Disclaimer: Most of the photos aren't mine and they have crappy quality because I just downloaded them from Facebook app. Anyway, this post was kind of a spur of a moment, therefore, no editing (of photos) and all.

2017 surely is one of the best years I’ve had so far. A lot of unexpected stuff happened – good and bad. I got to experience a lot of things, meaningful ones.  I also finally achieved some of the goals that I had been aiming for quite a long while.

[caption width="3744" id="attachment_1166" align="alignnone"] Yes! I have finally graduated![/caption]

Through this year, I’ve learned how important it is to be able to accept, love and believe in myself, to get to know myself better and to find my genuine happiness. And although I’m still far from achieving those, I’m proud to finally be able to start working on it. It’s not easy to love yourself when all you’ve known are your flaws. Even though it’s going to take a while, I know that I still can get there with baby steps.



But, for now, I wanna thank the people who taught me that I’m more than my flaws.

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And those who helped me recognize my strengths.

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This year had taught me to appreciate the people around me.

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I’m grateful to have people who were there when I was at my weakest, people who I’ve never thought were going to listen to me and lift up my spirits when I was too down.

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The groupmates who made my summer class exciting and less dreadful, even with the 7AM class schedule.

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The team who gave me opportunities to grow in my career. They were also the same people whom I’ve spent half of the greatest moments with in 2017.

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The people I’d never thought I could keep a friendship with even though I don’t always get to see them anymore. The people I never thought I could share random to really deep stuff with.

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The friends I’ve made spontaneous adventures with. It’s one thing to have planned a trip or a hangout ahead of time but it’s another to just go ‘G’ at the very last minute.

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The squad that loves drawings but pushes for the last minute ganaps. These people had always been a family to me since highschool and I’m just too happy that even though most of us are working now, we still manage to make efforts to meet each other.

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The friends I don’t always talk to but still loves me a lot even with my annoying and crappy emotional self.

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My very precious bbs that are always supportive of me and pushed me to go for the things I could do and get better at.

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The family that I don’t always spend a lot of time with but was the first people I had run to when I was breaking – especially my mom.

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2017 may have broken me in some way, but I'm proud to have made it through the rest of the year stronger and maybe, better. Thank God for the blessings in disguise! Thank you, 2017! Hello, 2018!

During the time when I had this intense thirst for adventure, my friends supported me by planning weekend getaways with me. But because of the superstition that graduating students are more likely to be in danger, we couldn't go on hikes or beach trips.

Luckily, we found out about The Cabin Resorts (and their ongoing promo at that time).



Located inside ELCOR Compound at Brgy. Pinagbarilan in Baliuag, Bulacan, The Cabin Resorts is just the perfect weekend escape for people who just wants to be somewhere with family or friends. Also perfect for those that got fed up with life and just wants to be somewhere peaceful. 

We discovered this wonder on Facebook last August. They had this promo wherein guests can reserve the place for P5,500 (for 6 pax) if booked on or before August.

[caption id="attachment_868" align="alignnone" width="720"] This promo already ended but check their FB page for their latest ongoing promo 😉[/caption]

I got really excited when I saw the photos of the cabin. It looked very cozy and very photoshoot-worthy.

Chillin' at The Cabin

We reserved for the first weekends of October. We were fortunate that they still had weekend slots when we booked. (As of 10/9/2017, their weekend slots are fully booked.)

We planned to meet at Cubao around 12nn so we could arrive in Bulacan by 2pm. But, yeah, sometimes plans remains just as plans. 😑

From Gateway Mall, we walked for about ten-minutes (or probably more) to Five Star Bus Terminal. We rode a bus to San Antonio and got off at Tarcan, fare is P71 pesos. At Tarcan, we rode a tricycle to ELCOR Compound. The tricycle fare is 10 pesos per person. It took around 2hrs to arrive coming from Cubao.



The Cabin is only a short walk from the ELCOR gate. We passed by the restaurant and other resorts inside the compound.

[caption id="attachment_948" align="alignnone" width="3264"] There's the cabin 😍[/caption]

We arrived at the cabin around 5PM and was warmly assisted by the caretakers. They told us we could order food from the restaurant until 8PM. They left a copy of their menu inside the cabin (which I wasn't able to take a picture of  😞) for our reference.



