"If you truly find love, you find yourself"

I've read this excerpt from Deepak Chopra's book The Path To Love and I can't help but recall how I was recently taught a lesson about humility and respect. I guess I've been engrossed in my own little world at work and the external things that make me happy that I forget that life is not just about me and what I want. That I have to stop and take a closer look at the person I'm becoming. That I need to share more of myself to others especially those who need my compassion, understanding and cooperation.

The fact that I was taking for granted some things in my life brought confusion in me. And only when I finally faced my inner conflicts did it dawn on me that I have to re-examine my core values and how I will allign them to my priorities which will help me choose the path I should take. (Unfinished dwellings last December 19, 2010)

Magic Moments in Tagaytay & Enchanted Kingdom

The Christmas break was quickly over and I truly missed waking up at 3AM for the Misa De Gallo (9 mornings of novena mass), the anticipation of the Christmas celebration, the holiday cheer, the Christmas songs being played 24/7 at my office, the bazaars, the midnight mall shoppings. It was the busiest Christmas season for me since I had to meet deadlines for several writing jobs as well.

But then again

I also found time for my favorite Korean series DVD marathon. I swear I got lost in dreamland after watching It Started With A Kiss, Princess Hours and Down With Love (Tagalog versions). Ang gagwapo naman kasi ni Joe Cheng, Joo Ji Hoon and Jerry Yan! Kalurkey sila. I was out of my element by New Year's eve though because of my sore throat/dry cough. Totally lost my voice, skipped our house party and slept soon after the fireworks display stopped at our neighborhood. :s

On the second day of 2011, I was still not feeling well but my kuya convinced me to go to Tagaytay with a few of our Kamishitoo friends for a bit of fresh air and major bonding time before going back to work the next day. We went straight to Palace In The Sky (located at the highest peak of Mt. Gonzales), a perfect spot to take pictures overlooking Taal Lake. It was years since we last visited the ruins there and we were surprised that what used to be a neglected pool was now turned into a park of sorts.

The statue of the Holy Mother of Fair Love was also a great place to visit especially for devout Catholics since how it got there is in itself an awe-inspiring story. During the construction of Palace In The Sky in 1981, dynamite blasts failed to destroy a huge rock formation that was completely obstructing the view of what was supposed to be a dream house of the Marcoses. Turns out that it was housing the image of our Lady, Mother of Fair Love, which was originally built in 1975 by a group of high schoolers. Amazing huh?

We wanted to try the zip line in Picnic Grove but for some reason, one of us thought of going to Enchanted Kingdom instead. I've been to theme

parks before but I've never tried riding the roller coaster in my whole life. It's been in my bucket list for two years in a row, and I finally did it, twice! Love the adrenaline rush and the exhilarating feeling during that less than two-minute ride. I never closed my eyes even for a moment because I wanted to relish the whole experience. Just imagine how frustrating, talkative as I am, not to be able to shout on top of my lungs to release the tension. Yet I could still relive snapshots of that ride in my head. That’s how much I loved it!

The downside of it was that the queues were so long (esp. since it was a holiday weekend) that we only got to try three rides in all—Space Shuttle, Ferris Wheel and Anchor’s Away. We wanted to try Xtreme, but it was a mistake that we rode the Ferris Wheel first because we kinda got scared of heights. So it’s safe to say that Anchor’s Away was the most nerve-racking ride for me because for a second there I thought I was gonna be thrown away on its final and uppermost swing. But I’ll definitely try it again just for fun!

I tell you, I was exhausted and feeling sick by then. But as we headed back home, I knew that I simply had to return to the place where “magic continues”. For not only did it “feed” the child in me (As Paolo Coelho would say, the one who believes in magic moments), but it also made me believe in myself again. I conquered my fear of rollercoasters didn’t I? :)