Love, Rosie.

Is it just me or is Lily Collins and Sam Claflin really has great chemistry? I've watched the trailer more than 5 times and I still get goosies. I just can't put into words how swept off I am with this movie. I am absolutely, most definitely, and totally watching this❤

Preach.

This is one of my favorite quotes. I think it says a lot about all of us. "Some people" (myself included) ought to be reminded of this all the time. 

Technophobic Music Ignoramus.

One of the many influences that Bien has had on me was music. Thinking about it now, I can't help but ask myself, "have I lived in a cave before?" It's not that I never (ever!) listened to music. Believe me I was pretty much into the boy band thing in grade school. And a whole lot of Spice Girls and Britney Spears.

Just a side story peeps...

                          

My aunt, who I think, was the only musical person in the house then, used to make mixtapes. By the way, it was kind of cool how she made those mixtapes. She'd buy blank tapes in the bookstore and every Sunday, she'll tune in to this local radio station that plays 70's and 80's music, and LITERALLY would tell everyone in the house (particularly to me), to shut up, don't speak a word, and don't make any noise while she record songs in the radio. Her tapes were usually about 10 tracks. Sometimes 12. Depends on the tape really. She only used Sony and Maxwell. When she's done recording, she'll ask me to label the tape. The last she made I think was a collection of songs from the movie Titanic. She's made plenty of mixtapes. I can't remember exactly how many they are but she's got a boxful of them. Unfortunately, I don't have a photo of her vast collection. I think it slipped my mind when she passed away. The memory of it only occurred to me when I realized how much music is taking up my life these days.

                         

And I owe my appreciation to music to my man, Bien. It was him who introduced me to "playlist." When I met him 4 years ago, he would make me listen to the songs in his ipod shuffle - which by the way, WOW-ed me at the time because being the technophobic-gadget-deprived person that I was before, I was like, "how cool is this tiny little thing that can house about a hundred songs?" Like really. I would look into his apple green ipod shuffle like it's a work of pure geniusness. There were instances when I would borrow it from him and listen to it on my way home. A 2-hour bus ride to Cavite, had the songs The Way I Do by Marcus Hernandez, This Is Us by Keisha Cole, Terrified by Kara Dioguardi, and Sunday Morning by Maroon 5 on constant repeat. I believe these songs among all others, has played a big part in our relationship. These songs marked the birth of a new me and the start of my journey to maturity and womanhood.

I can still vividly remember how giddy I was when I had my first playlist. My very own. It was also about the same time that I learned about bluetooth and mp3 download (learned about torrent this year :p). Yeah, I know what you guys are thinking but keep it to yourselves. Haha. I was getting most of the songs in my playlist from Bien's a couple of years back. He's got a wide array and AWE-SUHM and I really mean AWESOME choice of songs which includes Gavin Degraw, The Fray, Elliot Yamin, Ed Sheeran, and Coldplay, to name a few.

Now it is with pride that I tell you guys that the technophobic-music-ignoramus me four years ago is not so technophobic-music-ignoramus anymore. I am now a grown-ass woman who's got a "chick playlist." That's what my husband calls it. It's a mix of 90's pop, JT, Beyonce, rap, country, Sara Bareilles, John Legend, A Great Big World, movie OSTs, contemporary British pop such as Ed Sheeran and Ellie Goulding, and a whole LOT more.

Looking back, I can't help but laugh at the person who used to think that music is just one of the many ordinary things in this world. I was wrong. Music is a completely different world. It's powerful in a way that it can define who you are. And just like reading, it can bring you to places you've never been too. Music can be your solitude, your state of mind, your emotion, or even the story of your life. I'm just glad I found my love for it - because if if I haven't, I wouldn't be writing this☻

                         

   

A Look Back.

So today, my very eager and always supportive husband, Bien, decided to "relaunch" The Wanderlust. He was telling me this morning how good of a writer I was with this blog and that I've grown so much in here. I didn't realize that until he told me that The Wanderlust deserves a second chance. I thought about it and I honestly felt bad that I've stopped writing. I've stopped sharing my thoughts. I've stopped pouring out my emotions through words. It almost felt like that for a moment in my life, I've stopped believing in myself. Sucks really. And until this very minute, I am running out of words as I type in the introduction to my first post since a year ago. Its just that... it feels surreal. Yes, it does. But I am happy. Strangely but way more than happy to be back to blogging. The real deal blogging. Where you open a portion of yourself through writing for the world to see.

And as I start a new chapter, I'd like to share to you guys what I surprisingly found on my Draft list. I actually wrote something last year but I guess I decided to not post it. I don't know. I actually went through A LOT during the first half of 2013 so I was probably stuck in one of the phases of my life then when I wrote this and decided to just keep it stored.

So ladies, gents, and those in between, allow me to share to you the person that I was in 2013. It is unfinished but it is from here that I say good bye to The Wanderlust and welcome the Shenanigans and Whatever. 

August 20, 2013

 Hi there Wanderlust blog of mine.

It's been more than 4 months since the last time I wrote something that now I feel like shit realizing how long it has been. So what's happened in the past 4 months? I mean, life's wonderful for me especially in the aspect of being a family woman. Always been. But there had been mishaps in between.

I've resigned from work last April to become a full time mom and also because I got sick. I've undergone a two-week treatment for pneumonia. Shortly after that, I started my medication for lung infection. It's a 9-month treatment. I'm now on my 4th month and my medicines' been reduced to a lower dosage. I'm responding well to the medication so far. Fuck if I don't. First 2 months of it was pure hell.

On the same month, we moved in to an apartment in Las Piñas. We lived in Parañaque for 2 years and it's where we first settled in as a family. It's practically where our new life has started. I hated and loved the place at the same time. I've loved the house. It's ideally a nice place to live in for a starting family such as ours. Our present home is well, small, compared to the one we used to have but if one would actually take the time to look at it, you'll see that our humble abode is big with love and happiness. I just couldn't ask for more. 

Now this is the part I'd say that SHIT HAPPENS. Some. People. Happened. 

I'd leave it at that. 

The best part is, amidst all the crap, is being blessed with a great husband who would stand by me no matter what - a mom who will always have her faith in me - and great friends, few real ones - who sees me through. 

The past 4 months hadn't all been one helluva unfortunate events. There had been wonderful things that had happened too. Some came as a surprise. And some were as simple as a 12-hour trip to Boracay by ferry - my first time ever - as I've always had this phobia in traveling by sea. 

So what was that surprising moment I was talking about?It's my first ever TV stint! 

This, I think, was the highlight of my 2013. With all that's happened since the year started, seeing myself on TV will be the last thing on my mind. When I received the call last May informing me that I was scheduled for taping the following week, I was speechless. I almost didn't believe the person I was talking to on the phone I wasn't expecting much when I submitted my photo last February. It was just ONE photo anyway so what are the chances that I'd get picked.

Fangirl Photodump♥

The Statistical Probability of Love At First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

Last night, I got to finish this 199-paged book. I thought it's just going to be another chick-lit but I was wrong. More than the love that's destined to bloom between two complete strangers who met at the airport, it's the story of their wounded families that moved me - how they found forgiveness, letting go, and acceptance in two different occasions of their lives. This is a must-read.

Thought of the day.

Welcome summer!

Summer season's officially on. Have you bought the perfect swimsuit yet? Have you decided where to go? ☀🌊👙✈🚢

Picturesque

This was taken yesterday by my husband. He loves it candid. Definitely one of his many beautiful pictures of us :)