Melo Villareal
2012 has been an incredibly busy and defining year for me. It wasn’t just a blur of late nights baking batch after batch of Monster Cookies, surviving the endless grind of the graveyard shift, hunting down new and exciting places to eat, and squeezing in quick trips whenever I could. It was also the year I made one of the biggest decisions of my life: to return to freelancing and finally leave my BPO job—a job that had kept me occupied, challenged, and growing for five long but deeply memorable years.
Mount Pinatubo Adventure
January challenged me with a trek to Pinatubo with fellow travel bloggers. It wasn’t an easy trek for me, since the last time I did one was probably 10 years ago, when I was 20 kilos lighter (LOL). January was also the month when the Philippine Department of Tourism invited me to the media launch of its new tagline, “It’s More Fun in the Philippines“.
February brought me to Cebu to experience the newly renovated Summit Circle Cebu Hotel. On this trip, I started gaining weight because all we did was eat at Zubuchon and try different dishes, all of which had nothing but Lechon.
March took me to the caves of Apulit Island and to the beautiful resorts on Miniloc and Lagen Islands. Also, last March, I gained a couple of pounds after enjoying the Sooo Pinoy Food Tour in Iloilo and Boracay with fellow bloggers and print media food writers.
In April, I returned to Cebu for another food trip with Unilever’s Sooo Pinoy Team. After a week of gluttony, I spent the holy week in Sagada – a place that will take you forever to reach, but truly one of the best destinations to relax and unwind.
May introduced me to a hidden paradise called Jomalig – an island in Quezon Province that takes forever to reach, but the place is terrific. Also, last May, I was able to visit and explore the old “Manila Metropolitan Theater” building – one of the most beautiful man-made structures in Manila that badly needs rehabilitation. Last May, I also headed to Davao for the annual Davao Food Appreciation Tour (DFAT) – a food tour for bloggers showcasing some of Davao’s best restaurants and travel destinations. After the food tour, I visited Lake Agco in Kidapawan City and the Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Masjid, Cotabato City’s Golden Mosque.
June brought a 7-day Central Visayas familiarization trip to explore some of the country’s best-kept secrets, such as Bohol, Dumaguete, Apo Island, Siquijor, and Cebu. The trip was followed by a 6-day trip to Malaysia for the AirphilExpress Kuala Lumpur Inaugural Flight. During our trip to Malaysia, I won two awards (Best Photo and Most Number of Blog Posts) out of 4 in the bloggers’ contest. After discovering the beautiful sights, sounds, and tastes of Malaysia, I’m back in Davao for another Sooo Pinoy Food tour with Unilever Philippines.
July made me a Heritage Warrior🙂 I spent 4 days with PHILTOA Members, the Media, and John Chua’s team exploring World Heritage Sites in Ifugao, with the aim of preserving its natural wonders.
August allowed me to finally focus on my backlog. I made good progress, but unfortunately, I was only able to complete about half of it.
September made me busy with some of my social media projects, but I was able to visit my favorite Hamilo Coast and stayed at The Pico Sands Hotel. Imagine the beach, the food, and the lush mountain just outside your hotel window… it truly deserves a five-star rating. For the second time, I visited Malaysia for the opening of Legoland Malaysia… Aside from being a food haven, Malaysia is becoming an emerging destination for theme park lovers.
In October, I accepted a challenge to explore Kelantan in Malaysia on a shoestring budget. Thanks to Zestair for inviting me on their Kuala Lumpur Inaugural Flight. While exploring Kelantan’s heritage sites, I was able to visit some of Malaysia’s Buddhist temples, and the most exciting part was our short visit to Thailand via the Malaysia-Pengkalan Kubur (Kelantan) Border. During our trip, I was named the overall winner of the Zest Air Malaysia Blogger Adventure Contest, co-sponsored by Tourism Malaysia.
Last November, I had the chance to join a 4-day, 3-night Asian cruise with the officers and top achievers of Santé International as their official photographer. It was my second time on board Superstar Virgo (I’ll be sharing a separate post about that soon), but unlike my first experience, this itinerary was shorter and more fast-paced. We spent two nights on the ship, making the most of the amenities, shows, and photo sessions, before docking for a brief day tour in Malaysia. After exploring for a few hours, we sailed back to Singapore to cap off the trip. It was such a full month for me that I ended up visiting Malaysia four times this year. 🙂
December was an awesome month! It was my first time applying for a Visa and also my first visit to North America. Along with fellow Pinoy Travel Bloggers and Print Media, we were invited by Philippine Airlines to a familiarization tour in Toronto as part of their inaugural Toronto flight. Our stay in Canada was a little bit short. Still, we were lucky to explore some of Toronto’s famous tourist spots, including St. Lawrence Market, the CN Tower, Queen’s Park, the University of Toronto, Toronto Island, renowned wineries, and Niagara Falls.
Traveling, photography, baking, and blogging have been my bread and butter for the past few years. Over time, I’ve realized that no matter how much effort you pour into a task, it won’t feel gratifying unless you genuinely enjoy what you’re doing.
So for 2013, keep doing what you love. Immerse yourself in every experience, and look for creative ways to turn your passions into something that can also support you. 🙂
For me, fulfillment isn’t measured by how many destinations I’ve visited. It’s found in the stories behind each trip, the lessons learned on the road, and the friendships formed along the way. Stay happy, keep your heart open to new experiences, and I wish you all the luck and extraordinary journeys in 2013.
***Happiness is not having what you want, it’s wanting what you have!***
Manila Travel Tour Packages You Should Try
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