I've done several river crossings and canyoning before. And not one of them have I worn a proper footwear. I used to be so proud wearing my trusted hiking shoes - waterproof and all. But on occasions, I've had these futile attempts to keep my shoes dry. I turn to a different rou…

I've taken a lot of buses in my travels. But the most memorable one happened three years ago today when I sat next to a guy on the way home from  Gumasa, Glan . His name is Jan and we had a little conversation—the first real one we ever had two months since I came in as the new Soft…

How to be u po? That's one of the comments I often receive whenever I post something on Facebook or sometimes here on my blog. I'm not a celebrity or something. But I believe every blogger, regardless of the number of followers, has certainly experienced the same. Not that I t…

Our trip to Bacolod has long been planned when Jan and I were invited last February by our Tito Juju to his birthday climb at Kampo Hiyang-hiyang in Talisay, Negros Occidental. Prior to the trip, a Bacolodnon friend tipped us about the places to go and food to eat. He said that Bacolo…

I don't have a stage fright. Or so I thought. I have been a performer all my life. I grew up doing various performances such as acting, singing (don't get me wrong, I am tone deaf), and dancing for our church. I've done quite a lot of dance number, declamations, extemporan…

If I didn't know better, I would say I was a mermaid, or a starfish, or perhaps a seaweed in my past life. Growing up close to the beach (approx. just ten minutes away from home), I know my heart belongs to the water that I just couldn't say no to the sea even if it almost t…

Funny how I have always thought that Boracay isn't one of the places I am eager to set my foot on. I have heard a million times how overrated, expensive, and overdeveloped it is. But when Jan and I decided to go, I just couldn't contain my excitement! Maybe Boracay is a whole lo…

Because it's going to ruin your life. I just got my payslip and cringed at the tax that I had to pay. But what really turned my stomach was the amount of deduction from my salary. All because of that snooze button.

WARNING: This will be another cheesy random blog post. Although that warning wouldn't really matter because, apparently, everyone in this planet loves cheese... Except me. It's probably what people will remember me by. The girl who hates cheese.

I barely use beauty products, especially on my face. Since I am always in a hurry (read: lazy), my daily facial routine includes: washing, moisturizing, and applying baby powder only. Nothing more, nothing less. I really didn't care until a legion of tiny red minions started breaking …

I don't air grievances on Facebook. Okay, I did it once. But only to defend myself from cyber attacks of people who were once significant to me. And that was it. I believe in taking the high road and not stooping down their level. I can bite my tongue and just let it slide even if t…

"Sabi ninyo, minor climb lang?! Umuwi akong lumpo. Minor ha." - A remark I've heard from a few people I met during our recent climb. How exactly would you define a minor climb? Even though I started hiking way back 2006, I don't consider myself a seasoned hiker.  I&#…

I was known to be a sleeper in class back in college. And when I wasn't sleeping, my classmates would find me scribbling absentmindedly. Half of the pages of my notebook (if I even had one) were filled with doodles and the rest were just clean empty pages. I might have offended some…

Our  Balut Island getaway  gave me a lot of scratches and insect bites that left ugly red marks on my legs. I usually just leave scars alone and let them fade on their own. But since I will be wearing shorts in my Muay Thai trainings, I got a little conscious I decided to look for a produ…

I just want to share what boredom can do to me. And by boredom, I meant, my new ukulele case looks so boring my eyes hurt just by looking at it. No offense to RJ Guitars. This case is—quality-wise—excellent. I embrace simplicity but this is just too bland for my taste. So to prettify it…

I never really look forward to my birthdays. My 20s isn't all that awesome and isn't really my favorite decade. Climbing the hills of my 30s isn't that glorious either. At least, that's what the internet told me. My face has been slammed with those " 30 Awesome Thin…

I want to get inked. I have always wanted one ever since I was in college. But I had to wait. I had to make sure it wasn't just a teenager's act of rebellion against the parents, the self, or the world. Then I had to wait more to make sure that I am not running right into a tatt…

I have been warned a thousand times that it's not easy to get there. But what they don't realize is that they are talking to Sarah. What would not be easy for me? *smirks* Balut Island can be crossed with 50 to 70-seater cargo vessels from the port of General Santos City, w…

If it wasn't for the review I made, I would not have blogged anything for almost two weeks. And so I start to think, in the name off all that is holy, haven't you done anything that is interesting, Sarah? Actually, a lot happened. But I can only think of it as something worth s…

Everybody knows that I love the outdoors. This is the fourth tent that I owned (I had domes and a tadpole before) but this will be the first one that I'll make a review. Please note that whatever I say here is factual and only based on my experience. This is an honest review and not…

"You have found a keeper", a friend once told me. "Why do you say so? You don't even know him." "I don't. But not all couples are cut to travel together." I flashed a silly grin.

How many miles have we traveled so far? Why the hell am I even asking that? I think it's pointless to count when we don't have plans of stopping. As long as we can, we'll keep on traveling, right? May 2015 - May 2016 Trips After two years of mishaps and misadventures,…

Not that I am a ruthless, vile, and mean girl. But I can be ruthless, vile, and mean. You just have to ask for it. For a few days, I tried unplugging from Facebook because every time I open it, I feel like I need Advil or something. I've gone as far as deactivating my account befo…

My second name was derived from my birth month. So if I were born a boy, I would most likely be named June. And perhaps will be given a nickname Jun-jun. Which would make me cringe the same way I cringe when I think about the fact that some people still call me Jane-jane. Ugh. I have al…

I am not over-thinking and I am not trying to be over dramatic here but I am pretty sure the internet is trying to kill me. With the round-the-clock birth of information and non-stop stream of news, not to mention the political hullabaloo happening on social media (this has got to be th…

