I've been away. I didn't realize that 6, almost 7, months had passed since my last entry. Since the last one was written at a sad time for me, some of you might've wondered if I had given this up altogether; but no, I'm still here. Just taking it one day at a time.
Let's see, I was sick for half of August, but still managed a trip to my favorite island, Coron.
Kayaking in the mangroves
Caught in a storm at sea
I kicked off September with the launch of our third album, Sa Panaginip Lang (Only In Dreams,) and spent most of the month promoting it on TV, radio, and other platforms.
Come October, we were off on our US concert tour, spanning New York, New Jersey, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Honolulu. At every stop, I managed to escape work to roam in and out of cities for a few hours, and I'm grateful for all the friends who shared their time to be with me.
Watchung Reservation, New Jersey
Park Avenue, New York
Muir Woods Redwood Forest, San Francisco
Lake Hollywood Park, Los Angeles
Topanga State Park, Los Angeles
Waikiki, Honolulu
Halei'wa, North Shore
Koko Head, Oahu
Stairway to Heaven, Oahu
Ka'iwi Coast, Oahu
Golden Gate Bridge view from the residence of the Philippine Consul General
Lulumahu Falls, Oahu
Osmeña Peak, Dalaguete, Cebu
Kawasan Falls, Moalboal, Cebu
Night by night, I was glad to have the time to attend get-togethers with friends, and appreciate how we'd all grown, yet again, as adults through the year. We celebrated quite early, because I was going to be spending the holidays out of the country for the first time in my life. Since my sister is currently based in Sydney, we decided to travel to her, so we can all experience a different kind of Christmas and New Year's Eve. I'll post separately on it, but for now, here are some shots from when we visited the beach and the Blue Mountains.
Manly to Shelly Beach, NSW Australia
Blue Mountains, NSW Australia
Since we were already in the region, we went even further south and spent a couple of days in New Zealand. That deserves its own post as well, because I was so happy to be back after 10 years; and perhaps because of how much I've changed since then, it seemed even more beautiful.
Hobbiton, Matamata, New Zealand
I dedicated all of January to work, and started writing my friends' second book. The process was slow because I was whisked away on all weekends of February. We had gigs with a foundation, for a baptism, and I got the opportunity to sing with one of my favorite local artists. Sometime in and around that period, I took a friend's fiancé to see the clouds, and I hiked through some canyons and visited several shores
Duhatan Ridge, Mt. Batolusong, Tanay, Rizal
Mt. Isarog, Naga, Bicol
Panicuason Hot and Cold Springs, Naga, Bicol
Canyoneering adventure, Badian, Cebu
Hermit's Cove, Aloguinsan, Cebu
Thunderbird, Poro Point, La Union
Flotsam and Jetsam, San Juan, La Union
Whew! It's March now, and I'm renewing my passport in April. Let's see where else this year takes me. I'm, more than ever, encouraged to keep exploring and finding wherever happiness leads me... and I wish everyone could have a piece of that. So, I'll put it out there for commitment: I'll be sharing my travel itineraries! If I help even one person put together an enjoyable trip, it'll all be worth it. Bye for now, and MABUHAY!
