In Retrospect: 2012

In an attempt to resolve my ways as an ungrateful bitch, I'm taking a look back at the year that has barely passed and recounting few of many of its highlights. 

JANUARY

Reunion with the Portillos; and my life source TVP Dental B's 25th anniversary.

BATAAN 

My discovery of drivable, day-trip beaches. Also, a first in over a decade: the beach with my mom's side of the family. 

PALAWAN
I had never been to Palawan before, and it was just as well because I really wanted to get some new places under my travel belt. Although I think I could have done better, ideally, but it proved to be an insanely busy year so I couldn't do much traveling.

The Puerto Prinsesa Underground River was amazing, and I was lucky to have gone the weekend it was "declared" a Natural Wonder of the World. No doubt it is a spectacular place, it is the legitimacy of the body that declared the title that I question.

I also met some additional members to the Portillo side of the family: Aster and Iris, whose faces you cannot see in this photo, haha!

FEBRUARY
Back at Bataan, this time with the girls. My good friend Mia came home from Australia, and we couldn't NOT do a beach trip while she was here.

This is doubly highlight-worthy because although I've been driving for about 7 years, I had never driven long distance before, just because I've never really had to. This felt good. It was empowering. I felt invincible.

Also, because liempo!

MARCH
BORACAY. With these girls.

There is a Boracay trip planned every year, whether with my family, or with my friends. So you can bet that I'm there at least twice a year.

Although it is an annual occurrence, our romance never fades; it will always be a notable trip. For plenty of reasons. PLENTY.

<3

HANSON.
Not just the concert, but they fuckin' came to me, okay. TO MY WORK PLACE. AT MY NEW JOB. Fate? FUCK YEAH.

NEW JOB.
Yay! I'm rich again. And it gives me enough action to keep me from getting bored.

APRIL
2012 marked my silver anniversary on this earth. Despite feeling tremendously under-accomplished for my age and anxious for the future -- thanks to the pressures of the world -- I am beginning to feel better about both situations. And that night really was one of the better ones. It was a generous and warm gesture on my then-new officemates' part to throw me a party. Spider Dan made a totally unexpected drop-by!




DONSOL:
My family and went to Donsol wanting to swim with the whalesharks. I keep reminding myself that just the adventure and experience of seeing a new place was minimum requirement for travel enjoyment, but I can't help but feel that this particular trip was absolutely fruitless.  After stressing-out about the flights and finding available lodging, it also took three hours of travel -- two hours of which are spent on a zig-zag road -- which incidentally took my breakfast. Haha! So you can imagine my disappointment when I saw absolutely no whalesharks! First major disappointment in the year!

MAY

Work travel assignment: Boracay for The Lifestyle Network's Summer Soul!

Two of the points that made this a great trip are the two gorgeous Azkals -- Carli de Murga and Misagh Bahadoran -- standing between my work mate Jade and I.

AUGUST
More of the Azkals! And the handsomeness! Love you forever, Maven Magazine!

SEPTEMBER

My maternal great-grandmother's 99th birthday! (And that amazing chocolate truffle cake from The Hyatt.)

NOVEMBER

Business trip #2: Hong Kong. Better yet, Disneyland!

DECEMBER
My visit to The Circle Hostel in Zambales gave me some comfort about the state of humanity, somehow. It was refreshing to see and be within a community that has an almost-utopian trust in each other. It was a beautiful atmosphere to be around.

Plus, it is stripped to the basics, really affordable, and quiet. Why can't there be more places like this in the Philippines? Why aren't we a people who can appreciate a little no airconditioning?

After over 27 years of being together, including a tumultuous few years in between, my parents celebrated their 27th anniversary a few days ago. To celebrate, we went down to The Mind Museum. Which was just as well because their marriage might as well be in a museum, right, given it's longevity? 

I feel better about 2012 now. I got stoned a lot and I cried a lot, but looking back at it, it's wasn't bad at all. I could have worked on my social life better (how else my love life?) and maybe took a few pictures of the smaller-scale, private moments between friends because aaalllllllll the inside jokes and all the rapture feelings of laughter, I really want to remember.