God is working in your waiting.

What do you do when you wait?

I’ve observed some people in the bank while waiting for my turn. Some people, while they’re waiting for their turn, they check on their phones. Some people talk to the person next to them. Some people just simply look at the counter and the teller as if, they’re creating a story in their minds.

Waiting doesn’t only happen in the banks. It happens every single day in our lives. Sometimes, it’s scary. Sometimes, it’s disheartening. But don’t forget that it is worthwhile all the time.

Here are my realizations about waiting.

Waiting when you’re all alone is scary. Sometimes, you question yourself, your identity, and your skills. “Is there something wrong with me?” you asked. “What should I do now?” you asked again. But, when you wait with the people you love, your heart is filled with joy. There is joy in waiting.

Waiting is a test of your patience. Maybe, God is teaching you an important lesson in your waiting. He wants you to learn something. He wants you to realize some things that you tend to forget. Maybe, He also wants you to recollect, or reminisce very valuable memories. Maybe there’s still unfinished chapter in your life.

Waiting also means that we trust God and His immense power over our lives. No matter how difficult is it to wait, we still ask Him to bless us, and guide us in this phase.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

Proverbs 3:5-6

Waiting is a reminder that we are weak and it’s the Lord who’s making and keeping us strong. We may have plans, but the Lord has bigger and better plans for us. We just need to acknowledge His promise. Let’s trust His will. Our understanding is limited. We can only plan what we know, but when we lift up everything to God, we know that we are on the right track.

May your waiting be fruitful and meaningful, friends.

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You are your own hero.

You are your own hero. Nobody can fully save you except for yourself. Christian-ly speaking, God has already saved us. So, this time, it’s really our responsibility to take care of ourselves.

You may have a lot of good friends, but at the end of the day, you decide what to do in life. Yes, your friends may say jokes, or may make you laugh, but it is still up to you whether you laugh or not.

You may have a supportive family. That means, they help you and cheer for you to achieve your dreams. However, if you do not help yourself, nothing really happens. It is really you who get to work first.

You may have close friends who’ll give you a lot of referrals, opinions, and suggestions, but if you do not act. Nothing really happens.

Most of the time, we are always alone.

Our thoughts linger in our head. Our plans are always in our mind. This alone time is actually an opportunity to look at the bigger picture. It isn’t lonely time. It is certainly a time when you can talk to yourself, dig deeper, and know what you really want without being influenced by some.

When you feel helpless, know that you have the power to change your perspective. You can turn your pain to power. You can change your lost to gains. May you find the power to save yourself, always.

Again, you are your own hero.

La Union Trip 2021 2 Days 1 Night

Squeezing a quick beach escapade was made possible through an invite from my college friend. Last December 11-12, 2021, we were able to go for a quick trip to La Union also known as Elyu with some friends.

We were picked up at Greenfield at 12:00AM by our service. We were joiners. There were also other passengers who were with us on this trip.

Day 1 – Tangadan Falls, Baluarte Bell Tower, and the Beach

We reached the North at around 7:00AM. We ate breakfast in acarinderia along the way. Look how sumptuous our breakfast was.

After having our breakfast, we headed to Tangadan Falls. We were transferred to a jeepney. It was a 30-minute ride, and a 10-minute walk going to the falls.

Tangadan Falls was one of the main destinations for this Elyu Trip. The water was cold, and the surrounding was indeed peaceful. You can feel the fresh air in this place.

We stayed there for two hours, before we headed to our next destination.

Our next stop was the side tours. This included the Baluarte Watch Tower. We also ate our lunch there. We passed by the Bahay na Bato and Namacpacan Church.

After our quick day trip, we headed to our hostel. We stayed in a hostel room in front of El Union Cafe. It was already coordinated by our tour guide.

After resting, we headed to have our merienda at San Juan Beach. No entrance fee. Here, you will see the majestic sunset.

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I loved looking at the sunset while enjoying our barbecue, shake, and our alone time. My friends respected each other’s alone time here. We were never required to be with each other at all time. But, we made sure that our companion was safe all throughout the trip. We tried to go to Kabsat and the other popular go-to destinations in Elyu. However, one will lose patience on how long the line was. Anyway, our group was not a fan of drinks so it was just fine with us.

Day 2 – Elyu beach and Slowing down

We woke up early the next day. 7:00AM to be exact. After doing our personal morning routine and eating our breakfast provided by our tour guide, we went straight to the beach which was just near where we stayed.

We stayed in the beach until 10:00AM. Packed our bags. At 12:00NN, we were fetched by our tour guide. We were dropped at SM La Union while the others went to Thunderbird Resort. We were fetched (again) at 3:00PM. I would never rant how we waited for a very long time for this was one of the many consequences of being a joiner in a big group trip. We went straight to a temple.

After taking some photos here, we went to the grape farm. Here we tasted the wine.

We bought pasalubong along the way. We reached Starmall Mandaluyong at 10:00PM if I am not mistaken.

Lessons from Joining a Tour

I enjoyed the place itself. However, if you want a more peaceful trip, just rent a van and do things by yourself. For me, I only need to relax by the beach. Hence, some trips were unnecessary for me. But still, when I went there, I enjoyed.

Joining a group took too much of our time. We were fetched late by the service. Two hours late. When our co-joiners go to the washroom, and take photos, it also consumed time. When they were headed to another optional trip, much of our time were wasted.

This is just for me. Maybe, group tours work for some. 🙂 As for an introvert, DIY-ing is preferable. You’ll have better options as well in terms of hostel booking.

Please note that we followed all the requirements asked by the local government. We also are fully vaccinated when we proceeded to this trip.

Again, this was the only time we went out after being stuck at home for a long time.

Did you also go somewhere in 2021? Where are you planning to go next (once everything is okay)?