(28Jan21)The day has cometh and I really hate to leave my hometown yet 😞 It truly breaks my heart to be away again from my family. Let alone, the feeling is similar to Yoon Seri who can only see RJH every 2 weeks/year in Switz (whereas for me is a family matter). But life is not all glitter and pink clouds--we have to wake up and face the harsh reality. And so, I'm back in Londres. Everything felt like being back to square one. Likewise, I'm in the midst of nursing my jetlag soul with a pinch of homesickness as I write this blog. Nevertheless,let me cut off my lamentations now. I believe that this will just take time and I will get through this.

Anyway! Even if I carry a heavy heart of travelling back to this country, I had an interesting flight with a Dubai layover and a first to be in business class. 🙈💖
I am no chaebol or a flighty heiress but things just happened that way after getting my full refund from my cancelled flights. Plus, I needed extra storage for the bulk of my baggage (clothes, BinJin merch, pinoy stuff, etc). Hence, here's my experience to travel like a boss lady and a little guide for OFW's who'll be going back to the UK from Manila. **note: I couldn't share my process of LHR to MNL anymore 'cause the protocols have changed since my arrival there last December

Thank You 2020, Next?

 

will COVID go away if we say 10 nice words a day?

Thank goodness that this year has reached its end; The world has faced so much struggles and devastating events throughout this time from the occurrence of a pandemic to societal issues. 2020 may not be the perfect vision that we expected but I believe that there are still little sparks of joy while we adjust to 'the new normal'. Hence, here's my top 5 precious moments during the this 2nd decade.

lets WALES awhile

Helloooo!Sorry for this superr delayed entry that I didn't even get to post something for a month!😅 I have been very busy during my birthday celebration as it was a blast both in personal and fan girl life 🥰 I'll be posting an entry about it this November as a peace offering, I promise! ;)

(22SEP20) This is absolutely, the most spontaneous trip I've ever had. Never in my existence have I booked something 2 days prior to date! Though, this is one of our friend's ideas so fortunately, the expenses of going to Wales at that time wasn't expensive (it is cheaper compared to Cornwall). Hence, we had a 3-day staycation in Cardiff--the Southern highlight and capital of Wales.
Among the 4 Great Britain countries, Wales could be the least mainstream of them all. If you're thinking of a go-to place to relax and zone out from modern day life, then this is your area-to-be 😉
*NB: Safety COVID precautions were strictly observed during these tours.

My Princess Diary: University-hopping.

The pandemic continues to wreck a lot of long-time plans and I'm tired lamenting about it. I'm suppose to travel back home during my annual leave this month but unfortunately, the quarantine rules overseas remain hectic. I never want to spend my short trip on isolation. With the light and positivity to make my vacation productive, I went out of London again besides my BinJin fangirl duties. Haha!
I've journeyed to two cities with the most prestigious universities alongside a quaint village in the South. So which is better between Cambridge and Oxford? And is it really worth visiting the Cotswolds? Lets find out. ;)

*NB: Safety COVID precautions were strictly observed during these tours.

My Princess Diary: A Cornwall Staycation

Nope, I won't let this year end without any new musings. Has it really been 8 months

since my last travel? The thought is frustrating and home sickening to me as an overseas worker. Nevertheless, I'm glad that it's inching back to normal here in the UK and I hope the other countries (especially, my dear Philippines!) would go the same as well. We deserve a huge break from this quarantine biz.

Since it's still a hassle to embark on other countries at this point, I'm resuming my travelventures within the UK border instead! This is even my first time to visit the local outskirts of England 😊 Last 14th August, me and my housemates went on a staycation to Cornwall located at Southwest England.

Cornwall felt like the Philippines' Subic or Clark, Pampanga to me. It is home to sandy beach resorts with lodges/facilities owned by a family business. Thus, here's our 3-day itinerary covering some of the go-to places and must-eats in this beautiful harbor!

Taking a Break in Austria

I'm back in London last month from my heartwarming holiday in my hometown(my beloved Philippines!❤️)--nothing truly beats spending Christmas and new year with the family. I got to eat the pinoy foods as much as I can, went to the gym and many other activities which made me felt homesick when I returned to the UK 😢 We, overseas workers have that phase and there's no way out but to motivate thyself! Nevertheless, I will definitely go to Manila within this year again. And also, I spent the new year in Japan.


