Tag: travel

My 6th month in the Journey

“This year found new ways to break my heart, yet I didn’t let it break me. Gave as much as it took and still left me wanting. More than any other year, this one left me with a proud, unwavering sense of myself, and a fierce, unyielding resolve to conquer the next.” Twenty Nineteen by Lang Leav
It has been six months since I was discharged from the hospital.
I have learned more about being comfortable in uncomfortable situations. My travels in the last month to two of my favorite cities, Osaka and New York (when doctor gave me clearance) showed me that travels really teach us something valuable leading us to more self-discovery and to enjoy the unexpected, unplanned and the scary. I was in the cities that probably come 1 and 2 of list of places I can live in in the future. There were moments of sadness, there were moments of “missing” the predictable and the planned and moments of void hoping to find somewhere the right space for peace and joy. And you value the people that put up with these moments with patience and ease.
As I celebrated my birthday too over the last few weeks, I have learned the value of relationships that meant to be kept or let go, or sometimes situations that we need to let be. I am grateful to those who made an effort to create moments I will remember forever.
Another realization is that people will stay in our lives when they want to. They will make time. They will exert effort. They will decide to stay. And if they decide to go, no pushing is required. No pulling, no forcing to keep them to stay. We need to let them be.
We need to continue to be open in our hearts and invest on those who stay in our lives. Let those who decide to leave go and keep our hearts open so we can welcome more of those who want to enter and stay in our lives.
I also realized that people will help you when you ask for help. I believe in the genuine goodness in people that while they may make mistakes, they will always choose that which is good for themselves and other people. I don’t think people do bad deliberately. It might be driven by the battles they fight, or maybe of something in themselves that they are trying to be at peace with. But we ask, and it will be given. And we can expect that those who value us will value what’s important to us.
Lastly, I relearned the beauty of new beginnings. I was back to work almost two weeks ahead of schedule and that in itself is one of the awaited blessings I have been hoping for. Being surrounded by those who stop at nothing to make positive changes, I am inspired to do what I can – do good and expect good. Be better than before and use my newly discovered unwavering bravery to do what makes sense and enjoy every waking moment. This year has had many surprises – left my old job to join a new one, got ‘heartbroken’ on false expectations and doubts to taking life as it happens more freely, and to survive ‘death’ to become a messenger of a hopeful life.
As I get into this renewed sense of balance (which I hope to maintain), I ask forgiveness to those I doubted in their intentions. I ask for guidance as I try to tell my stories with care hoping it maybe helpful for others. As I start anew, please pray that we become clearer in our intent: Live life in a more serene ways so that we can connect more, love life more and keep our hearts open and strong.
#TheGratefulCompilation #AneurysmSurvivor #SecondLife

Lotus Pod Bed and Breakfast: A hidden paradise in Laguna

If you want a quiet place to rest and just relax, where would you go? Saw two of my friends visited a place in Bay, Laguna, during one of the long weekends in August. Place looked serene, and full of greeneries. And their pictures looked so much fun!

I was intrigued and I knew I had to visit the place-Lotus Pod Bed and Breakfast in Bay, Laguna. I have been to Brgy. Puypuy, Bay, Laguna once when I hosted a team-building activity for my team. I also knew the place as I usually pass by the route whenever I drive towards Lucban to visit my parents.

It was an easy drive. Took approximately ~1.5 hours from Alabang with moderate traffic. Our trip took around two hours due to stopovers along the way (buy water and pica-pica). We passed through UPLB (of what seems like a forest) to avoid the usual Los Banos traffic on weekends. Be prepared in case the navigation app points you to this route.

Google Map made the trip easier with the directions and it helped with estimating the arrival time. We couldn’t connect to Waze while on the way there.

Upon getting there was a huge gate. We had to honk once and the gate was opened by a kuya manong who works there. He then led us to the parking area. Parking spaces were generous open spaces and is located inside the entire property. As it was gated, I felt secure about leaving my car there.

Check-in was a breeze. Jen, the Managing Director, welcomed us personally. Kim, one of the staff, assisted us as we went to our rooms. She oriented us of how the digital lock works, how to use the in-room tablet to reach out to them in case we need anything and showed us the amenities of the rooms. All the other staff greeted us with their ready smile. I am impressed by their personalized service!

Great for family stays and nature trips. Visited the place with my family and they instantly fell in love with the place.

My dad loved the lush greeneries and have been raving for the dwarf pomelo. He is a greenthumb and he enjoys nature trips like this. Seeing a 3-hectare property with organic farming really excited him!

My mom loved the spacious rooms. She also loved the activities the place offers – zipline, wall-climbing, massage, trampoline area, and all the vast space!

Perfect for family with small children (even big children like us!). We loved the play area where we played badminton and strolled around. The favorite was the trampoline.

Spacious rooms and well-thought of spaces. We rented 3 rooms- 2 standard rooms and 1 deluxe. All rooms have its own toilet and bath with its own jacuzzi along with its own terraza. It has a coffee table perfect for those tea time conversations.

The only difference from the standard and the deluxe rooms is the bigger space and the four-post bed that the deluxe have. All of the rooms are equally beautiful. If you are not particular with having a four-post bed, I will recommend go with the standard room. The experience will be as enjoyable.

A little pricey but worth it. Cost per stay is a little bit on the high end compared to usual hotel staycations. The standard room is priced at Php8000 per night and the deluxe room at Php9000 per night. Got a Php500 discount per room because we booked three rooms all at once. All room rates comes with breakfast for two.

While it is on the high end, the typical hotel staycation does not offer fresh air, earthy ambience and so much generous space. To top it all up, the staff was very accommodating and warm. They ensure all your needs are met and makes it a point to personalize their service. Definitely worth every centavo!

What needs to improve is food service. Food needed to be pre-ordered so don’t expect much variety there. Priced at P500 per head and being an agri-farm, I was expecting lots of fresh produce as part of the meal. Meal was decent but didn’t have the variety and quantity we were accustomed to.

Because bringing food from outside was discouraged, it would help if they have ready to order food in case guests get hungry. What can up this experience even more is if they also offered room service given that each casita has its own terraza with table and chairs.

Good thing, there are nearby local restaurants in the area. I highly recommend Kamayan sa Palaisdaan sa Bay.

They only started accommodations in May 2017. I am sure these are areas that can be improved in no time!

Overall still a good experience and definitely a great stay. I highly recommend this place if you are looking for a quick getaway away from buzz of the city!