“I wish to live a life that causes my soul to dance inside my body.”

The past several months felt like I was uprooted from that familiar place where my soul dug and built me. I walked around without a name, without my individuality, without the dreams that made me. I walked around headless and emotionless.

But when you are made of fire, it only takes a while to realize you are out in the middle of a windy cold night. Before the cold consume you, you hold on to the wind tight and let it take you to a warmer place to start all over again. I am fire. Wherever I go, I need warmth. I need something that keeps my soul going, something that causes my soul to dance inside my body.

And so I’m back! Here. Where I have built a tiny warm familiar space. Where I know myself and the things that I do. A couple of weeks ago, I tried chasing myself back. And I will continue chasing until everything is in tuned and my soul starts to tap her feet to the beat of my life.

Last weekend, I went to Calatagan, Batangas with a beautiful and great company of Jeff, Jazz, Albert, and Ida. We took a lot of photos of us burning hotdogs for dinner, enjoying the sea, the sand, and the scenery. We were drunk about our life plans, our dreams, and our heartaches. But not drunk enough just yet and our stories will continue until the next weekend getaway.

***Taken at Burot Beach and Cape Santiago, Calatagan, Batangas (19-20 March) by Linds

"We don't remember days, we remember moments!"

Memories are not forever safely kept in our heads. They fade over time, no matter what. To make it worse, we might completely lose them when we need them most. When we’re old and maybe have so much empty time to think about our past. Sometimes, what are left in us are only vague ideas or uncertain feelings they evoke when recalled.

That is one reason why I take photos. Not of myself, but of what I see and of how they feel that fleeting moment. Photos are printed memories. They’re captured emotions. Arguably, photos are not forever either. They’re just paper and dyes, after all.

But somehow they’re an extension to the lifespan of the memories stored in our heads.

Because of that, I hate losing photos.

Before the days of digital camera, we print our photos on photo papers to actually see them. I ruined many of mine from moisture in my cheap photo albums. It broke my heart. In trying to salvage the few that remained only partly damaged, I scanned them for digital copies in case I’d completely lose the printed ones, which is its inevitable demise.

Then I stumbled on Fotogra.ph and the idea of photo books. This came after.

And So The Adventure Begins Volume 1 is a compilation of the photos I took as I carried my heart feeling all the feelings, to show truths.

Photobook is a perfect way of compiling photos. It’s moist-free, space-saving, neat, and clutter free. And cheaper than printing in photo papers.

If you fancy compiling and printing your memory lane into a book, you may also try to visit these sites for photobook service.

Picturebooks

FotoSnaps

PhotoBook Central

"There was nowhere to go but everywhere, so just keep on rolling under the stars."

Recharging means heading up north of Quezon -Real- to soak in the pacific under the looming sun. Yes, that's how you do it, darlings. Going to Real, Quezon to me is almost like writing an obscure poem. Sierra Madre could make you think of many words that unnecessarily relate with each other or make little sense altogether. Up there you drive with the clouds. It's how beautiful it is. 

***Taken on the road going to Real, Quezon and in Pacific Recreation Park (13-14 June) by Linds

Bacolod and Nostalgia

I just arrived from Bacolod! It's been a few years since my last visit in the city. It felt nostalgic being there going around Talisay, Silay, and Bacolod City without Brando. It's his hometown and it would be lovely to have him around as he's stuck in Manila for like forever without going home. Thinking about it makes me sad. Everyone should visit his/her hometown from time to time for old memories sake. 

I didn't bring my camera because the purpose of this travel wasn't for leisure. It was actually work and I didn't want to look like an excursionist. Haha. So I was at the mercy of my mobile phone's camera for photos. But then again I don't have a good camera phone.  

  
 ***Photo of  Nature's Village Resort in Talisay City (where we stayed) is not mine.

Waiting a ride at Buenavista

We toured around Bohol Island! Not to see the tourist spots, but to see what the tourists don't see. And commuted we went for an added feels! 

