Three reasons why I had to go out today: (1) To buy personal stuff that I would need for next year; (2) To visit a travel agency and inquire flights and costs of flights going to Dubai; and (3) To spend some quality time with myself, just to think and relax and de-stress.

I decided to finally finish shopping for things that I will need for next year (personal effects like undergarments, socks, moisturizers, facial sunblock and a cure for my Tendonitis) so that I won’t have to think of it anymore. I will have a pretty hectic year next year so in order to focus on what needs to be done, I have to have my personal stuff handy should the need arises. I have carefully made an inventory of what I have right now and I’m good to go for next year. I can practically not buy any vitamins, cosmetics, bags and clothes for the whole year of 2008. I realized that everytime I shopped for the past few weeks prior to Christmas, I was unconsciously buying stuff I will need for next year. And that is good. At least when the husband arrives, we will be able to focus on what he needs especially that he’s starting a new life here.

I finally found the time and urge to visit the travel agency. It feels good to finally be able to talk to someone about my travel plans for next year and know the flight schedules and how much it will cost me to go to Dubai. I had a very giddy feeling when I left the travel agency while holding the paper that states my tentative booking. I’m sooo thirsting for travel talaga. Other than wanting to see my husband, I have this aching feeling of wanting to step on an airplane and just go far far away.

I ended my day-out by hanging out at Starbucks. I ordered a tall Americano and Caramel Cheesecake and savored it while thinking of what I have to thank for in the year 2007. I just had to diligently think about it coz my year was really “Whoah!”. There’s so much that happened this year that I just had to carefully think about it and organize my thoughts. I have to say thank you to 2007 properly so I can welcome 2008 properly too and I can only do that when I write it down.

How about you? What are you grateful for in 2007? What are your personal highlights this year? And what are your preparations for year 2008?

I had a very nice day spent with cuzin Nicky whom I’ve missed so much since he’s been living in Japan for the last nine months. He’s only here for the Christmas break but the whole clan is so happy to see him.

In the Zurbano clan (my mom’s side), I have 9 cuzins all-in-all, all blood-related. Being the eldest granddaughter in the family, I was everyone’s Ate, and in return, all my cuzins are very special to me and they all have unique relationships with me.

As for Nicky, everyone in the family respects that other than being very close as cuzins, we are the bestest of friends. That’s why it is a common scenario that Nicky and I have dates–solo dates, with no other cuzins and/or our significant others with us.

And today was no different. Since Nicky is here for two weeks, everyone knew that one of these days, we would go out. And we did that today.

We had lunch at Pancakes, this time I treated him because before he was always treating me out. We shared Fish & Chips, Pizza and Pancakes. Iba daw kasi ang Fish and Chips sa Japan kaya I ordered that for him.

We talked about a lot of things, of how we were for the past nine months. He told me a lot of his adventures in Japan, their way of living there, how people are more respectful, the food that they eat at kung anu-ano pang mga kwentong-Japan that will make you want to go there. Nakakatuwa. Just hearing him talk about his life in Japan, makes me so proud of him because he was able to survive there even without his family and friends. Iba talaga ang nagagawang change sa pagkatao mo if you move to another country or you immerse yourself in travel.

In the course of our discussion, we both agreed that if one stays in their home country for the rest of their life or never even travel to other places, the person becomes complacent. And if you are complacent, not much growth happens in your life. When you travel and/or live in another country, even for just awhile, you will really change—you will be mature in some ways or grow in lots of ways and you’ll have a bigger perspective in life.

Nasabi ko tuloy sa kanya, “Now you know how it feels to move and be able to survive even if you start from zero again, such a nice feeling ‘no? The fullfillment is enormous.” And he agreed.

Anyway, after a lot of serious and not-so-serious conversations, we ended the day by hanging out in my room and fixing my computer (he’s our IT guy hehehe). The family will surely miss him again when he goes back to Japan but we’ll always be here for him no matter where he is. And the other thing we agree on—even if we love other countries, Sydney will always be home. 🙂