I hate crowds. Although finding myself among the sea of fans in the Queen's concert would be an exception - which, we all know, is never going to happen. A few weeks ago, I found myself getting pushed and shoved in the middle of strangers. I had to endure the agony of standing for…

I won't make this long. In fact, I am just going to copy what I have said on Facebook. I don't really feel like writing anything as I am going through something quite devastating. But I owe this blog a lot of posts already. So if my thoughts do not come out nice (or do not come ou…

I wish one day I'd be able to paint one of these walls ... These are exactly the words I told myself a few years ago. I have always been fascinated with street art. How they are a mystery. How they keep people in constant wonder. How and when did it effin come up here? What the hell…

I have over 50 drafts to date and not one of them is worth publishing anymore. Panis na kasi . I don't know if I should feel bad about that or the fact that I got more stories still waiting to be written (cue : I Can Wait Forever by Air Supply ). The blogging wells could run dry som…

Brrr. We were about 2,800 meters above sea level - that's just a hundred meters more to summit, maybe a few miles left to trek. I was clearly unfazed by the terrain. I was already told it was an easy trek. But still, for weeks, Jan and I conditioned our bodies for this. And it did p…

How do I even begin this post? I have already spent 10 minutes just staring at the blinking cursor of this blank page and the rest of 50 minutes were spent just looking at all our pictures in Mt. Pulag (for the nth time). I'm still lost for words. With this beauty, who wouldn'…

Baguio is by far my favorite city next to Davao. There are actually lot of things to do and places to go to in Baguio. But I'll be honest, the very reason why I was excited to visit Baguio would be the strawberries. I can ditch just any other tourist spots in Baguio, but not the exp…

Hi! I'm finally back! I guess, I really couldn't keep this blogging hiatus for a long time (yay!). Well, it's Saturday. I was slowly dying of boredom and I was about to finish myself off by listening to one more Justin Beiber song (I told you, I'm starting to become a Be…

At this point, people have already realized that on the internet: 1. Everyone has an opinion. 2. Everybody is smart. 3. Nobody knows you're a dog. Yes, these are the dark times.

(My allergies have subsided a little. The itch become tolerable and now I can blog about the third and last part of our Bucas Grande escapade. Although, this no longer took place in Bucas Grande.) If you have read my previous posts: Part 1 and Part 2 , you would know the sole reaso…

After a series of unfortunate hunger games event   on our first day, it's about time for real adventure at the bewitching wonders of the Sohoton Cove. But since Sohoton Cove is only accessible during low tide, we went spelunking to the deep wonders of Bucas Grande, the Crystal Ca…

Before you proceed, I'd like to say that I am no travel blogger. There is no way I can be as detailed as other Pinoy travel bloggers about my trips. But I try. I really do. The thing is, we never had an itinerary when it comes to our getaways. And this trip is no different. So I reall…

The holiday season is the most awaited season. It is an exciting time full of gifts and bright Christmas lights displays that would make you wish the holidays would never end. Between shopping, vacations, and extravagant holiday meals, saving money and conserving energy would be the least…

As someone who doesn't wear make up, the most comforting words I'll ever hear from another woman are, "I don't know how to put a makeup on either." Yes! I am still a woman after all. Haha! The other day, I found new (still sealed) lipsticks in one of our drawers.…

First of all, damn I have got to think of a killer opening line for my blog post... "First of all" just doesn't cut it. But yeah, first of all, I'd like to congratulate myself for totally nailing that 299-peso ($6) dress and made it look like Marilyn Monroe's iconic …

I have a lot to blog in mind. I would have loved to write about how the political brouhaha has blown out of proportion. But I won't. I'll leave that to the social media people who are more "active" with politics. I just want to stay away from my pa-deep thoughts for a …

This blog post is a perfect example how politics can eat up a large amount of my time and energy. I can't help it. Philippine politics is intriguing, dramatic, and at the same time entertaining. But it is equally detestable as well. I hate politics but I have got to admit that I am…

First of all, I have to say I am not a political beast, and there is no way I intend this to be a political post. But sure, I have my moments. With all these political hullabaloos, especially involving our dear Mayor Duterte, it's no surprise Davao City has also been dragged into h…

I should have written this post the moment I knew this blog won a major award in Bloggys 2015 . A few bloggers have published a word of thanks on the same date after bagging their awards and I could have done it too knowing I wasn't actually doing anything the night they announced the…

First of all, I really don't know what to say. I am still waiting for my brain to fully process my thoughts and turn them into words. Because right now, my mind's clouded with emotions that the words just might not come out right [ insert inaudible words, shriek, and mild and s…

Things don't always work the way we want it to be. Because life was never meant to be perfect. Shit happens. There will always be those days in your life when you have been wronged or have made decisions you regret. Days when you've poured too much of your time, effort, and inv…

WARNING: "Adult" language, although not necessary, will be used a lot in this post. While I was taking a dump, I just realized that my presence in the internet is becoming large that I am now running the risk of being exposed to one of its dark sides: the snide comments and pe…

When I started blogging, I was only a college student who thought life was so full of shit (although I still think it is) that I blogged about how shitty and unfair life can get after stepping on a bubble gum with your brand new shoes. Half of the time I was ranting. And half of it, I wa…

Oftentimes, people see dating as eating out together at a fancy restaurant, holding hands while walking at the mall, hanging out in a coffee shop, or watching movies together. That's cute. But I think I've already outgrown these kind of dates and I don't get impressed with pre…

I was never made for popularity contests. I cringe at the attention. Although I was popular on my own before. I was top of the class  batch for the number of absences, lates, and incident reports made. But other than that, I am unknown to many. Never won or even joined a contest that dec…