What better way to kickstart my level 26 journey than by getting injured in the mountains of Benguet?

It happened on the second morning of a last minute trip to Baguio. Generally, it was an easy trail. But for a first timer that barely slept and didn’t warm-up, I ended up with a sprained foot and leg cramps a few meters away from the top.

Embarrassing as it was to ride a horse on the way back, the organizers didn’t want to risk it. Funny thing was, half-way through the alternate route, I fell off AND slipped before reaching the main road. I spent the rest of the trip with ice to ease the pain and wrapped in bandage.

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It was Thursday and I had a work commitment – a live event that I organized that was happening at 6pm. My plan was to be at the office around 3-4pm so I had ample time to set up. We left Baguio after lunch and nobody expected how bad the traffic was. I updated my manager from time to time but it was futile, given I have no control over the circumstances.

Even with my newfound motivation and sincerest apologies, everything went downhill from there.

Yet that didn’t stop me to take another trip to Bicol, 3 months after. The one which led to my resignation.

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All the while, there was this guy I was infatuated with. It started as a harmless crush. But you know the drill: you spend a lot of time, you get to know them better, you develop feelings.

Okayyy friends, at some point I even thought I was in love.

But no matter how much kilig I felt and how good our chemistry is, there was never a straight up confession. The pressure was taking a toll on our friendship. I was getting tired of what-ifs. Ultimately on my mind I friend-zoned him and told myself, “until he says something, it means nothing”.

Hello, heartbreak.

Ang saya noh? You might think ang malas ko naman with this series of unfortunate events.

Yes, I felt a lot of negative emotions but that’s what happens when I decided to go out of my comfort zone (#LiveBoldly)!

Getting injured? The beautiful scenery, good company and the high from feeling accomplished made it worthwhile. Falling off the horse happened so fast that I did not feel any pain, just relieved that I landed on solid ground (not rolling down the cliff) and that the horse didn’t kick me.

Traveling was on top of my mind when I resigned, which I accomplished with a solo trip to Baguio in July. God sent more opportunities along my way even though money was short. I was able to visit Baguio (again) in August, Puerto Princesa Palawan in November, Batangas in December, and Cebu and Davao in February ’17. Heck, even before Level 26, I made a trip to Tanay, Rizal and Corregidor Island in Bataan. All of which you should know more about in future posts hehehe :>

I gained friends, lost some along the way and strengthened my connection with existing ones.

Best of all, love found me.

Nothing happened as planned and it entailed challenging times but I wouldn’t change a thing. God is in control and what I need to do is just trust Him.

And I happily spent the last few hours drafting this with a Cookies n Cream frappe on hand, with the (virtual) company of friends, and while looking forward to a staycation!

Thank you and God bless everyone who were part of this journey! Cheers to more adventures!<3