but you gotta keep your head up, oh oh

..and you can let your hair down, eh eh ♪♪

Andy Grammer 

Keep Your Head Up

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got to get my shit together

This year.. I'm going to get my shit together! Last year was crazy. And when I say crazy, I don't mean as shallow as bucket list related craziness. It's way more than that. It's a whole lotta mess with career and health at their worst. You don't want me to dig deep into the details. But as they say, fall down seven times stand up eight. I am bound to do that.

The thing is, I want everything documented. I have two huge scrapbooks documenting my life since the year I was born until I graduated from college. I stole a photo or two from our family albums in order to do that. My mom used to have a thing for albums and photos too until the four of us got old enough to archive our own memories. When I got to the real world - that is after graduating college, I had Facebook and my blog to  witness my life unfolding. And since 2010, my OC-ness wonderfully took a notch higher with Teeyah's bucket list influence. I had 25 before 25, then 2012 goals. I never got to finish both but as I always say, they still served their purpose - that is to give me direction and remind me from time to time of the things I need/want to accomplish. I can be fickle-minded at times and when I get confused, I get confused big time. Meeh.

It's pretty obvious. The whole point of this post is to create yet another blueprint of my life. Perhaps you'll be interested. Perhaps not. But so as long as this makes sense to me, I'll continue with this bucket list thing. If you're still with me, read on. :)

1. Take a freakin' rest!
First things first, REST! :) I've been a bum for exactly a month now. That calls for goal # 2..

2. Snag a new job.
I finally made up my mind. I want a new job abroad. Singapore or Malaysia. Too mainstream but let's face it, they are the closest thing possible. It's going to give you more stability financially, travel opportunities and a solid independence without being too far from your family and friends. I'll get in touch with you soon, monster.com.

3. Save up.
And this time, I don't mean having an emergency fund to support your decision to go bum. It's sorta more mature.. like to be used for the future? As much as I hate to admit it, I'm not getting any younger. Time to grow up, little miss!

4. Start investing.
Time deposit and land properties. See? I am definite with this one. Could have said stocks and shares but my limited interest just won't extend to that and I know myself enough, if it's not something that interest me there's no way I am forcing myself into that. Little by little said my stubborn self.

5. Pay credit card dues.
If you're reading this mother, please do not panic! I have not messed up with HSBC just yet. Struggling a little, but definitely making it through. I'd finish all installments by this year and pay my next gadgets in cold cash. Let's just say I changed views with regards to this one.

Wheew, that's it for my grown-up goals. Let's move on with my travel goals..

6. Travel alone.
Destination? TBD. Hehehe. I just think it's liberating. And brave. And fun. I used to be so comfortable alone until I surrounded myself with friends. Sometimes it's good to be back to your old self. When I get to travel alone, I know for sure I'm back to my old anti-social hermit self.

7. Singapore.
8. Malaysia.
9. Hongkong.
I haven't gone out of the country and since I live in PI, where else to go first, right? If you think about it, some people can simply head to these places anytime without budget constraints yet in my case I still have to put them on my bucket list like they are the best dream places ever. But you know what, surprising as it is, I see this as a blessing. God may not bless me with so much wealth but He blessed me with the opportunity to work hard and be responsible for the materials things I want and for the places I want to set foot on. It's just a matter of perspective, believe me. :)

big three ♥

10. Ilocos.
Papi's province. Been here once when I was just a kid. I can only remember the huge windows of the ancestral houses and nothing else. Since Sheena included visiting Ilocos on her vision board, I thought to myself why not include it on my list too. After all, we usually travel together.

11. Davao.
Just to be fair with my mom. Hahaha! Kidding aside, really, just for the heck of it. One day I'd be able to say I've been to my mom and dad's respective provinces. Coolio!

Some more activities that may or may not be related to traveling..

