• Day 2 in Japan: Shrines, Street Food, and a Very Random Karaoke Night

    Day 2 in Japan: Shrines, Street Food, and a Very Random Karaoke Night

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    Okay, so itโ€™s officially our second day in Japan, and the pregnant lady is still exhausted. ๐Ÿ˜… But honestly, the day couldnโ€™t go to waste. We woke up early for breakfast and decided that instead of pushing ourselves all the way to Kyoto (which wouldโ€™ve been a whole production with our schedule), weโ€™d visit Nezu Shrine instead. Nezu Shrine is like a little Kyoto tucked inside Tokyo. Quiet, traditional, and surrounded by those iconic red torii gates. Itโ€™s one of the oldest shrines in the city, and itโ€™s dedicated to Inari, the deity of prosperity and good harvest. Japan has shrines everywhere because Shintoism is deeply woven into everyday life. People visit to give thanks, pray for good fortune, or simply reconnect with nature. At…

  • First time in Tokyo, Japan

    First time in Tokyo, Japan

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    This trip to Japan was so unexpected. Me, my husband, my mom, my uncle, and my auntie all ended up going together. Thereโ€™s been a lot of drama with my mom lately, and I just wanted to take her somewhere new, somewhere she could breathe for a bit. I also havenโ€™t seen my cousin in years, so I thought, why not visit her in Tokyo? Then I invited my uncle and auntie too, hoping we could all have a happy, peaceful vacation as a family. I only had three weeks of vacation left for the year. I already used one week in Jamaica back in May and another week in Manila, so this basically gives me one week in Japan and one week in Korea…

  • Coming back home

    Coming back home

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    The first stop in our four-country, three-week vacation was the Philippines. We wanted to spend time with family and do some shopping before heading to our next destination. With some recent life changes, I know I might not be able to visit home as often, so I wanted to make the most of this trip. It was raining when we landed. A typhoon had just hit, so the weather was pretty gloomy and wet. That same day, the news was full of stories about a huge rally on the infamous flood control project. It was on the radio, TV, and social media. The whole country was talking about it. Even with all that going on, I noticed how much the Philippines has changed. There were…

  • Right where I once dreamed to be

    Right where I once dreamed to be

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    Lately, Iโ€™ve been so caught up with work and this whole transition that my days feel like one long checklist. Head down, moving from one thing to the next, barely pausing to breathe. But today, something different happened. I stepped outside, took a moment, and for once actually looked up. And right there, under the same sky Iโ€™ve walked under for years, it hit me: Iโ€™m standing in the exact place I used to dream about. A few years ago, I remember passing by this building and quietly telling myself, โ€œOne day, I want to work there.โ€ Back then, it felt soโ€ฆ far away. Fast forward to now, here I am. In the middle of the grind, yes. Tired most days, definitely. But alsoโ€ฆ exactly…

  • Iโ€™m not an INFP anymore

    Iโ€™m not an INFP anymore

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    When I first took the MBTI years ago, I came out as an INFP โ€” the idealist. And it fit. I was introspective, feelings-driven, and consistently journaling, constantly searching for meaning in everything. I could spend an entire afternoon reflecting on one moment โ€” a random goodbye, a line from a song, a scene from a film. I felt everything, all the time. It was a lot. And honestly? It still is. When my friend Bea left our workplace, I didnโ€™t just get sad โ€” I spiraled. I went into full-blown organize-and-buy-things mode to copeโ€”deep cleaning, impulse purchases, the whole nine yards. My emotions needed somewhere to go, and I gave them a productivity makeover. Then there was the time I watched Natalia Osipova perform…

  • I Didnโ€™t Expect Giselle to Haunt Me โ€” But She Did

    I Didnโ€™t Expect Giselle to Haunt Me โ€” But She Did

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    Lately, Iโ€™ve been watching Natalia Osipovaโ€™s performance of Giselle, andโ€ฆ wow. I didnโ€™t expect to feel so much watching it, but I did. I still do. It wasnโ€™t just the dancing (though yes, she moves like sheโ€™s made of moonlight and memory). It was everything โ€” the music, the stillness, the way love and heartbreak and grace can live in one story, one body, one breath. Thereโ€™s something about Giselle that lingers with you โ€” like the echo of a song long after the final note fades. You think you’re just watching a ballet. But then it stays. Quietly. Gently. Like a memory you didnโ€™t know meant something until it started whispering back. Maybe it’s the way she loves โ€” fully, without hesitation. Maybe it’s…