Hello Tonichi

This trip was anything but spontaneous. With four pets to bring (and having recently lost one), you can't really leave any room to chance. People always talk about the beauty of spontaneity and last-minute decisions but there is an under appreciated quality to the most carefully laid out plans. All too often, plans get lost and forgotten along the way so the ones that do make it past the variety of 'Let's Have Lunch Sometime' and 'Catch Up Soon' are pretty special. It's actually been a really long time since we went on vacation and it wasn't easy to decide on a place that had everything we needed. And so we kept calling, researching, asking friends and friends of friends -  the first question always being: Are pets allowed? Eventually we found this private little place in Laiya, but I guess you could say she found us.

I'm the most nostalgic person I know so naturally, I found these photos from one of our Hong Kong trips back in 2010 while I was memory hunting. I can't remember the specifics of the weather but it was cold enough for fog to come out of my mouth when I'd breathe! Unfortunately, I overestimated my innate body-warming abilities and turned into a White Walker. Ha. Logic being: I perspire easily, deep down, I must be such a hot person! Oooohyeahh)  

Here's a visual diary of our most recent trip to Hong Kong.

Summer is upon us! Or rather, upon me, because a lot of my batchmates are working this summer for their internship/OJT. I'm not taking mine yet because I have a handful of minors (prerequisites to going on an internship) left. Praise the Lord, hallelujah! I'm off the internship hook for this summer. Thank you, useless minors for being useful for once. :D Anyway, the first thing on our summer itinerary was to go to the beach, as always. My family went resort hopping in Bataan for a few days, and the first stop was Anvaya Cove. Apparently it's an exclusive resort or something because you can't spend the night there unless you're a member or know somebody who's a member. Luckily, my dad's good friend is one, so pack our bags we did, and off to Bataan we went! :D

When I was younger, my summers were spent in the backseat of the family Nissan with my mama blasting Billy Joel (greatest hits album on cassette, of course!) on the radio and my papa behind the wheel. My sisters and I used to swim way past pruny fingers and toes, during high noon, grumpily complaining when our parents would tell us to get out of the water.  I guess in a few ways, we've grown up a little bit because our road trips now aren't for coming back to the city seven shades darker, but for some good ol' R & R. :D