12. Wakeboarding
Eeep! Done with this one. I went to Nuvali with the badjao people just the other day. Post on that shall follow, of course. :)

meanwhile, here's a teaser :')

13. Fishing
Remember how I got annoyed and frustrated that I didn't catch a single fish when we went fishing in Boracay? Now it's my goal to go fishing and actually catch a fish. I never had luck with anything related to 'fish'. Accenture people, pun not intended. Hihi. :P

14. Boxing
My love for aero kae bo made me want to try boxing. Incidentally, Groupon Philippines is hosting a deal in partnership with Elorde Boxing Gym. One boxing session for Php99 plus free membership. I got 5 vouchers for myself. Let's get it on!

15. Watch a movie in 3D.
I have never seen a movie in 3D. I am such a loser. Rub it in as you please.

Next.. Gadgets! Can you believe it? I just realized it's time to get out of my cave and finally get to meet Instagram.

16. New phone.
I've never been a victim of peer pressure. It's been a long time since iPhone and Android phones dominated the mobile scene but since my Samsung Star xP is still working perfectly, I never cared. Lately, it's been showing signs of retirement. I am eyeing Galaxy SIII in pink. Will it ever be available in PI?

loveleeey ♥

17. eBook reader.

Been in love with books since 2010. Sadly, books in their physical form take too much space. Add to that, expensive. I guess it's time I get a handy dandy eBook reader for myself. Practical enough?

18. External hard drive.

Because I have to quit using DVDs for my back-ups. Did I just hear you say old-school?

19. Laptop battery.

My laptop battery gave up on me earlier than expected. Although I really expected it to happen because I usually fall asleep while using my laptop - with battery on it, plugged and all. Pat on the back, Apple.

I have health slash vanity goals too. Girls will always be girls. 

20. Exercise regularly.

And I mean it! I've always been some kinda heavy personality-wise but never scale-wise. Now I'm getting heavy literally. I already did aero kae bo for four consecutive days but it got interrupted by my Nuvali trip. As soon as my body's no longer sore, I promise to workout again regularly. Pinky swear, anyone?

21. Visit my dentist regularly

I only had a serious dental problem once. Now it looks like I'm about to face another one as my two front teeth are starting to have a gap. Too much information, I know. :) I am not considering braces. Please. I can only go as far as retainers. 

22. Facial RF treatment.

It's only now that I realized I already need some serious TLC for my skin especially for my face. Sucks to cross your late twenties.

23. Hair perming.

Done with hair coloring, hair perming comes next. I often receive compliments whenever I curl my hair. I have considered it ever since and now that my hair is as long as that of a mermaid's, I guess it's time.

Fashion. Sometimes I wonder why my true passion gets pushed back. Anyway..

24. Take more OOTD shots.

And blog 'em. It's so much fun to dress up but sharing them doubles the fun. As soon as I get back to work, I'll buy a huge whole body mirror to capture my everyday look. Or probably live in a condo with elevator mirrors. So far, here's what I've got.

And lastly.. my ultimate dream!

25. Runaway

Not the run-away-and-never-come-back type though. I am thinking of living independently somewhere far for a month. I can probably do this along with my sixth goal of traveling alone. No work. No commitments. Just me and my crazy self. We all need to escape from the world sometimes. :)

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so it's goodbye again

As I've said, I QUIT MY THEN LIFE! Oohh, It's feels so good to say that. Haha! It's crazy for some, but for me, it's some sort of bravery. Because you know what? I have always lived my life according to the rules. Within my comfort zone. Where it's safe and sure. I've always been resistant to change, scared of taking chances, of risking what's already good. But finally, after 26 years of existence, I decided to jump to the unsure. I quit my job without any definite plans. Sure I know I want to work abroad sometime soon but heeyyy, I even haven't updated my resume since college. :) I also moved out of our place in Eastwood. I already lost count with the number of times I moved in and out of bed spaces, apartments and condos. Now I'm back with my parents. In a blink of an eye, I am where I was four years back. And I cannot be any happier. I  trust God's great plans and I know I am exactly where He wants me to be. At least, for now.

