday) to look forward to.

Kaya Ko 'To...Aja!!!!

Affirmation for the Week

As long as I have good intentions

and make sure I do the right thing,

I know

EVERYTHING

will fall into place.

How Was Your Weekend?

Mine was spent with Friends...

Bicentennial Park Picnic (8 March 2008)

and Relatives.

Dinner at Marcelino's Place (8 March 2008)

Tita Edith's Birthday (9 March 2008)

It was a weekend of foods a-plenty, great conversations and abundant laughter.

How was yours?

Friday's Feast #21

Korean Feast at Mr. Lim's

Appetizer
If you could be any current celebrity for one whole week, who would you want to be?
Angelina Jolie!!!! So I'll have the chance to be able to help people and make a difference in the world.

Soup
On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being highest), how much do you enjoy talking on the phone?
4. Nothing beats personal interaction.

Salad
Name a charitable organization to which you have donated (or would like to).
I support an NGO who helps less fortunate families in Pasay area, however, I'm on the lookout for another organization/foundation I can help. Other than helping one or two organizations, my plan is to organize projects of my own that will focus on helping kids in the Phils. One of my goals is to have a mini foundation of my own. (Please Jesus sana matuloy, sana matuloy talaga)

Main Course
What is a food you like so much you could eat it every single day for a month?
Greek salad!

Dessert
Have you or anyone in your family had the flu this year?
My parents in the Phils...and then my little cuzin Patrick.

Finding Refuge At Work

For the past few days, I've been eternally grateful for the blessing that I love my work and that my work loves me back.

Since we got my husband's visa approval, we've been challenged by many little problems that seemed to be sprouting all of a sudden. And I find myself finding refuge at work, looking forward to coming to the office and being able to use my energy to positive endeavors instead of thinking negative unhappy thoughts.

This has always been the case for me whenever a certain part of my life is somehow neurotic. That's why it's always been important to me that I love what I do for a living. That other than earning, I love doing something that I know helps me as a person and that I'm able to help other people. That my workplace is a place that I can run to...like home.

Wanderlust

Sabi nila, isulat mo ang mga pangarap mo para mas maging totoo ito sa’yo. Ang sabi ko naman, why not, chocnut???

I have always believed in making lists. When I make a list and look at it, it becomes more real to me. And when it becomes real to me, I begin to plan my way around it.

Two years ago, I started studying places I want to go to and I’ve finally come up with a list of countries that I hope to explore:

ASIA
Cambodia, China (Beijing), China (Shenzhen), China (Hongkong), Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam

EUROPE
Czech Republic, England, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Russia, Spain, Switzerland

NORTH AMERICA
United States of America, Canada

SOUTH AMERICA
Brazil

CARRIBEAN
Jamaica

MIDDLE EAST
United Arab Emirates, Israel

AFRICA
Egypt, Namibia

PACIFIC
Australia, Fiji, New Zealand

Oh ha? Per continent pa yan ha? Ilan kaya talaga ang mapupuntahan ko dyan? At ilan naman kaya ang mapupuntahan kong lugar na hindi kasali sa list ko?

So far, eto palang ang napupuntahan ko:
Philippines, Australia, China (Hongkong), China (Shenzhen)

That’s 4 out of 31 places…27 more to go.

I don’t plan to go to all, wishful thinking lang naman. But I want to go to at least half of the countries that I listed above. Keeping fingers crossed! Life is full of endless possibilities so we’ll never really know what’s going to happen next…my dreams of travel might really come true someday.

WHY? WHY? WHY?
I want to travel because I want to learn more of the world. I want to learn of other people’s cultures, way of life, religion and cuisine. The keyword is LEARN.

I want to travel because I want to capture photos that tell a story. And thru these photos, I want to share how beautiful the world is.

I want to travel because I want to meet different kinds of people and learn from them and their experiences.