Anyway, just a warning, the food on their menu are mostly putok-batok. We ordered Lechon Kawali, Tapsilog, Chicharon Bulaklak (cravings satisfied! ❤️), Sisig, and the only ~healthy~ food from their menu, Chopsuey. The prices range from 150-500 but their servings are good for sharing. They also have individual meals which are the silog meals that costs less than 100.



The second floor of the cabin is the bedroom with 1 bed and 2 mattresses (each can fit 3 persons). There's a cabinet near the window where they put extra blankets and pillows.

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Because we were busy with our photoshoot, we didn't get to use their karaoke and kayak. But we really enjoyed the free two buckets of beer and the sound system.

Things you can do during your stay

• Play games (bring board games, cards etc.)


• Movie marathon (their speaker is really nice though their tv is quite small)


• Karaoke (you can sing all night if you wish)


• Kayaking


• Catch fish? (my friend was able to borrow a fishing rod, we caught a tilapia but we put it back on the lake)


• Swim (you can swim anytime but it's a separate fee of 250 per head)


• Photoshoot! (yep, it's what we did!)


• Stay up late and share scary stories (this was unexpected but, yeah, we did this until 3am)

[caption id="attachment_959" align="alignnone" width="2000"] Millenials of the Cabin! So happy to meet new friends <3[/caption]

Some notes that could help

• We read on their FB page that bringing of foods isn't allowed. But based on our experience, I don't think they really mind those food that you cant order from their restaurant. For foods that need to be put on boxes (pizza etc.) just try to ask them before going there.


• Bring snacks? During our stay, we got hungry around midnight but since their restaurant is already closed, we had to get out to Tarcan (where we got off from the bus) to buy snacks.


• Take note of the inclusions on your promo. We had to pay for the bottled softdrinks and bottled water from the fridge, and coffee that we consumed. They cost 10pesos each.


• Their regular weekend rate is P7500.


• The cabin can accomodate up to 10pax. But since the rate is only for 6pax, extra persons pay 1000.


• We contacted them through FB so I dont have their contact nos. They don't respond immediately though.


• They have a gallon of drinking water and extra utensils on a table out in the terrace.


• The cabin is really cold unless you don't use the aircon.


• If you're coming from Cubao, I suggest you go there at around 11-12nn.


• Your trip back to Cubao may require you to stand from Tarcan to SM North. There are buses to Cubao that pass by Tarcan but most of the time, there are no more vacant seats. So, just prepare your legs.


• Total amount I spent for this get away is around P1700.

Expense breakdown:

• Transportation (from home to the cabin and vice versa): 268


• Cabin (5,500/6): 917


• Food (this will depend on your orders and your squad's agreement): 250


• Pool: 250

Well, I guess staying in the cabin is quite pricey, but just keep on checking their FB page for ongoing promos and giveaways!

[caption id="attachment_925" align="alignnone" width="4160"] And this is me looking stress-free. Wishing I could stay in this cabin, again 🙏[/caption]

If you wanna see the shots of our photographer friends, click on the links below. You can also book them if you need photo/video services.

Sean Amador - Flickr / Facebook / Instagram

Kat Teodosio -  Facebook / Instagram

 

One saturday afternoon, a wannabe model and an aspiring photographer strolled the streets of Makati and took advantage of the uncrowded city.

Always wanted to do something different, so I didn't hesitate when Kuya Sean planned a shoot with me.

We walked the streets of Legaspi and Salcedo Village in Makati on a cloudy Saturday afternoon for this shoot. It was kind of tiring but fun. It's also kind of awkward (or i'm just a really awkward person) to pose in public where other people can judge you. Thankfully, it's a weekend and there weren't a lot of people.

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I'm not really a fashion girl and since my best friend, a.k.a. my style consultant, wasn't around, I opted for white tee, jeans and sneakers.



I'm still trying to work on my facial expressions and poses, so yeah, bear with me.

[vimeo 235361455 w=640 h=360]
More photos at Flickr

For photo/video services, contact Sean Amador via Instagram / Facebook