So, in line with the drama that is my life, here are some snapshots of my last days in the metro. I met with Sheena and Dwin first - my forever travel buddies. How many times have you heard that line from me? Haha! We had dinner at Serye and chilled a little at our condo. I didn't like Serye by the way. The food's not worth its price. Ha! Since when did I become a foodie? Scratch that, it's still worth a try.

two of my favorite people

Next, I had some sort of despedida with Badjao and friends. Flashback Boracay!! Yeahh, those people. Luckily, it's also Monique's birthday celebration so we got to divide the expenses. Wohoo! It was a simple get together of food, drinks and logic games from dusk til dawn. I still can't get over the fact that I didn't made it to the moon.. It was like, pupunta ako sa buwan, isasama ko si Jabey, ikaw sino isasama mo? Hahaha! You know those types of games. I didn't realize that buwan really meant months of the year so you have to answer with names starting with the first letter of the months.. J for January, F for February and so on. See? I really can't get over it. It was a dismay to my intelligent genes. Hahaha!

birthday & despedida girls plus the badjaos

random picture taking just because

we obviously didn't have decent photos

Update 07.26.2013
Adding our crazy vid from that day. Tiny & Ivan's take on the i-Dawn Zulueta mo kooo craze.

Lastly, I had an unplanned shopping sesh with Jov. One morning, I was hanging out at Caffe Bene alone when I thought of sending her a text message. Voila! In the afternoon, we're at Megamall looking for her stuff. She made me her personal shopping assistant. C'mon! Me? Just shopping assistant? Yeep! I took away my shopping rights since I quit my job and I can't afford to run low on funds that early. We also watched Sisterakas so I had fun still. 

everyone, meet Jov

That's it! I'm still contemplating whether I should start working on my resume or sleep the rest of the afternoon away. I seriously hope I choose to do what's right. 

Vertical Horizon

Goodbye Again

Leaving with you with my background song while blogging this. Thank you Vertical Horizon for my blog post subject. :)

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a visit to lolo ♥

Wheew! I'm currently a dead kid due to another Aero Kae Bo sesh and I just thought of making this resting time worthwhile. Sharing another family day out to visit my grandpa from my mom's side at Sanctuario de Paz. Remember we failed to visit him last All Soul's day?

I actually thought of putting 'meet my family' in the subject line because that's how I, unintentionally at first, created the photo collages. Totally ignoring the fact that no one might be interested, I'm serving the collages purpose still. 

so, meet my family

Mom and Dad. I call them mama and papi, respectively. I know moms can really be bungangera at times but my mom's case is a serious one. Hahaha! I'm running out of words just trying to emphasize how loud she can get. Pag nagising sya, gising na ang lahat ng tao sa bahay. She will check all of us from our rooms and will move around and talk without a care. It is that bad, believe me. What's best in her though is how strong she is. Sometimes I get scared of having my own family with the thought of needing to be as strong as her. 

Papi, on the other side, do not need words to gain authority and respect. Probably the reason why he was a barangay chairman for about 20 years. It amuses me how he does that. For others, he may always seem to be a tough guy - never resting his case to anyone {hindi nagpapatalo in other words} but for us, we've definitely seen his soft side. Probably softer than mom's. xP He's the best cook, he has repeating stories, he can sing and dance, he has a taste in fashion, he's tiny and he has nose as large as mine. Hahaha! I'll always be thankful I inherited things from him - good or bad.

best mom and dad, eveerrr

Mommy and Daddy. Also known as kuya Ga or Yags and ate Tin. Yags is our cousin. His mom and our dad are siblings. But if you'll get to witness a day in our lives, it's like ate Tin is our cousin. Yags can get shy sometimes while mommy is always in our house or should I say in our kitchen, eating with us and with baby. She loves to cook too at kapag kinareer nya ang pagluluto, we all end up eating in their house naman. On the other hand, Yags is the techie one. Computer, electronics, mobile, lights, sounds.. you name it, he got it. Feeling MacGyver kasi. :P Btw, they are the parents of the cutsie patootsie, Faye.