TRAVEL AS PART OF OUR LIFE
Chris and I have talked about putting premium on travel as we grow old together and as part of parenting our future kids. Since we were able to experience an itsy-bitsy slice of the world, we are hoping that our kids would have the same learning we’ve acquired like having a bigger perspective in life, thinking more of others and not only of oneself, being insightful and independent, becoming tough but never losing the compassion for others and valuing experience more than wealth.

As the sole treasurer of our household, I have decided that it is important to have a travel fund for (1) emergency reasons [we have friends and relatives abroad and it would be nice if we can visit them especially when they need us] and (2) for recreation and learning of the whole family.

AND IF I CAN’T TRAVEL, NOTHING CAN STOP ME FROM LEARNING
That’s why I have started a collection of The Lonely Planet Guide Books.

That’s why I always always always look at the World Map.

That’s why I’m interested knowing about what’s happening around the world.

That’s why I like reading people’s blogs from other countries.

And with that, let me end by sharing one of my credos in life:

Writer's Notes:

This entry took the longest to finish and get published. It took me awhile to finalize my list based on research on the net, books and family's/friends' recommendations.

All quotes used are my favorite travel quotes which made a positive impact on me and my life.

All photos are from The Lonely Planet website. Photos 1-4: Burj Al Arab (Dubai), Ivan the Great Bell Tower (Russia), Fushimi Inari Shrine (Japan) and Mt Mayon (Philippines).

This Is My Life, Rated

I was tagged by Jan (thanks Jan, I enjoyed doing answering this quiz!)

The Rate My Life Self-Help Quiz will ask you a number of questions and then compute your life rating. In addition, it will break down your score on the following categories: Mind, Body, Spirit, Love, Friends/Family, and Financial. Finally, it will analyze your scores. Please note that this quiz is intended for entertainment purposes only.

Will your bars be shades of orange, or blue? Take the quiz and find out.

This Is My Life, Rated
Life:	8.9
Mind:	8.3
Body:	9.3
Spirit:	9.2
Friends/Family:	6.6
Love:	9.1
Finance:	7.9
Take the Rate My Life Quiz

Your Life Analysis:

Life: Your life rating is a score of the sum total of your life, and accounts for how satisfied, successful, balanced, capable, valuable, and happy you are. The quiz attempts to put a number on the summation of all of these things, based on your answers. Your life score is amazingly high. This means that you are in tune with your needs and on a path toward great personal fulfillment. Despite the challenges of life, you have achieved harmony and balance. Continue doing what you are doing right; do not allow yourself to slip or falter.

Mind: Your mind rating is a score of your mind's clarity, ability, and health. Higher scores indicate an advancement in knowledge, clear and capable thinking, high mental health, and pure thought free of interference. Your mind score is within a healthy zone. This means you have achieved a level of mental balance and harmony consistent with living a healthy, happy life. Continue doing what works, and keep your focus. In our fast-paced world, mental clutter is all too common. Be vigilant in maintaining healthy mental function.

Body: Your body rating measures your body's health, fitness, and general wellness. A healthy body contributes to a happy life, however many of us are lacking in this area. You have an excellent body score, which means you are incredibly focused on maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Continue in that focus, and your body will remain healthy and strong.

Spirit: Your spirit rating seeks to capture in a number that elusive quality which is found in your faith, your attitude, and your philosophy on life. A higher score indicates a greater sense of inner peace and balance. Your spirit score is dramatic. Continue on your path, do not stray. Continue to reap the rewards which your spirituality brings forth.

Friends/Family: Your friends and family rating measures your relationships with those around you, and is based on how large, healthy, and dependable your social network is. Your friends and family score is not bad but can be improved. Maintain your current social net, while you try to expand it. Try new things and form new friendships. You will be rewarded greatly.

Love: Your love rating is a measure of your current romantic situation. Sharing your heart with another person is one of life's most glorious, terrifying, rewarding experiences. Your love score is very high, which means you are in a very happy situation right now. Do all you can to keep it strong.

Finance: Your finance rating is a score that rates your current financial health and stability. You have a rather good financial score, which is not all that common these days. Keep doing what works. Avoid common pitfalls and save for the future. You will be glad you did.