August brings... thunderstorms??

Interestingly enough, it looks like the PNW rain will be following me to the Philippines. This is the image I hold in my head of my visit:

Instead, my visit may look a little more like this:

It turns out the the month of August is right in the middle of the 'rainy season'. Now, the rainy season includes two things: (definitions according to Wikipedia, of course)
Typhoons- are a storm system characterized by a large low-pressure center and numerous thunderstorms that produce strong winds and heavy rain
Monsoons- the rainy phase of a seasonally-changing pattern

Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, I've grown to accustomed to the rain. In fact, I'll even go so far as to say that on some days, I enjoy breathing in the clean, crisp air and the rain pouring down.

However, after a 14 hour flight, I'd like to step off of the plane with the sun on my face and not a cloud in the sky.

Apparently, beggars can't be choosers.

The sure fire place to whisk away your worries

Boracay.

The five mile long, powder-white sand beach is raved about by several travel magazines. I mean, check it out.. You see? I really don't need to say any more.

Now, in order to arrive at the beautiful destination, you'll need to do a few things: first, take an hour long flight to the town of Caticlan (located on Panay Island). Then, take a quick 10 minute pumpboat ride followed by a ten-minute pumpboat ride to the island itself.

And, BAM! You've arrived!

Time to relax, and simply enjoy life.

Untouched Beauty

While searching for places I'd love to visit, I came across an island that I simply have to visit.. the Coron Island. The area was listed as one of Forbes Traveler Magazine's top 10 best scuba diving sites in the world for the under water views of the WWII Japanese sunken shipwrecks.

Check these out..

The top three places I want to visit on the Coron Island are; the Coron Youth Club beach,  the Skeleton Wreck, and Twin Lagoon.

The Coron Youth Club beach is known for its pure white sands and clear, shallow water. This is the perfect spot to relax and enjoy your surroundings.

The Skeleton Wreck is perfect for a snorkeling experience like none other. This is the area where you can see several of the Japanese shipwrecks.      Finally, the Twin Lagoon is separated by a limestone cliff (hence, the name 'Twin' Lagoon). To access the other lagoon, it must be low tide in order to pass under the cliff.                      

Now, in order to fully enjoy what all of these beautiful places have to offer, I will need to learn one very important thing.. how to swim. I took lessons when I was only 7 years old, and somewhere along the way  I've lost that (now necessary) ability.

So, ladies and gentlemen, let's add another thing on my list to-do before my departure..

Mother Knows Best

I forgot to mention from the beginning that I won’t be making this trip alone. My dreams of traveling the world obviously did not take one very important factor into consideration: I’m absolutely terrified of going anywhere by myself. So, to solve this predicament I’ve decided to bring a buddy, and who better to take than my mother! Not only will I be able explore the country that my parents have grown up in, but my mom will be able to reconnect with of friends, family, and memories.

Her last visit to the Philippines was back in 1995, over 15 years ago. She immigrated to the US when she was only 20 years old, and since then has only been back once.

On my dad’s side of the family, his parents and all eight of his siblings have immigrated to the US over the past 40 years. However, on my mom’s side of the family, only her father has immigrated to the US. Her two other siblings reside in the Philippines.

The majority of our trip will be spent with my mom’s side of the family. Although I’ve never met them in person, we’ve stayed connected via Skype. It’s amazing how a simple-to-use software application can keep families connected from over 7,000 miles away. It will be so nice to meet them in person, and dig even deeper into uncovering my roots.

Itty, Bitty Monsters

The first issue I need to address to prepare for my trip is most importantly, the insects- specifically, the mosquitoes. Now, these monsters love me to the point where I’ve had up to 16 bites on just ONE limb! The part that makes this even more unfortunate is that I am fairly allergic; each bite will swell up to 5 times its original size. Each and every move I make will cause these bites to itch like crazy and drive me to insanity.

Thus starts my additional search to find the best repellent to detract the tiny creatures that have the potential to make my life a living hell.

The Philippines

I’ve always dreamt of taking a few months off after graduating and traveling the world. Seeing new and exciting places, broadening my horizons, and simply experiencing what the vast array of cultures have to offer. Unfortunately, as graduation quickly approaches,  it is time to face reality. Since my school loans will not pay themselves, traveling the world for months will just have to wait.

So, instead of planning months-worth of travel, I’ve decided to plan a much shorter, but nevertheless, exciting trip to… THE PHILIPPINES! My dad was the first person in my entire family to come to the United States from the Philippines, so I figured that this would be the best way to sightsee, relax, and uncover my roots.

Throughout this blog I will explore the many different places I’d love to visit, foods I’d love to try, and family I’d love to (finally!) meet.

(Oh, by the way, round-trip ticket to the Philippines in August is $1161 as of now....)