second set of mom and dad

Me. The fairest of them all! Hahaha! I am the eldest of four siblings. Growing up, I've always been known as the OC one. My room can never be a mess, the clothes in my closet are arranged by color, no one can touch my things, no one can lie in my bed, I should always be on top of things. Yes, that cranky. I'd like to believe I have mellowed in time but I'm still being told of being too perfectionist at times. And because I got stressed of a lot of things last year, I'll try to be more carefree this time. I can't promise but I'll try.

moi ♥

Anit and Gigi. Odd nicknames I know but life is unfair like that sometimes. Hahaha! Joyce Anne or fondly called as Anit is my, well, obviously, sister. We were born July 17 and 18, respectively, only a year apart. As kids, she's the 'mataba and maputi' while I am the 'payat and maitim'. To make it worse, she's the 'mabait' and I am the 'masungit'. Everyone likes her better but I really can't remember feeling bad about it. After all, it's how I want it. I've always been the anti-social hermit. Until now, we're total opposites. She's happy-go-lucky while I plan like things like crazy. Thankfully, we're over with our walang-pansinan-for-years syndrome. Reminds me so much of Maxx and Sab. Hahaha! Feeler.

John Daren or Gigi is the only thorn among the roses. I am so glad he didn't turn to be a rose just like us. Hahaha! Seriously though, he never showed a sign. He has the most normal childhood. Anit and I never had the chance to play with our neighbors but Gigi's case is the total opposite. Andaming barkada, laging nasa labas kaya maitim. Hehe, peace brotha! He's the spoiled one hence he matured a little late. But now, he's growing to be the man he should be. A little more time and I can see him leaving his computer games.

chubby wobbly sibs

Dana and Faye. The maaartes, like, supeeerr, yah knooow! Haha! Dana is like me and Anit rolled into one. She looks like me but she has talents like Anit's. She has stuff like mine but her room is a mess like Anit's. She's heavyhearted and carefree at the same time. Perfect example of crazy!! Being the bunso, she gets bullied a lot at home. Too bad she's pikon and she always ends up being mad at us. She's the family's official side kick too perhaps because she has vast interest with things. I personally love tagging her along because she loves shopping and fashion as much as I do. She's the sweetest and most thoughtful too. 

And Faye? The dalagita trapped in a three-year-old body. I swear her actions and words do not reflect she's just three. She's so smart and witty. Just last night, she said 'maanghang' referring to the ice cream. Papito asked, 'may maanghang ba na ice cream?' Then she said, 'eto', pointing to her ice cream. She's talented too. She can carry a tune at such a young age. She has gone to an academic school  and ballet school. Only that, she gets in trouble most of time. As much as she's a darling most of the time, it's freaking scary when she gets mad. She screams like there's no tomorrow and just like her papito, she never rests her case. There's no way she'd give up on the things she wants. Looks trouble to her mom and dad. Uh-oh.

She calls mama - mamita and papi - papito, by the way. Too cute not to mention.

a love-hate relationship

Granny, Allen and PJ, Ate Gina and Mary. More of our extended family? Let's begin with my grandma. Mom's mom. Mom frequently says, "moher din yang lola nyo, eh" when granny's being a biatch. Did I just use that word for my grandma? Hahaha! I mean no evil though. My point is that, being a biatch runs in the blood. Hehe. We are a family of maldita and sutil and there's just no denying that! Isn't that ironic? We are a tight-knit family, so bound with love, yet all beastly individuals. 

Allen and PJ. Sons of my cousin from my mother side. Apo ni lola, in other words. We used to visit lolo with the entire Abadilla clan but this time my mom chose to skip the stressful task of making everyone's schedule meet. Not to mention, my two cousins are pregnant and another just gave birth. More Allen and PJ to come. 

