The Softness of Being Loved Well

Lately, I’ve been thinking about how love shows up—not in dramatic moments, but in small, thoughtful gestures that make everyday life feel a little softer. And recently, my husband has reminded me just how comforting those quiet acts of care can be.

For years—truly a decade—I’ve wanted a Nespresso machine. Not because it’s fancy, but because I’ve always imagined how grounding it would feel to start my mornings with a cup of coffee that tastes calm, steady, and warm. Yet each time I thought of buying one, I’d talk myself out of it. There was always something more practical, always a reason to push my own wants aside.

But through all the years we’ve been together, my husband never forgot. He always encouraged me to finally get one because he knew how much I wanted it. This year, he surprised me with it as an advanced Christmas gift—so I could enjoy my mornings right away. And honestly, it really does change the tone of the day when your coffee tastes a little better. It feels like being cared for before the world starts demanding things from you. Continue reading

I’m engaged!

To be perfectly honest, I don’t know how to write this post without ugly-crying in front of my laptop! But I would like to start by saying that our story would never be complete without the whirlwind romance of how it all started. This post is pretty much the sequel to all of my previous attempts of writing the story of us. Jeez, it still feels surreal calling him my fiancé — we’ve openly talked about marriage and our future plans, but being here in this moment, I still couldn’t believe it. It’s been days, yet I still couldn’t believe it despite having started with the wedding preparation.

Our relationship may not be as long as others, but we sure have gone through so much together. I remember that a lot of people didn’t approve of our being together, some even said that what we have won’t last long. Looking back now, it feels like it’s been a lifetime ago, yet I can still remember it clear as day. My past self would feel so good knowing that they were wrong about us and knowing that she made the right choice.

I’ve always felt like I’m constantly making wrong decision after wrong decision my whole life because that’s what everyone around me made me feel, but with you, it just instantly felt right. You pushed me to be a better person and made me realize that taking risks is not always as scary as it seems.

Here, on the first chapter of the sequel of our book, I am both ecstatic and afraid. And that’s okay, because one thing that I learned from our relationship is that the most worthwhile moments are the ones that scare the hell out of me. You’ve proven that, time and time again. Continue reading

Nuvali, Sta. Rosa: Solenad & Amaia Steps

We didn’t want to leave La Finca, but our time was already up. The morning of our check-out date, we still managed to wake up early to do some morning swim. The water was freezing, but nothing can really stop us from taking our final dip in the pool! We started moving and fixing our stuff at around 10:30 AM, took a bath, got dressed, and took some photos before before we left.
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