As an ENTJ, I live for plans. I'm the type to have things planned out weeks, or even months, in advance. But this time, I decided to let go of perfection and just go for it.
It was my first time going to Cebu. I'd never been to a big festival either. So @gabbiebi and I thought, why not attend Sinulog? and that why not happened just a few days before the actual event.
We finally said yest to one of the biggest festivals in the Philippines. Sinulog in Cebu!
I messaged @indayclara to let her know I’d be in Cebu and asked if she’d be around to meet up. I wanted to check if she was near where the festivities would be happening.
Clara immediately replied to my IG message and Kim messaged me soon after. What are the odds that the same night I reached out to Clara, she was actually out with @ybanezkim26? Gabbie and I were both so excited to meet them, especially since it would be my first time meeting Kim in person.
Four days before the trip, Gabbie and I went to a travel fair in SM Aura hoping to score better flight deals. We were well aware that prices were high since it was just days before the festival, but we still wanted to make sure we booked the best possible option. We ended up getting round trip tickets for ₱12,000 ($215) each. Pricey? Hell yes 😭 but it was worth it for the experience we were after.
Next was the struggle for accommodation. I asked Clara if she could recommend any accommodation near the Sinulog venue. Clara and Kim told us that at that point, most nearby hotels were already fully booked and the ones left were either too far or not what we were looking for. It was really difficult to find anything that late, even the place we were eyeing was sold out.
That’s when Clara offered her place.
At first, I hesitated. I’m so used to handling things on my own, and I didn’t want to trouble anyone. But after running out of options, I asked Clara again if she was really okay with it, and she reassured me. Her offer truly saved us!
We were so relieved. We finally had flights booked and a place to stay.
Our flight to Cebu was on January 17, early in the morning, right after my work, so I hadn’t slept at all. Our goal was to make the most of our time in Cebu since we’d be flying back to Manila by Monday.
We arrived at NAIA around 6 a.m. for our 8:35 a.m. flight, but it got rescheduled to 11 a.m. I was tired but the delay gave me time to take a nap and recharge a bit before landing in Cebu.
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Clara offered to pick us up from the airport but she hadn’t slept yet either. I told her she should rest first, especially since our flight was delayed anyway. Still, she went the extra mile and sent detailed instructions on what to do once we landed, which I really appreciated!
Touchdown Cebu!
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We arrived in Cebu around 1 p.m., tired and starving. While waiting for our luggage, we were greeted by the famous Sinulog sound playing in the background. We felt the festive vibe (it was contagious!) and it got us excited! I think my exhaustion went away real quick. It was really happening. We were in Cebu!
I asked Clara if she had her lunch already, and she said no too, so we decided to meet at SM City Cebu. We followed her instructions, we hopped on a bus heading there. Once we arrived, we got a bit confused due to nearby construction. We couldn't figure out where the entrance was. We just followed the crowd until we finally saw the mall.
While walking, I suddenly heard someone call out, 'C!'
It was Clara.
We excitedly greeted her and, since all of us were starving, we headed straight to the food court. We had our late lunch while chatting about everything. Life updates, Sinulog plans, and Cebu must-dos.
Clara gave us tips on what to expect during the festival. After eating, we stopped by some stores to buy Sinulog shirts before heading to Clara's place. We actually spent quite a while choosing our Sinulog shirts because there were so many designs. I actually wanted to get a sleeveless top but I realized I wouldn't be able to wear it to mass, so I settled for a shirt instead.
My ENTJ instincts will always push me to plan ahead, but this trip reminded me that spontaneity, even though it's a bit chaotic, can be just as rewarding. Looking back, I'm glad we trusted the process even if there's really no planning involved 😂 I'll continue this in my next post where I met Kim for the first time!
If you made it this far, thanks for your time 💓
All images are mine unless otherwise stated.
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