Lastly Ate Gina and Mary. Ate Gina is Faye's sitter while Mary is Ate Gina's daughter. Our extended family got a little more extended. Don't you just love that? I do. ♥ :)

more extensions.. why not?

Up next, my despedida brought about by quitting my Accenture and Eastwood life. Isn't my life exciting? Haha! Meanwhile, allow me to continue being a dead kid. 

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2012 at a glance

It maybe a tad bit too late to look back but I'm doing it anyway. ❤ :)

JANUARY

❤ New Year

...and finally, the christmas season with the family
We welcomed 2012 with our traditional polka dots, fireworks, lights, sounds and lotsa fooodd.

❤ Camiguin-Bukidnon-CDO Tour

day1: camiguin countryside tour

day2: camiguin white island tour and chill at bbc

day3: bukidnon dahilayan adventure park

day3: cagayan de oro whitewater rafting

camiguin-bukidnon-cdo: itinerary, expenses and some link loving ♥

Invaded Mindanao for thu-ree daaayys! What better way to start the year than to travel, right? Camiguin Countryside tour and White Island Tour, longest zipline in Dahilayan Bukidnon and super fun white water rafting experience in CDO.

FEBRUARY

❤ QA Teambuilding at Sta. Rosa, Laguna
because we're cool like that

Overnight swimming with the best heart to heart talk the team has ever had, then off to Enchanted Kingdom. Can I just say that the EK EKstreme is extremely crazy?!!

MARCH

❤ Papi's 62nd Birthday

short but sweet ♥

Short but sweet. I meant the celebration, not my father! Hahaha! Although if you think about, it's like describing my dad too. ;)

❤ Day Out with the Best Friend

things I love saturday: pick-me-uppers

It was the month I am feeling the lowest of low. If you know what I mean. Thank heaven for best friends. They sure are instant pick-me-uppers.

APRIL

❤ Swimming Here and There
another spur-of-the-moment kind of thing
just keep swimming, just keep swimming ♩♪♫

Random swimming here and there, because we can :D Plus swimming lessons because it has been my frustration for as long as I can remember.

❤ Walkway: Reflections on the Stations of the Cross

long day for walkway

Because I hate anything mainstream - including Holy Week commemoration.

❤ Random Visits

She knows perfectly when I need her. Probably that's why I haven't seen her for a while. Hihi. I miss you this girl though. Go out soon?

❤ QA Teambuilding at Hundred Islands

hundred islands: cliff jumping, anyone?

Anong ginagawa sa Hundred Islands? Nag-i-island hopping! Nyeee! doo wa dee dee dee dee dum dee dee do! Hehehe! Seriously, it was another one for the books. I never dreamt of jumping off a cliff but I did try it anyway. Sakit sa puwet!

❤ Mama's 51st Birthday

family picnic and whatnots

A day spent in La Mesa Eco Park. It's perfect for the family. It's also where another dream came true - wall climbing!! Sometimes I can't hide the butiki in me :P

MAY

❤ Quezon City Circle with the Best Friend

rain or shine, happy or sad

This is, for the Nth time, in line with my dream of learning how to ride the bike. Ginamit ko na lahat ng tao, pero fail pa rin ako. Better luck this 2013.

❤ Lumix, Baby!

need I say more?

My one and only gadget purchase of the year! I am no techie and I have no money, that's why! :P

JUNE

❤ Mall Visits with the Sister

My shopping buddy would definitely be my youngest sister. Like I have a choice, duh.

❤ Pamarta Bali with Sheena and Dwin

summer never ends

My infinity pool dweeaamm with my forever travel buddies.

JULY

❤ Overseas and Not-So-Overseas Visits

some other good things on my birthday month

Beth was back from Malaysia while some relatives were back from the US. On the other hand, Sheena visited from The Fort for an expensive dinner with Dwin. A month can sometimes be jam-packed!

❤ Birthday Celebration with the Team

thank God it's friday

Joint birthday celebration of Carol and I at Friday's. Expensive but worth it nonetheless. I miss everyone already. It's not even a month since I resigned. Booo!

