Silver Lining

Wearing: XXI brocade dress, Zara shoes, Chanel watch, Cartier love bracelet

A trip to the Philippines is not complete without being stuck in traffic; and on New Year's Day we experienced nothing less than a memorable standstill. Despite the traffic headache, our boat ride and journey up to a volcano was quite the adventure. Alex and I can share countless stories from our journey that day, but I'll let the pictures above reserve those unforgettable moments.

Views from Taal Vista Lodge in Tagaytay, Club Balai Isabel in Batangas, and the Crater Lake inside Taal Volcano. Not pictured: my tired pony, nerdy boyfriend attached to a GoPro head-strap, and the traffic mess we had to go through from Manila and back! -- Yuck!

When we arrived in Palawan after this dreadful day, it was paradise from thereon. We treasured every second of bliss and after spending the next four days care-free, one thing was certain: El Nido is a magical place and we had such a beautiful time there, together.

Here's a video montage from our trip:

Philippines Photo Diary

My 30th birthday was spent in the air, en route to the Philippines. Because of the different time zone, I technically "skipped" December 30 and arrived in Manila on New Years Eve. I fell asleep practically the entire flight; and so the whole day on my actual birthday I was on a plane. At first it seemed a little sad but as you can tell from the pictures above, getting to spend the rest of the week in paradise definitely made it worth it.

I consumed large amounts of mangos every single day, had breakfasts at Shangri-La's Circles buffet (they do breakfast the best), hiked to the top of Taal Volcano, and best of all -- I discovered the most beautiful place I have ever visited -- Palawan. Just thinking of our stay in El Nido gives me withdrawals and there are no words to describe how amazing it is. If you have the opportunity to go, I highly recommend staying at Lagen Island Resort. I've always wanted to stay in a water cottage and we were lucky to get the best one (request 109). I can go on and on but a few highlights were: Secret Lagoon, Small Lagoon, Entalula Beach, and Big Lagoon -- all in that order. I can't wait to post the videos from the trip. Tons of footage to edit and I apologize for the month delay to even post these.

Time is flying by and I can't believe it's almost February. This year has kicked off to a good start and I look forward to more adventures this 2014! Cheers!