Our hotel is literally located in front of the Hachiko statue.

Additionally, we went to Tokyo Disneysea which I'm supposed to blog but I wasn't able to cover everything!One day is not enough for a Tokyo Disney resort--the queues for the rides are endless even with a fast pass and there's a lot of attractions. I had a good short time though and once again,I hope to be back.^^
Apart from my dramatic prologue,I went solo-travelling in Austria during my 3-days off from work.The weather and environment in London that week was stormy and sad, it triggered me much so I pushed through with my spontaneous plan. It was nerve-wrecking since this will be my first time to travel solo in EU but boy, I was so proud to conquer it. Vienna is simply amazing ❤️
This entry will cover my whole itinerary and some solo travel tips that I did in Austria. 😉

#2019Recap

Another year has passed and it turned out to be an emotional trainwreck despite my travelventures. From the loss of a family member to bidding farewells to loved ones, it’s been heavy yet I happily survived. ;”) Everything seemed like blessings in disguise with these whir of events.Hence, lets cheers to the ones that I got!

Ciao, Italy! (Part i)

(08OCT19) From the lovely Paris, I had a trip to one of its neighbouring countries: ITALY!Apparently, I was supposed to go back in London after France but since I wanted to maximize the use of my visa (as this might also be my last time to travel this year huhuuu!😭), I decided to tag along with my parent's business trip even for just a short while--3 days.Like what the heck?! I know there are many cities to explore here so I will definitely return soon!In the meantime, I tried to cover the most of Rome and the Vatican City which is bellisima beyond words.🖤

Tour de PARIS

Thanks to Big Bus Tours for the best hop on-hop off experience!

It may sound common, mainstream or whatever but my first EU trip led me to France. I honestly don't have plans of going here this year but due to itinerary reasons and as my parents came to visit me in London (yay!!),this happened. Nevertheless, I have no regrets that I started my Schengen musing here--Paris is absolutely lovely.❤️
I will give out tips and how my 5-day itinerary went in this city of love. ;D

3-Day Scottish Sensation

(21AUG19) I had a 5-day break from work and i spent 3 days of it in Scotland! ;D This is pretty much, my first spontaneous European trip in which I had mishaps throughout my booking process. It’s a pain in my pocket but let it be charged to experience. ;) Nevertheless, I’m quite a stranger to this country as some would say that the place can be boring and there’s even little info about it in the internet.   So, let me share how my trip went covering 3 cities, the transportation I used, and what you can expect in one of UK’s pride. ;D

A Princess Diary Comeback in London

 This might be an all-narrative entry for now because I don’t have a PC/laptop to edit my stuff :( I hope I get to buy one soon—when ze budget comes!Hehe. Anyway, I flew to London last March for career purposes.It’s supposed to be ecstatic for me but the thought of being away from my family is utter sadness.Though on a lighter note, all is currently well! It just takes a mindset of being in a long solo travel alongside work and that I have to live independently in which adulting strikes. Truly, the struggle is real! I never thought that half of my life here would be very domesticated.
In this entry, I’ll be sharing my own “British Starter Pack” and how I cope over the past few months. ;)

My Quick Staycation to Northern Ireland

Here’s my first time to travel outside London..as a working resident! Well okay, lets confirm it: For the past 3 months, I’ve been staying in the UK for work purposes ;p I’ve been lurking this all along because I was juggling between duty and study alongside touring (of course! I’ve been going new places every week^^). In fact,my main reason why I got to go to Northern Ireland is for our 2nd part of the licensure exam. With God’s grace, I aced it and amidst the pressure,I was still able to explore the town even for just a very short stay.Truth be told, N.Ireland is like The Philippines’ Baguio or Tagaytay.It’s certainly one of the most serene places I’ve ever been. Why?How come?

Japan Tales: Winter at Mt.Fuji

03JAN19 My family and I went on another Mt. Fuji day tour courtesy of H.I.S Japan Local Tour. This was our 2nd time to embark on this snowy mountain yet what's more exciting is that we're going here for the winter experience!You may check out Tokyo (Part2) about my trip to Mt.Fuji's 5th station.