❤ Birthday Celebration with the Family

simple joys ♥

Joint birthday celebration with the sister this time. Our birthdays are one day apart thus I never had a birthday celebration all for myself. Pretty tragic, huh?

❤ Treats from Agnes

some other good things on my birthday month

A merienda budget that went a long way. Happy tummies every now and then. Burrppp! 

❤ ATA Awarding and Anniversary

just in time

Just in time for my birthday month, I got ATA certified. Work related.  Let me hear you say, boring. Boorriiinngg! Hahaha! Just in time too that after my awarding, I still made it to our batch anniversary dinner. Four years, my dear Accenture.

AUGUST

❤ Birthdays and Arcades

random whatevs

My most random month of the year - just birthdays, mallings and Timezone addiction. I already went on rehab though. I am back to my normal self. :)

SEPTEMBER

❤ Makeover

what I needed the most

The month I got reminded of my belief, "manatiling maganda sa kabila ng lahat". Please tell me you noticed the difference.

❤ Ate Val's Despedida

see you soon, ate val

Quite an impressive number of relatives for a get together. Good job, Ate Val! Kung hindi ka pa aalis..

❤ Dana's Birthday Celebration

sweet seventeen

Yet another family pig-out session at Racks! We bond and catch up over food, may it be in or outside the house. Now stop wondering why we're fat. Yes, I believe I'm fat! You wouldn't want to argue.

OCTOBER

❤ QA Teambuilding at Antipolo

yet another fun teambuilding

Non-stop teambuilding just 'cause we have the budget to burn. Work hard now, party later!

❤ Calaguas-Bagasbas Trip

day1: I left my heart in calaguas

day2: this surfing thing in bagasbas

calaguas-bagasbas: itinerary, expenses and some link loving ♥

Another strike through on my list - Calaguas! Just a balance between having the patience to wait and perseverance to push through, dreams really do come true. Best beach to date, definitely beating Boracay!

❤ October Whatnots

just the usual day out

Halloween Celebration. Playplace. Pancakes.

NOVEMBER

❤ All Soul's Day

remember, remember, the second of november

A tradition I grew up with. My dad's parents and four of his siblings were laid to rest there. I guess Holy Cross will forever be a part of our Novembers. 

❤ Indoor Swimming

staycation ♥

One of the perks of my condo back in Eastwood. Haayy, this is becoming rather nostalgic.

❤ Starbucks Forever

treats here and there

Visitors from the US of A once again - Jon, Ags and Silina! Jon and Ags treated the team to Starbucks while Silina treated Sheena and I at Blu Fish. We headed to Starbucks with Dwin and tadaaa I got my planner!

❤ Faye's 3rd Birthday

random rants and a birthday celebration

Our little darling had two birthday celebrations - a kiddie party and a family lunch at Tong Yang. Papi had fun grilling everything within his reach. Mas nag-enjoy pa si lolo. xP

❤ Ags-Jon Nuptials

the wedding that was

A rare chance of looking all glammed up! I used to never like the idea of this type of dressing up but I kinda enjoyed it a little. I wonder when is my next chance coming.

DECEMBER

❤ Boracay Trip
day 1: let's fly to boracay

day 2: banana boat and atv

day 3: got inked xD

day 4: beach boom booms
day 5: helmet diving and parasailing ♥
day 6: fishing and snorkeling
day 7: some good things never last
boracay: itinerary, expenses and some link loving ♥

Longest vacay eveeerr! It left me so broke, dark and messed up but heeyy, no regrets!

❤ Christmas
nothing like the holidays

CP Dev and QA Christmas party, Badjao get together and the holidays with the family. Times like these, I am reminded I'm blessed. Thank you Lord big time!

Wheew! That was long. I definitely saw the past year at a glance. It may not be the best year for me but it's definitely worth being grateful for. 2013, you've got to be better than this!

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