I never regretted a single travel, never regretted being game to activities even though I am not really good at it and may even result to embarrassment, hehe. Whether it's surfing, wake boarding, or those other activities that involve a lot of courage but does not require much skill (haha) like jumping off cliffs or riding steep roller coasters, I am up for it! When the day comes that I've consumed all my strength and courage, I'll be proud to say that at least I've used them all up well. 

To me, a winter trip will not be completed without going to an ice festival and try skiing for the first time! I don't know why I set the Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival & Elysian Gangchon Ski Resort (Updated 2024 Link!) package on my last full day in Korea, the day before my flight, but it actually sounds like the perfect finale for my 10-day Winter in Korea adventure.

One of the best moments for me in this trip is stepping in Busan. Maybe because it's my first time here, everything's all too unfamiliar and new and exciting. Or maybe the sun and the beach were the warm welcome that I needed after days of freezing in Jeju's winter wonderland, or that Busan's chill vibe reminds me of my home in Alabang (a city, but not quite). Whatever it is, I am making sure that this short encounter will not be my last.

Back in Seoul, and after days of being on the road, I am glad that one of my last activities before going home is a Whoo Spa Beauty Care Package - Trazy Care -- The ultimate pamper time while in South Korea!

Do you have any plans of going to Jeju after exploring every corner of Seoul? To me, heading to Jeju one time is never enough. It might look like a tiny round island in maps, but I learned that it is even BIGGER THAN SINGAPORE. Maybe that's why one full day during my visit in 2016 was not enough. I was only able to go to their museums like the Hello Kitty Land, Teddy Bear Museum, O'sulloc, and the Van Gogh exhibit at that time.

Now that it's my second time in the island, I made sure to correct a few mistakes. First, I have to be ready even before my flight by knowing where I want to go and booking Jeju Island Bus Tour through my favorite Korean online booking site Trazy.com. Second, location-wise I chose a hostel that's nearer the places I want to go to. In 2016, a bus ride from my hostel near the airport to my destination will take me an hour and a half. Ubos oras talaga that you won't be able to go to so much places as planned! Anyway, so you don't have to commit the same mistakes that I did, here's a blog post just for you!

I am ticking an item from my 2018 list sooner than I thought! I'm going to the Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta at the Omni Aviation Complex in Clark Pampanga!!!

Can I be completely honest?

On my very first solo travel, I made a white lie to my mom. I told her that I am going to Korea as a blogger for a sponsored trip--which is true. I said that I will be with other bloggers, now that's the part where I lied, huhu I'm so sorry. 

On my first solo travel, to be fair, I was supposed to be with a friend so I can use my airfare prize from a blog contest that I just won. Since we both went to Seoul already, we both agreed that we should also go to Jeju Island for a change. And so I booked everything from the domestic airfare to our hostels. Then my friend got sick and cancelled the last minute. With everything already paid for, I was still determined to push through even though this means going alone for the first time. 

It was indeed one of the best experiences I've had in my life! Sweet independence, late autumn in a beautiful land, experiencing Korea's first snowfall of the year... but still, something's lacking. I cannot fully update my family on my going-ons because they will notice I was alone. I cannot post too much and update my social media because it will also be super obvious. The experience is nice, but not fully perfect. That's what I tried to change in my recent trip to South Korea.

I cannot imagine not going to Myeongdong whenever I am in Korea. They have all my favorite Korean beauty stores and street food stalls, and there's something about its vibe.

During my recent trip, although I live a bit far, I spent the night relishing my few hours in Seoul (before flying to Jeju) by visiting this food and shopping district. No crowd or cold stopped me from snaking through the all-too familiar roads that I will never ever get to fully memorize.

I also met up with my friend Deegee who spent his last night in Seoul in Myeongdong to try more street foods and buy pasalubongs (good decision!). The best part is witnessing the nonstop glittering snowfall as we decided to stop all the shopping and food trip to just be there in the middle of it all! 

Happy New Year! I am sure it's the perfect time to update you looks and beauty stash. If you're like me who's a noob when it comes to makeup, then you will appreciate these quality yet affordable products from local brand Fashion 21.

I've been to Shinjuku before, but it's almost always during nighttime. One time, Sarah and I went there for the Robot Restaurant. Another time I went there to meet up with Gervin after his work, and had dinner in a hole-in-the-wall ramen place. I think that one time I went to Shinjuku during daytime was with my Ate, to see the cherry blossoms and have hanami in the park. It was, for me, the best view of sakura blossoms in my whole life!

This time, I wanted to see Shinjuku while it's autumn. Deegee and I went there early in the morning to put a big check in items from our Shinjuku list:

On our 7th day, we said goodbye to "the library". Just when we were already getting used to it, it's time to move to our next hostel.

This bar is actually Book & Bed's receptionist area:

As an events organizer, I am always on the lookout for venues that are not only affordable, but also comfortable, convenient, and of course beautiful.

Early morning at the train station:

By Day 5, I felt that we've covered most of our Japan itinerary by being the hyper kids that we were since our first day in Tokyo. I was just waiting for the days when we've booked an activity or tickets for Disney Sea. For now, we decided to go back to some of our Tokyo favorites and linger more to see these places during daytime, on a weekend, without the rush (the real goal of this trip).

Sadly, traffic is now part of our daily commutes. Even on a Saturday, I was late for a BU meeting in Megamall because of the traffic congestion in EDSA. I wasn't expecting that on a weekend!

One of my favorite days in this Japan trip is no doubt our Mount Fuji tour. Since the trip duration is long and it's not my first time in Tokyo, I considered including side trips that I've been meaning to go to.

When we didn't see Mt. Fuji last June 2016 from Yokohama, I searched over the internet for the seasons and months when this Japan icon will most likely show up and vowed to return. True enough, on December of 2017 I had the chance to travel again and did not forget to add Mt. Fuji as a MUST in our itinerary.

I've always been a low-maintenance, cleanse with soap type of girl. But last year, I began experimenting more on my skincare and makeup, thanks to the wonderful world of Korean Beauty!

Although a bit costly when I started (nightly Althea online purchases, hehehe), I just love my nightly pat of serum.

I know people find New Year's Resolutions cliche and even korny, but what can I do? 😅 

I've been doing this for a long time and have seen how this is effective for me. Parang siyang part of the whole "law of attraction" process, the first step even. Like magic, most of the items I wrote down every start of the year really transpired before the year ends! Hindi ko alam if the universe really conspired to make things happen for me, or it's just me, working hard on my goals since I already specified them and posted them for the world to see (accountability). Either way, there's nothing to lose!