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Whenever people asked what was the best time you've had in your life? Was it the time that you received an award? Won the lottery? Was it the time you got a promotion? Got the job that you really wanted? The time when you achieved your goal? When you are in love? When you got hitched? While travelling? The lists goes on and on right. For me, aside from achieving those goals and travelling, my top most favorite moments are those times I get to spend with my loved ones. It was, it is and it will always be those times. What could be yours?

For 2015, alongside with the pain and misery I went through, there's also a fair share of happy moments in my life. This is the second tranche of My 2015 and let's get down on those moments that made me feel so happy.

1. The reunion with the siblings

Yes, reunion of the Sarol siblings. You know, some family might fight with one another for some reason but at the end of the day your family will always be your family. I have not seen my sister I think for more than five years nor didn't talk to her from the time we separated until last year. Same thing happened with my other brother, I didn't see him for such a long time. But we ended everything last year as we finally in talking terms. 

I'm very close with them and I really love my siblings with all my heart. They are like my children. But things happened. I'm also thankful that it happened because we all learned a lot from it. Although we cannot reverse the time lost or the opportunities that passed by but those times made us stronger , appreciate our values in life even more and we learned how to understand and respect each other differences. I am the eldest but I think it's me who learned and changed a lot. For the better, I believe.

And I think it's the same for them.

I guess we really missed each others' stories and bullying and stuff. You know those times when you feel you've gone really far but some things never changed that's how I felt when I saw them. I was really happy that they've grown taller and I think more wiser than yesterday. But they are still the same to me, I still treat them up to this time like my kids. Those cranky kids that needs frequent nagging. Hehehe

 For the very first time in a very long time

 She's really beautiful when I saw her :)

 Celebrated Father's Day :)

These two are really close since then :)

2. Hanging out with my closest friends

My closest friends are like my extended family. They are the ones I talk to everything under the sun. Either it's nonsense, serious, chismis whatever it is, it's them. Aside from my family of course, they're my next favorite people. We've been friends for so many years now and I think we will be friends up until our last breath even afterlife pa. We have been witnesses to each others' first loves and heartbreaks, ups and downs and anything in between, we've seen it all. You know the saying you cannot choose your family but you can always choose who your friends are. I'm happy and thankful that they are my friends. Not for any other reason but they're simply my friends who believes in me and will never judge me. 

Now we seldom see each other due to work commitments but when we see each other wala riot talaga. I don't know whenever we see each other we keep on talking about the same things that happened in the past, those silly stuff and all. Thanks to Jaicel's homecoming and Michelle's wedding we were able to hang out with each other a couple of times last year.

 Jaicel's homecoming

With my Valentine's dates :)

I don't know why the three of us were stuck together during Valentines. This was the second time.

 Michelle's Bridal Shower

 Mani-Pedi Time with the girls

 Homer and Michelle's Wedding

 The Bridechilla, The Maid of Horror and The Monster Bridesmaids

 The photobooth addicts! lol

 Happy Thanksgiving! :)

 My friends since the time I didn't know any better :)

Leslie's homecoming :)

3. Travelling... especially with loved ones!

I love going out of town and out of the country. I love it when I go back to my favorite places at the same time exploring new ones. Travelling gives me a lot of emotions that really excites me and I promise to myself that I will tick off my bucket list one by one until old age. :) Isn't it nice to share the things you love to do with your loved ones, all the more it gets special right? 

 Banaue, Ifugao, Philippines

 Batad Rice Terraces

Banaue, Ifugao, Philippines

Top load - uncomfortable seat but one of the best ride ever! :)

Christmas 2015 

Baguio, Philippines

Christmas 2015 

Baguio, Philippines

Christmas 2015 

Baguio, Philippines

 Christmas 2015 

Baguio, Philippines

 Christmas 2015 

Baguio, Philippines

 Christmas 2015 

Baguio, Philippines

There you go my 2015 favorite moments. I want to relive all of those good and happy memories in my head and I look forward to creating more happy ones in the future.  

