Run Away to Baguio

More than a week ago, I went up to Baguio with Nimmy and five others with just one goal in mind, escape the fast-paced milieu of the metro.

It took that long for me to write this because of two things - I felt my fellow bloggers captured our story very well that I ended up thinking, I might just be duplicating parts of their work, and number two, I've been guilty of procrastination doubled up by lack of time, stress in work and endless questioning of, "How will I start?"

You see, I've been longing to have this time to escape and just adore some scenery, not think about the stressful life in the office, spend more time with Nimmy and enjoy the company of my blogger friends. After going back to work five months ago, I think I'm smart to take advantage of this time to travel, get to slack off a bit, buy some time to reflect and feel the magnificent balance my mind and heart is yearning.

Before I get to enumerate all the benefits of traveling, allow me first to give thanks to the following people. 

Nimmy - my Mahal. I'm happy he approved my traveling expense and I'm sure he'll agree it's all worth spending for. He met in advance some of the folks we were with in Baguio and I'm happy he goes along well with them too. Mahal and I shared bed and believe me, nothing beats cuddling in the City of Pines. I can never forget the time he slept just few minutes his face landed my chest. Yes, he is that tired after our first day trip. I always get to enjoy traveling because of him. He cares for me and never leaves my side. Lucky to have him as my boyfriend. 

Bino - you know the saying, "Action speaks louder than voice?" Bino is the typical guy that you would want as a friend. He listens and observes intently. His action fits for a father. He doesn't talk that much but through action he has shown care for the group. He wakes up early to prepare breakfast, he had the whole trip planned by creating the itinerary and contacting some folks for our accommodation. In other words, he's like our "go-to" person. He's like a big brother to all of us. He's overflowing with leadership and I must say, I'm one of the lucky folks to have him as a friend. He's a keeper! He easily laughs at my jokes and punchlines. A great company all throughout.

Karlo - similar to Bino, he's somewhat taciturn yet when he speaks, he speaks with sharpness and wit. He's the assigned chef of the group exhibiting his mastery with red sauce spaghetti and hotdogs! He's easy to get a long with opposed to his embedded character as "suplado." Though I can say he has that propensity at times he is quiet, he had always shown immense interest and attention when I speak, which in turns makes me earnestly listen to him back when he tells some stories.

Desoleboy - my comedic buddy. I'm not sure, but with how we connect during our Baguio trip is beyond my comprehension. Our exchanges in punchlines seemed to be endless. DB like his blog is a deep person. He might have impressed upon people his darkness in writing, but I never get to see that when we laugh. I always get to see the positive side of this fellow maybe because he has been so transparent and honest to us. I appreciate the fact that he trusted us with his friendship, and with that I'm truly grateful for. It's a pleasure to hear stories of his work, his adventures and all others. He's a genius in disguise and for a person to be like him, one can be so arrogant, but never did I feel that with him. He listens and shares, perfect formula for a friendship to last a lifetime.

Theo - the baby of the group. I can sense a neophyte blood running through him when I saw him the first time in Baguio. He's like a fragile piece in our mainstream. He's a fresh graduate, learning the ropes of career building and very idealistic in a good way. As such, I feel that it could have been our barrier during the trip, he rarely opens up to the group, yet he is receptive to our discussions. Funny that albeit our jam-packed itinerary he managed to still publish a blog that day. Feels like he has a world of his own, yet being the more matured ones we reached out to ensure he's enjoying and he gets what he need. The trip is proven to be short for us to get to know him more. But his presence really completed our entire stay, and made it colorful.

Mar - I only found lately that I've been following his blog for a long time now. During the planning stage, I get to see his Twitter name mentioned along side my name and being that stranger, I was worried that I'll be spending Baguio with someone I never get to interact with. So I followed him, he followed me back, but it was crazy that we still never had that interaction. Looking at his timeline, I can only see Instagram tweets so I can never really create a full assumption of his personality. Nonetheless, it was never a deterrent to mingle and meet new folks. I'm surprised that after meeting him, I find that we share the same humor. We clicked and it was really fun being with him. Mar was actually our assigned negotiator for cab drivers. He might not have noticed but I was observing him while he talks to the driver. He has this charisma that rarely finds rejection. He had this technique that I learned that I can find useful in the future. Mar is also generous and I find that his generosity stems from his character and the pureness of his heart.

As a group, it has been a very pleasant experience. My stay in Baguio was already complete with Nimmy all along, but the company and the different personalities of the group made it a notch higher. 

You see, blogging's purpose should never be limited to just opening your thoughts and emotions through words. It's a great medium to be heard by many. But one should never be afraid to step a little further and interact personally with people. While for some are still in the hideouts and complete anonymity, I find joy in just being myself and attract positive people to join the wagon of delightful existence. The group may have different individual point of views, religions and ages, our common denominator is to really just enjoy and avoid the misery from the workplace, finding a sense of balance and ignite the friendship.

We can never be successful in escaping the office hullabaloos, but we bring back a sense of thought that life is not all about the stress your work can bring. But you got friends and company to enjoy at your own pace.

So to Bino, Karlo, DB, Theo and Mar, may our friendship stay forever and grow more with people of the same mindset. It was an honor and privilege spending the days with you all in Baguio. See you soon!

Funny lines during our trip.

Me: Uy Mar, ikaw ba nag-grate nitong cheese?

Karlo: Uu, ngipin niya yung ginamit niya.

Me: Ah kaya pala may kick!

 (It all began with this conversation and we used "kick" in every aspect of our conversation. Crazy.)

***

Me: You know guys, ang sarap ng fruits na ito... Alam mo yun... Yung may burst of flavors. 

***

DB: Gusto ko umakyat sa taas. (Him trying to get inside a Benguet native hut, he made several attempts but was unsuccessful)

Me: So what's the struggle DB? (and DB burst some laughing)

***

Me: Oh guys picture, yung parang naglalakad paakyat ng stairs. (Mar dropping something and while picking up his stuff, I took the picture along side Bino, Karlo and DB)

Me: Ay Mar Verdan, mukha kang nagsstruggle sa picture. Are you ok?

***

Me: Jump shot! (And we almost had jump shots in every location except Pink Sisters)

***

DB: Gawa tayo ng video ng kanta ng One Direction!

All: No reaction. (Cricket sounds)

***

 Karlo: Nasaan si Theo?

Me: Ayun nag-bablog sa puno. 

 ***