Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think of going to South Korea for a honeymoon (it has always been Batanes). I mean, we did plan about it but that's only because we unexpectedly snagged round trip tickets for two for only Php 8,400+.

But that plan to spend honeymoon in Korea in autumn was cancelled because our visas were delayed. So we pushed going there on winter. The cheapest tickets were already at Php 24,000+ round trip for two. But we gave it a go because first, after almost two months of waiting (yes, it took that long), we only got a single entry visa; second, I am pregnant. We would rather travel now because we might not have the time, energy, and resources to do it in the next three years.

This is the most expensive ticket we booked for an international flight but I'm glad Korea did not disappoint. This trip was a string of our many firsts. First out-of-the-country trip as married couple. First below zero degree weather. First snow fall. First fresh cherries. First pomegranate. First time to take photos of us kissing (that's not our wedding). Woot!

PDA. Haha!

It has been a week since our wedding books arrived and I cannot get over it. I've already wasted hours flipping the pages and ogling at the same thing for days, and it still was not enough.

I can't help it. Our wedding is no doubt one of the best days of my life and that is probably because it was then when I have seen Jan do a dirty dance in front of me in public. You might be wondering what's the big deal about that? Well, he doesn't know how to dance, he was not drunk but he did it anyway because men do things they don't do even if it looks silly in the name of love, don't they? Haha!

Anyway, here's a flip through of our beautiful wedding book:

"How does it feel like?"

"Nothing has really changed," I said flatly.

"Wait until the honeymoon phase is over."

I have been asked this question over and over again for weeks now and I have been repeating my answer with the same flat face. And it is not because I am less enthusiastic about it. It is just that, I do not want to engage in a conversation and delve into details about the brutal truths I wished somebody told me about before getting married.

Right after the wedding, Jan and I started working our arses off (pitiful, I know). We were not able to plan a honeymoon because the Japan trip happened. And as much as we would have loved to make Batanes our honeymoon destination, we are holding that off. You see, I won a round trip domestic flight ticket. And knowing that a one-way ticket to Batanes could cost as much as a round trip flight to a few Southeast Asian countries, I am hoping I could use that free flight for it.

Anyway, it has been a month since the wedding and we haven't really planned on anything. That, however, does not mean that a honeymoon is not bound to happen. It might come a little late but at least, it’s going to be in a beautiful country.

When Jan and I planned our wedding, we agreed to keep it simple because it reflects who we are individually and as a couple. And also, truthfully, we're on a tight budget.

But we all know that even the simplest weddings can burn a huge chunk of money—in a blink of an eye at that. Budget was a big deal for us. And since we splurged on travel and made a trip to Japan just a little over a month before the wedding (hashtag that, priorities hehe), we decided to scrimp on some wedding details.

Don't get us wrong. We want our wedding day to be special. It's just that, extravagance isn't really our cup of tea.

The succeeding posts in this blog would most probably be all about our wedding because, honestly, I have not gotten over it yet. Our wedding is nothing short of amazing. It is magical but it's real. It's simple but it's the best. It's cheap (by current standards) but it's definitely full of love.

Here's the same-day edit video made by Love Dot Date Production. I love everything about it and it melts my heart every time I hear Jan's vows.

Jan and I visited our future home yesterday and we're so happy about the progress.

See?

Knowing how real estate development works here, one could say that that's a lot of progress.

#TeamNoLigo

Haha. I'm really looking forward to the day we move in because finally *drum roll* I will have a custom bookshelf/mini library! But before I start with anything for our home, I still have a wedding to plan. We haven't made a lot of progress and we only have four months! And what's worse, I still have to decide which five out of a hundred wedding DIY ideas are realistic enough for me to actually attempt to do.

May the gods of patience and creativity be ever in my favor.

P.S. Hey Chronos, please bestow me with a lot of time too because I'm also having Japanese lessons in between.

So it's been four years and I'm trying to come up with a decent entry for this day. I think I'm done with these cheesy posts after the Avengers: Infinity War left me feeling so empty because Loki died in the first ten minutes of the movie (I don't care if you'd kill me for that spoiler. I'm already dead inside).

Anyway, since today is our fourth anniversary (I still won't post anything cheesy but),  I'll leave you with something that could be quite intriguing, perhaps eyebrow-raising, and just might give you a wee bit of a shock. Here's a little confession: I made the first move.

Here's how we've been spending our weekends:

Somewhere cold and at least 1,000ft above sea level.

And most probably, the incoming weekends too.

I feel giddy whenever Jan sends me an email because it only means one thing: travel. Last week, he told me to check my email, and tada! Grinning from ear to ear, I immediately replied with the most excited word one could ever read: Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaas! This guy never fails to surprise me. He said he's been eyeing on it for a long time and when he finally had the chance, he proceeded to book even without my knowledge.