This is the first post this 2016. The past few days, I've thought about what will be my first post for this year after months of hiatus from blogging. And I thought that it's better to look back how my 2015 was. This is the first tranche - I decided to list down my top three learnings based on my experiences last year.

I hit the big 30 last year, I'm not pretty sure if it's hormonal, psychological or whatever it was but to simply describe it, 2015 was a roller coaster ride for me. So many highs and lows or many lows rather than highs. It was indeed a challenging yet enlightening year for me. Every aspect of my life, from personal to professional stuff - I felt like I advanced ten years in 2015.

I've come to realise a lot of things. I've finally learned how to appreciate and value simple things, those things that I've disregarded when I was five to 10 years younger. Among all those things that I have gone through last year, here are my top three learnings. 

1. HEALTH IS WEALTH

Aside from the fact that I'm a premature baby and my mother told me I was in the incubator for a month but ever since I was a kid, I was never never admitted in a hospital. When I turned into teens up to early 20s I believed I am that sort of "healthy" and I was not sickly. When I started to join the workforce nine years ago, for the record, only once or twice a year I called in sick leave but whenever I was in such it took a week before I became well again. That's how I was until my mid 20s. I'm a Psychology major, I was not really a diligent student before but I clearly remember that whenever we get sick the reason behind it it's because we are stress. Aside from the viruses that we might acquire, our body's immune system is at low when we are stress. It's like we are having too much that we cannot handle anymore that's why it manifests in various ways affecting our health, behaviour, interpersonal relationships, even our outlook in life. 

I was sick many times last year but the most time that challenged me was towards the end of the year after I had my annual check up. It was hard to accept the fact that all this time I was not really that well. I had to face the three different findings at that time. I was in my very low spirit at that time. It's Christmas season and yet most of the days of December, weekdays and weekends I was in the hospital. I've been to ER twice last year. I had to undergo several tests. Those hospital trips costs me physical and psychological pain. And yes, although I was and I am very thankful up to this time that I have a medical card but it cost me a lot of money too. I remember my father back then always told us to spend on good food rather than paying for medicines and hospital bills. It's true and I feel sorry but what can I do I need to have myself checked and get treatment. I remember while I told myself to hang in there, I prayed fervently to God to bring back my good health and that I will be well and I'll be okay with my life.

I thought what's the essence of having everything when we are not in our tip-top condition. How can I chase my dream when I am not healthy, it doesn't make sense at all.

We have to take good care of our health, seriously.

2.  TAKING A LEAP OF FAITH

How many times in your adult life you question, yearn, hesitate on some things and the same time you still want to push for it? Those things. Either we are talking about relationships or work or a dream or a hobby. I have been cracking my brain for a very long time wondering what shall I do. Should I stay or go.  Should I push forward or push aside. Back then and up until now, I have had too many of it. We didn't want to leave our comfort zones because we fear of the unknown. Fear of the unknown will bring us to the fear of uncertainties which will land us to the feeling of insecurities. I remember what people said that as people gets older the more it gets confusing. It's true, for goodness sake!

I told myself last year, how I am? Was this what I truly want? Was it worth the wait? Was it worth it all this time? Will I be okay after this? Why it feels like I'm stucked for too long? Those questions. Those thoughts that made me cry like a river at night when I'm alone. Those were the things that seems to stay a little bit for too long in my head. Although I've had too many reasons for everything but at the end of the day, I've come to realise what matters most is that if you will be okay with the choice that you choose. But rather than feeling sorry for myself and putting the best poker face ever I decided to finally throw myself on the unknown and find out the answers to my questions. I'm not sure if I will be right all the time but I think it's worth a million times than to stay in just thinking and living in"what ifs"right? If I fail at least I've tried. I'd rather be hopeful than regretful. 