Japan Tales: TOKYO! (part 3)

My first travel happened too early and so does my comeback to Japan! This is for the reason that we want to experience the winter season. Thus, here we are in Tokyo! Several have been asking me if either Tokyo or Osaka is better--yet I CAN'T choose between the two! They are both lovely to visit with all the good food, shopping and attractions and I highly suggest to tour them separately as one or two days is not enough. Anyhow, Japan's capital is such a wide metropolis in which each town has its own unique theme.On this post, I will highlight briefly some of the cities that I went plus a few tips on how to travel savvy in this wonderful city. :)

#2018Recap

Let me just say, that my year was filled with a lot of plot twists. I have revisited some Asian countries and had situations that I never thought would happen.Though I became idle for the second half, I didn't find it regretful as I was able to spend more time with my family and friends before leaping to the next step of my career.We all deserve to take a break once in a while; in fact, my lax months kept me busy besides gym and travelling. ;) So here are my top 10 moments that I’d loved to repeat all over again.

Crazy, Rich, Singapore

Here's my last Asian stop to revisit and it's great to be back after 5 long years!! Singapore has been one of my favorite places mainly because of its mixed race atmosphere.Moreover, it is so safe with the many laws that they implement (i.e no chewing gum,no food & drinks inside a PUV and the newest thing I've seen,no durian in selected areas!haha).

you may want to check out my previous posts about this country ;) I'd loved to visit some of them again but with such a short stay, I wasn't able to do it already. Nevertheless, me and my family watched the Grand Prix, strolled inside Marina Bay Sands and Gardens by the Bay.

#WhenInTHAI (part 2)

Rule of thumb: NEVER leave Bangkok without going on a temple tour!

Like seriously.This country is home to exquisite temples (or "Wat" in Thai) with fine Buddha images. In fact, they can be seen everywhere for Buddhism is their main religion. Likewise, do pay respect as these are their churches and not just ordinary monuments.
For starters, it's a must to check out the Grand Palace, Wat Phra Kaew, and Wat Pho.

Circa 2008 at The Grand Palace and here's what happens when you don't wear proper clothing:they'll made you wear a sarong!
On this trip, I visited Wat Arun and the city of Ayutthaya. :)

#WhenInTHAI (part 1)

I'm back,Suvarnabhumi Airport! I arrived in the afternoon and it was HOT---hotter than in Manila.

It was quite unexpected that I have planned to go back in Thailand after 10 years

. Yes, I have been there in 2008 and honestly me and my family did not enjoy for the reason that several mishaps had occurred during our stay (let alone, my mom's wallet got stolen in a 5-star hotel). Eversince then, we all have a mindset of not going back there until suddenly,a couple of things made me change my view about it. Thai culture has become popular nowadays based on travel blogs that I read and most of all, I became a big supporter of their former beauty queen, Maria Poonlertlarp. I have mentioned her in some of my previous posts from this year and by that time,I started to plan of visiting Bangkok again with the hope of meeting her someday. Yet, it was hard persuading my parents to let me travel there until miraculously, they have allowed me to do so. Y'all might wonder how but lets just say that I've chosen this trip over a multi-city tour to somewhere. That could have been my first but since the cost was so extreme (and I believe that I will be settling near there soon), I decided to push through with my Asian travels (and goals!Haha) instead.

And so,touchdown Bangkok for the second time! In this part, I will be talking about my activities apart from the tour that I've joined and how I met Maria P.❤️

A day at USJ!

I have conquered another visit to another Universal Studio branch and this time,it's the one in Osaka! This is actually one of the reasons why my family wanted to go in the said area of Japan because of its breathtaking attractions (which I should say, more unique than in Singapore). But I enjoyed both of it so much (you could read my USSG experience HERE) that I will recommend either of those to be seen!So here's a recap of my tour to USJ.

Japan Tales: To Sakuras and Namba foodtripping.

I'm back in Japan and it came in early as 1)I'm travelling with my family and 2) We finally made it to cherry blossom season! :D God knows how much I have fought at work to get my VL's approved this month (especially the fact that unexpectedly, I got transferred at the adult ER..but lets not talk about that for now.Haha). Our departure flight had a stop-over in Taiwan which got me more excited even if we just stayed there for an hour (and we were only inside the airport!). Yet I still find it thrilling and definitely got my hopes up that this will be my next trip soon! *fingers crossed* Though I have other Asian countries in mind to visit for the next quarter..hmm. ;)