That lump in the throat

The crushing feeling inside your heart

Sleepless nights

Swollen eyes

It feels like a never-ending cycle

You’re hoping that it’s just a nightmare

That you’ll open your eyes and nothing happened

‘Cause it was just a bad dream

But it’s not

You know it’s not

You can feel the tears rolling on your face

Day and night you’ve been waking up

He’s gone

Forever in your life

A fact

The reality

But this one’s different

Not the usual heartbreak

The worst

A stab in the heart is an understatement

You don’t even know when or how to move on

You couldn’t even delete his pictures

Nor date a rebound guy

He was the kindest and most humble man

The first person that showed me unconditional love

He was not rich

But, he had so much to offer that money couldn’t buy

He’d spoil me up to the last cent in his pocket

He won’t let me walk alone in the middle of the night

He’d cook for me almost everyday

Perfect steamed rice

Variety of sunny side-ups that I could choose from

And a lot more that only him could make

He’d buy me my favorite food every single market day he’d been

I was his favorite

He liked bragging me to his friends

His love for me was top tier

I was willing to give everything I have so he’d stay

But I know he had to go

He was tired

He tried his best

He fought a good fight

Wherever you are

Know that I will be forever grateful for all the times we’d shared

I hope you are in a happier place now

No more pain

I miss you

I love you, tatay.

I used to travel a lot in different islands of the Philippines until the pandemic hit. It’s difficult to travel plus the risk of acquiring the disease stopped me from traveling for almost 3 years now. But, now that traveling has becoming easier and vaccines/boosters are available, we can now book our flights. Out of all the places I went to, the following 4 places are the top ones that will come into my mind without looking at any previous photos or browsing the names of the places, and will highly recommend to people who are planning their vacation.

1. Enchanted River

It will be like your first love that will never die. Once you visited it at the right calm state and weather you can stay the whole day enjoying the place.

2. Puerto Galera

If you live in Manila and looking for a close place to have a beach night life, then this one is for you.

3. Gigantes Island

The best thing about this one that makes it a top destination to go is the P2 per piece scallops and cheap seafood! Another thing that makes it memorable for me is its unique shape you’ll see from the top – the combination of sand area and small hill.

4. Samal Island

The thing I like the most in this island is that during low tide, you can walk on it!

Wherever you plan to go, plan very well. Here are some points to remember when planning. Do not choose places that are too far if you’ll just have 2 days or less. Look ahead of time if the place is open on the specific date that you wanted to visit. Check the most favorable weather to get most of it from the destination. Since covid is still around, travel with caution, wear mask if it’s too crowded or in an enclosed space. Happy travel!