3. RELEASE THE EMOTIONAL BAGGAGE

Have you found yourself in a situation wherein you felt like you were carrying those unnecessary stuff inside your system for too long? Either it's a failed relationship with someone or bad relationship with a family member or feeling of being worthless, helpless or overwhelmed? Those were just a few of those emotions trapped inside our body. Why it's trapped? Maybe we suppressed our emotions or simply just unfinished business or unresolved conflicts. I do not know how and when these emotions stucked within will eventually find their way out of our system but I'm pretty sure in time they will be taken care of. I've just read that we can release it if we have the "intention" to let go of those emotions in the first. It might work for some but based on my personal experiences, although I knew what to do and there's intention to let go I failed to release the negative emotions within a "reasonable" time frame. Why? I didn't know the answer also. But I thought it's up to the person's coping and healing, readiness to accept things as they are and finally moved on. Some times it's short term, some times it will take longer than expected. (Oh by the way, I'm not a psychology guru here I'm just trying to explain based on my personal experiences.)

Will time take care of everything? I guess so, time will come we finally let go and move on.

There you go, my top three learnings for 2015. It seems like I'm pretty serious with it huh?! Oh well, there are some things in life that take its toll on me and yet these things also hone me into a better person and I wanted to remember it all through out my life.

So I'm really hoping for the best this 2016. May all my plans will finally come to realize this year.

Konnichiwa!

It took so long for me to post this one. Went to Tokyo last March 31 to April 5 (Holy Week). As they always say, we saved the best for the LAST. Sadly, this will be the last trip we had altogether.

Japan is really uh-mazing for me in most aspects. You know with all that technological advancements at the same time they preserve their cultural heritage very well. 

With Technology, all I can say is wow! I want to take home their toilets! Hahaha! 

The Japanese, they're surprisingly nice people. I didn't expect. They are not snob and they are helpful - in many times we got lost in Tokyo, we just asked and they will try to help in explaining the directions in spite of they are not well versed in English. They are disciplined - always observe the traffic signals even during emergency situations. Shinjuku alone. I mean, I've witnessed it when I was roaming alone around Shinjuku when the ambulance had to pass quickly of course but then it's still a red light, the driver didn't honk his horn and the aid just said Sumimasen (Excuse Me) or Gomenasai (Sorry). I was stunned to see that, I mean by all means you should passed quickly so you can save life! It's understandable right but still they're like that. I'm so amazed, really. They are courteous too. In Japan, I think they're clean freak too. Hahaha! (That's how my sibs called me when we were younger.) As far as I can remember, I didn't see any litter around the city,  in public restrooms.

Food, oh well. I love Japanese food but I do not eat raw. So no sushi, sashimi or whatever it is. Maybe next time I'll try. :) Whatever I saw in Anthony Bourdain's shows before it's true that Japanese prepared their food with artistry even in just a simple Bento box. It's aesthetically pleasing. The cakes in their supermarkets, their chocolates etc.. In this trip, I really enjoy my love affair with Yoshinoya! It's beside our hotel kaya you know distance means a lot in any love affair. I mean I know, el cheapo that was but it's sooo good. A rice bowl either pork or beef never tasted that good to me, it's only during that time. The food price was just right and besides it's quality food. Around the time that we went the Yen was weaker at that time so it's a good time for tourists like us. 

Same old, we travelled during early spring. The weather was pretty fine, not too cold neither hot. 

The tour was arranged by travel agencies. Yes, we've got two travel agencies. The one arranged our visa applications and Mt. Fuji Tour and the other one the city tour. We booked on our own for the flights and hotel accommodation. 

Let's go to our itineraries for this trip.

Day 1 - Tokyo Disneyland for our group and Tokyo Disneysea for the other half

My solo pix were great! Ma'am Mydee took it! :)

At 29, I'm still excited with Disney Parks :)

I was adopted for a day by the Menez family :)

Rain or shine...The show must go on for Mickey & Minnie and friends :)

Where to next? :)

Our favorite ride :)

Yey! We've got our headbands too!

Wanna go for a spin? :)

I was a huge fan of Yakisoba in Japs when I was there. Conveniently located elsewhere and a value for money. Their convenient stores are superb :) I bought these in there while I was alone strolling.

Best French Toast tasted. Ever.

Soba noodles check!

So Kawaii!

Shibuya Crossing

Crossed many times to get a selfie here in Shibuya with BH Mads :)

Hachiko

Odaiba 

Konnichiwa. Arigatou. Sayoonara.