And as you might have known, public transportation is quite unreliable in rural areas. There's no trip schedule. All you can do is wait and try your luck. So, to get on with our plan to go around the island we had to take several trips on several modes of transportation: Bus (Maribujoc-Tubigon), Jeep (Tubigon-Buenavista), Motorcycle (Buenavista-Getafe), Van (Getafe-Talibon), Bus (Talibon-Trinidad), Motorcycle (Trinidad-Ubay), and Bus (Ubay-Dimiao). It was a full day for me and Brando. A tiring, but fulfilling one. I wasn't able to take many photos. Except for these while waiting in a makeshift waiting shed at Buenavista. 

We left Maribujoc, the hometown of my granny, at nine in the morning. We arrived at Dimiao, which is the hometown of my late grandpa, early evening. What a trip we had. It's definitely one of the days I'll remember when I'm old and forgetful. The towns were just unbelievably cinematic. The western and the quite films I so love to watch came to life. It felt like that. Maybe I'm biased because I love Bohol more than any part of this country way before I even saw Getafe or Buenavista. 

*** Taken in Buenavista, Bohol (28 April) by Linds

"Our lives are rivers, gliding free to that unfathomed boundless sea, the silent grave."

It's always good to take a break from our busy little lives and head the mountains or the beaches for some adventure. We drove to Baler Aurora this time and filled our hearts and minds with refreshing all-nature goodies. The province of Aurora is breathtaking. Crossing the long and winding Sierra Madre to get to Aurora is totally worth it. Here are some of the moments and sceneries captured during the trip. 

***Taken at Baler & Dinajawan, Aurora (2-4 April) by Linds

Quizas, quizas, quizas

I'm listening to Milos Karadaglic's rendition of "Quizas, quizas, quizas" as I'm trying to post this entry. I don't know, but I feel like the mountains play this heart-flinching song as I hiked to the top. The song and the mountains feel the same to me. They give that strange happy-blissful feeling of being in love. And in the same manner, they feel like that overwhelming sadness of rejection.

On a totally different note, I've read somewhere - probably by Walt Whitman - that the secret of making the best person in us is "to grow in the open air, and to eat and sleep with the Earth." I don't know what that really means, but it sounds good to me. I like walking barefoot on paved or unpaved ground. Something feels so different when I do that, like I've just unloaded something.

Quizas, quizas, quizas...

You won't admit you love me. And so, how am I ever to know? You always tell me, perhaps, perhaps, perhaps. A million times I've asked you and then I ask you over again. You only answer, perhaps, perhaps, perhaps. If you can't make your mind up, we'll never get started. And I don't wanna wind up, being parted broken-hearted. So if you really love me, say yes. But if you don't, dear, confess. And please don't tell me, perhaps, perhaps, perhaps.

***Taken at Mt. Batulao, Nasugbu, Batangas (27-28 March) by Linds

L'esprit de l'escalier

Something in me is lost forever. I guess, some circumstances in our lives do that to us. When it happens, we're never the same on the days that follow. We become different people. Like I feel thicker and sadder. Like never before. Yes, I may be happy some times, but inside me I grieve forever for the moments that will never become. 

***Taken at San Narciso, Zambales (19 February) by Linds

"Une joie peut briser tous les chagrins."

One joy can shatter all grief!

I'm tired at work. But this is what I see. I try to fight negativity with kindness and gratefulness. And love. *blows kisses*

***Taken @ Baguio City (23-26 Nov.), @ Tagaytay (24 Jul.), @ Siquijor (28-30 April) by Linds

My tent on the shore is home

There are places that are just so wonderful they make you happy. 

We slept under our red tent, again. We pitched it at the shore of San Narciso, Zambales on a dark strange night. In the morning, we ran to the waters and submerged to its warm vastness. The place was lovely that I could stay an entire week with just my tent. And you. 

***Taken @ San Narciso, Zambales (30 Oct. -01 Nov. 2014) by Linds

"I fell in love with the world in you."

I agree, it's like coming home after a very long trip. That's how love feels like. It's like coming home. ***

***Taken @ Maribujoc, Bohol (18-24 June 2014) by Linds