"Please take care of my brother"
To date, the words of my first love's sister still resonate. The families of the guys I've dated before have undeniably admired me. I felt it when I'd hear "Why don't you join us?" "Invite her!" Although he invited me a couple of times, I never had the chance to show up at their family gatherings. Either it'd be canceled last minute or I'd feel too anxious to show up on the day of the event. Bottom line, I never made it to any of their family gatherings.
Then there was another guy from Tagbilaran, Bohol. The weird thing is that I only had the chance to meet his family when his grandmother died and I, being the kind and comforting person that I am, showed up in the wake. That was the last time I saw the guy and his family.
Fast forward, I met the most wonderful man I could ever ask for. And unknown to him, I was terribly excited to meet his family. For someone who was never properly introduced to his lover's family, I dreamed to be taken to my boyfriend's home — to meet his parents, to get to know more about his siblings, to play with the kids in the house, and to interact with other relatives. I can be too friendly most of the time! 😅
They say what matters most is that you and your partner have a mutual understanding. As long as you love each other then you're good, but for me, it's a different story when the family of your lover warmly welcomes you to the point that you can no longer distinguish if you're at your own home or not.
I first met my boyfriend's family back in January 2020. Together with his family, we had a last-minute trip in Oslob before the lockdowns were in place by March 2020. And after that, all we could do is wait and wait until things get better and we can hit the road once again.
By December 2020, things were better; we didn't go back to normal but at least travel restrictions were not as strict as during the onset of the pandemic. My boyfriend invited me to join their pre-Christmas Celebration in the hometown of his father, San Remigio.
My heart bursts into excitement as my boyfriend and I rode on that early trip to the Northwestern part of Cebu Island. This was also my first long bus ride after almost nine (9) months. This explained the excitement all over the place. ❤️
We arrived right on time for lunch. And as you can see, I'm the happiest kid when it's eating time.😂 Truth be told, the banana catsup was the reason behind my huge smile!
It was an unusually hot day in December. December is still rainy season in the Philippines but the sun comes out every now and then. Luckily that day, the sun was oozing with confidence.
I always love when the sun's up and radiating nothing but warmth. I feel so alive on days like this. Unfortunately, this day, my eyeglasses gave up. Without my glasses on, I'm practically blind. 😟 But no time to feel bad, we're in paradise!
When we reached the shore, a long stretch of fine and white sand beach welcomed us. This actually surprised me. I've been to San Remigio Beach Club about three years ago but I never dared to swim on their beach; it didn't look inviting. Come on, San Remigio Beach Club has so much to offer but definitely not their beach.
So when we arrived here in Orongan Beach, I couldn't believe what I was seeing. What a wonderful place to relax and chill and the plus points? It's just 3-4 hours away by public transport. I love Cebu! ❤️
Sunset, music and my lover
As I've been saying, the sun's rays were overpowering and if we stay by the beach for too long, sunburn all over our faces and body is surely what we'll get.
So we decided to go back to our room and wait 'til the sun calms down. It was around four (4) in the afternoon when we went out to spend the remaining hours before sundown by the beach.
These are the simple things in life I truly find happiness and contentment. My boyfriend and I setting up a picnic-like atmosphere with Taylor Swift in the background, the beach and the setting sun just in front of us. This is life and this is a beautiful life. ❤️
The Perks of Having a [Photographer] Boyfriend
"Can you take my picture, please?" That's my most common line when I travel alone. Of course, I don't want to bring a heavy tripod on long backpacking trips. And it was only recently when I discovered the lightweight tripods that are very common these days (but I'm still not convinced in bringing one on my next solo travel)
So I'm used to asking strangers, from teenagers to tricycle drivers to security guards, to take my pictures. That's how determined I am to have a picture of the places I visited alone (aside from the selfies, of course). Sometimes, I end up teaching them how to use my DSLR in a 2-minute crash course.😂 This time tho, I'm traveling with my boyfriend and not just any ordinary boyfriend, but a boyfriend who takes really amazing pictures of me and who directs my poses at the same time. He never stops until he gets the best angle, right love, @glecerioberto? 😁
Well, the next photos will say it all:
By December 2020, I've been practicing yoga for roughly eight (8) months. It was my boyfriend who introduced me to yoga as well. It has become a custom to do a tree pose by the beach since November. And look at the progression there, slowly but surely. Not to mention all the other attempts that failed and weren't captured on camera. 🤣
Pictorial by the Beach
It's time to be serious about striking a pose! And all throughout this session, I'd say to my boyfriend: Being a model isn't easy. But I'm enjoying it so far! Obviously! 😂
Here are the best photos from that afternoon-by-beach photoshoot:
There were some poses that required climbing up trees. I'm always game for anything, you know. We're here anyway, might as well make the most out of the place. 😍
Truly, be careful what you wish for. Before you sign in for everything, make sure you can handle the things you need to do before getting those perfect shots! Careful there lady, careful!🤣
Okay, let's get to real business here!😎 I don't have the perfect curves and perfect body, but who says you can slay it if and only if you got the best Coca-cola body?
Don't listen to them, babe, they're not worth your precious time. Your body your rules! Got it? 😉
Waiting for sunset
We went back right in front of Orongan Beach Resort and struck a few more poses before we plunged into the now-cold water.
By now you probably have an idea of how many photos one travel alone will add to my phone's Gallery. 1TB of hard drive to the rescue and, of course, Google Photos!😂
Now, it's finally time to swim! More photos first haha! 🏊♀
And little by little, darkness devoured everything there is to see. Beautifully. Magically. And it left us with thoughts that tomorrow is another chance to do wonderful things, better things. ❤️
I've been roaming around from one Province to another but little did I know that a paradise not too far from home exists. And it's just wonderful that this pandemic is opening up my eyes to the beautiful places Cebu has to offer. I'm exploring more Cebu more than ever because I have no choice at the moment. But I'm surprised every single time. I couldn't wait to explore more. ❤️
That's it for Day 1 in our 2020 pre-Christmas Celebration in San Remigio, Cebu. If you're wondering what happened when I met Twin's family and what else we did the following day, stay tuned! 😁
Before ending this post, I'd like to thank my boyfriend for his effort for all the wonderful photos of me in this post. It's all his doing. Hehe! Thanks, love! 😘
Living life intentionally every single day, she believes that there’s no limit to one’s potentials. Right now, she’s on the loose for the pursuit of endless holistic self-growth and development. She wants to light the way for others. She believes there’s no better way to leave a legacy than to pay it forward.
Her ultimate goal in life is to reach the state of enlightenment where there’s nothing but peace, love, happiness, and contentment - nothing more, nothing less.
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