Rainy Healing, Hotpot Feelings, and a Weekend Beaching to Remember

Over the weekend, I did something I haven’t done in a while—I touched grass… I mean, sea. 😅

The trip started smoothly. The ferry ride was chill, the sea was calm, and the weather was behaving—sunny but not too sunny. One part of the sky was gloomy, while the other was clear and cloudless. Just nice.

When I arrived at Hagnaya Wharf, I rode a tricycle to Jollibee Bogo—and of course, if there’s a trike, I have to take a snap for my growing tricycle photo collection. Whehehe. 😄

Then I finally got to stop by Jollibee Bogo, which is part of my unofficial mission to visit every Jollibee in the Philippines (and the world? Let’s claim it. lol).

_{These photos were taken in June 2025. The earthquake that later hit Bogo City destroyed several buildings, including this Jollibee. 😢}

That’s where Harold, his mother, and I met up. After that, straight to Paypay, Daanbantayan—aka finally, beachhhh! 🏖️

First thing I did when we got there? Run to the ocean like a long-lost lover. Lol. It was low tide and I saw so many tiny crabs (agokoy supremacy). I chased them like a happy kid and they scurried into the sand like they saw my life problems coming. 😅 HAHAHA

Next highlight: coconuts. There were coconut trees right there by the beach. We cracked some open and ate them fresh. So good. Nature’s refreshment!

After that, we went to the market to buy food for dinner. We actually ate dinner early—around 5:30 PM—because by 9 PM, we were planning to eat seafood hotpot. Like, yuhhh!

Anyway, before dinner, we went swimming—and it was raining! I guess the gloomy part of the sky earlier was the one that finally hit us with rain. BWAHAHA lol! Swimming while it was raining was honestly magical. The water was warm—honestly—and the drizzle was cold. Somewhere between floating and laughing, we had one of those rare quiet moments. Just me and Harold. No noise. No filters. Just presence—and stealing kisses. Ahah charot! Ang harot! 😝

Dinner was sinugbang isda and tinola, cooked with love by Tita. I always get excited when Harold’s mom cooks—hahaha I just love her foooood!

Then at 9 PM, as if we weren’t full enough, we had hotpot by the beach. What’s better than spicy soup and sea breeze? Nothing. Nada.

And what I love about Harold? He’s not just a chemist—he’s also a good cook, mana sa iyahang mother hahahah! If he wasn’t, I wouldn’t hype him up like this hahaha. I mean, the sauce of his hotpot? To die for. Just kidding (not really, but really!). It was so good that the issue wasn’t being full—I just couldn’t take more or I’d explode. But if my tummy had extra space? I’d still be eating. Promise. 😂

After that? Lights out. Slept like a baby. Zzzzzzzz…….

The next morning, we dipped again in the sea. The water was cooooooold despite the sun blazing—like literal summer in June. The water was so calm, but we already saw signs of baby jellyfishes! Still, we swam like nothing was stopping us—our skin got wrinkly, and our lips turned white from being in the water too long. HAHAHAHA! It was so funny how dugay kaayo mi naligo!

And off we go… back home. But of course—before I really headed back to Bantayan—one last Jollibee lunch to seal the weekend.

And you know what? This trip reminded me why I started blogging in the first place. It may seem boring to some, but this felt like core memory material to me. Like a mini therapy session by the sea. So thank You, Lord, for this chance—to breathe, to reset, and to remember that even quiet weekends like this one matter. It was so simple, but so memorable that I made a quiet little promise to myself—no matter how boring or sad life gets, I’ll keep writing.

Truth be told, Harold and I had our share of ups and downs lately, and I think this trip came at the perfect time. Daanbantayan felt like therapy—like a soft reset when everything felt heavy. I didn’t need big answers or grand gestures. Just the sea, some space to breathe, and small quiet joys that reminded me I’m allowed to feel okay again.

Lately, these little things—swimming in the rain, eating home-cooked food, even laughing over hotpot—feel extra important. Maybe because everything else in life moves too fast, or maybe because they remind me I’m still here, still capable of feeling peace, even in the smallest ways.

Life & Love Realization:

There’s something about the sea that makes everything feel lighter—like even your unspoken thoughts get carried away with the waves.

I didn’t expect much from this weekend trip. Just wanted a quick reset. But somewhere between chasing agokoy and floating under the drizzle, I found a kind of peace I didn’t know I needed.

And maybe it helped that he was there too.

It wasn’t dramatic—just simple, quiet moments. Conversations that didn’t need fixing. Presence that didn’t need promises. Sometimes, healing isn’t a big breakthrough. Sometimes it’s sharing tinola under a cloudy sky, laughing over tiny crabs, or watching the steam rise from hotpot at 9 PM while the sea breeze wraps around you.

I guess what I’m saying is… it’s okay to take things slow. To let someone back in little by little. To protect your peace while still letting warmth in.

Still healing. Still learning. Still blogging. 🌧️🌊🍲

And yes, I’ll keep writing—because let’s be honest, ChatGPT is making my life (and my blog) way easier. 😂✍️ Haha just kidding—these are all my thoughts, but with a little tweak from AI. Ehem ehem. Hahahaha!

⛔P.S. I put a lot of effort in taking these photos and I placed hidden watermarks in all of them, so please don’t download them freely without asking permission. If you want to feature my photos without watermark, just message me ⛔