#Wonderful Wanderlust

So, my daughter and I  were recovering from dengue when on a whim, my husband Michael decided that we should pack up our things and take a road trip.

“Are you serious?” I asked incredulously. Apparently he was.  . .

And so the next day, I woke up to this view–

As it turned out, the trip did help Mishca and me to recuperate.  Nature is indeed good medicine.

After a hearty meal that ended with a delightful slice of chocolate cake, we all got have a little pampering at a spa. Even Mishca got a full-body massage.

And this was the conversation between Michael and the masseuse:

Michael: Nag-pamassage na ba si Kim and Xian dito?  

(Have Kim and Xian been to this spa? )

Masseuse: Hindi pa! Si Gerald at Maja pa lang.

(Not yet . Only Gerald and Maja.)

Michael: Sino ang pinaka-sikat na celebrity ang laging nagpapamassage dito?

(Who is the most famous celebrity who frequents this place?)

Masseuse: Si Alden Richards!

Michael: Talaga? Sino ang mas maputi? Sya o ako?

(Really? Who is fairer? Him or me?)

Hindi nakasagot si Manang kasi baka mawalan daw siya ng trabaho! (The masseuse didn’t get to answer, because she might lose her job!)

Apart from his zany humor, there is so much to love about my handsome husband, who also happens to be my best friend. One of the things I appreciate about him is his penchant for adventure. When we got married 7 years ago, he made a vow that we would not stop taking adventures together. It is one of the things that keep our marriage fresh. Oftentimes,  our travels also become brainstorming sessions for projects and businesses that we want to tackle.  Every trip births something in us that makes our relationship stronger.

A year after our honeymoon, he took me to Boracay on my birthday, where we did this–even if he was sort of afraid of heights.

In 2010, we did enter and were declared  finalists  for a world-wide internet competition called Ultimate Thailand Explorers. We were the only Asians to be picked in the final 5.  It was one of the most unforgettable experiences of our lives. We got to know more about each other as we went around Koh Samui and it’s neighboring islands.

         The top 5 teams of the Ultimate Thailand Explorers

We swam.We ziplined. Rode, groomed and had a massage with an elephant.

       The view at sunset at the famous Six Senses Spa

What we found most memorable stint was riding in tandem on a motorcycle around the raw and isolated Koh Phangan. He had always dreamt of taking me on a road trip with his motorcycle. The road leading to Haad Rin Beach, the site of the famous Full Moon Party,  were undulating and treacherous but we managed to arrive in one piece, thanks to Michael’s riding skills. On top of that, we managed to take a video of the whole experience, even without the help of a monopod or GoPro.  None of those existed at that time and that was just 6 years ago.

Michael had announced in our audition video that we were going to do a bungee jump. I had my doubts about him taking the plunge but he insisted and  we did it –after what seemed like eternity on the crane. (He’s afraid of heights, remember?) It was such a long wait that the 2 cameras that were supposed to take our jump ran out of batteries and memory! Fortunately, there was one camera that stayed alive to capture that momentous jump.

We ended up as first runner-ups in Ultimate Thailand Explorers thanks to the Philippine internet community who followed our adventures and religiously voted for us. We even got featured on national TV.  We felt like celebrities!

        Canadian immigrants in Victoria, B.C.

Co-workers at Shaw Communications,located in front of the Olympic Village

We were in Canada when found out we were pregnant 2 months before our 3rd anniversary. One morning, I woke up feeling nauseous. This calls for another road trip! The bus to Seattle was already getting ready to leave. We made it in the nick of time.

        Huffing and puffing to the bus station

When we got to the US, we realized we arrived on the day of the Bumbershoot Festival.  All hotels were full. I was pregnant and we couldn’t  be “Sleepless in Seattle.” Fortunately someone handed a list of hotel and their contact numbers. After saying a little prayer, I pointed to the  directory at random and my finger landed on Roosevelt Hotel. We hesitated on calling it at first, because the name sounded expensive. After many tries, though, lo and behold, we called Roosevelt and they said they had one vacant room waiting for us! And yes, it was within our budget.

       The beautiful lobby of Roosevelt Hotel

Before coming home to the Philippines where we decided to give birth and start our family, we went on a side trip to Maiu and Honolulu. Nauseous or not, I was not going to pass the chance of chasing a Hawaiian turtle. That was until a fierce tide had me spinning and rolled me over to the rocks!  Michael had the scare of his life. I emerged out of the water with a big smile and several cuts and bruises.

        The West Maui Mountains 

 Our biggest regret during that trip was the cancelled helicopter ride to Maui’s tallest volcano. The weather was not on our side that day. Two days later we read on the news that a helicopter by that same company had crash due to bad weather! How grateful we were that God spared us!  

        Sad that we could not fly with this helicopter

                  Waikiki Beach, Honolulu at sunset

Being new parents with no nanny did stop us from traveling with a baby. Mishca was less than a year old when we took her for her first trip out of the country.

      Everland Amusement Park

        Nami Island, famous shooting venue for Korean Telenovela

On our 4th anniversary, Michael took me to the airport not without telling me the where we where going. Then he lined up on the wrong airline counter to give me the shock of my life. What a trip to a rebel-infested locale? No way!  It turned out to be  a surprise trip to Albay, where both saw Mayon Volcano and enjoyed the world famous Misibis Bay for the first time.  

We were reeling from a financial set-back the month of our 5th anniversary. Nevertheless, he decided to take us to Singapore. It gave me an idea! Why not schedule an anniversary photoshoot? ! I used my research skills to get us a cheap photo session complete with wedding attire in Singapore’s Botanical Garden.  Then we took Mishca to the Singapore Zoo,   Marina by the Bay and Marina Sands Hotel. That same month, by God’s miracle, we were able to recover all that we lost!

               At the Singapore Botanical Garden

I thought we had to stay home on our 6th anniversary because I was down with a bad case of flu. But he dragged me to the airport again and this time surprised me with a trip to a coveted resort in Cebu. It had been my dream  to stay at this hotel and even the person manning the front desk was amazed at how we got a booking on such a short notice when they were fully booked even months prior.

More than pure wanderlust, I have long realized that  Michael goes out of his way to plan these trips because it shows his dedication to our marriage and family. He wants to make sure that we make beautiful memories that we can cherish for the rest of our lives. He wants Mishca and our future kids to see the world and experience the best that life has to offer. This is his heart as a husband and father.   

And so our adventure continues. . .

To New Zealand perhaps? 

Philippine Airlines flies to Auckland, New Zealand starting December 2015.
Book now at www.philippineairlines.com.