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Happy New Year!

Happy New Year 2017, Hand Lettered on an iPad Pro

Hello from the Philippines! Hope you all had a wonderful holiday and a happy new year. Charlie and I spent our New Year at the airport/in a plane and we kind of skipped New Year’s Day all together involuntarily because of the time change.
We rang in midnight at the airport and started boarding less than 30 minutes after midnight. I have to admit, this was probably the most lonely New Year’s Eve we’ve had. For the past 5 or so years we don’t even really do anything for New Year’s Eve except stay home and watch the countdown together or with a few friends. I guess with the hectic day we had getting ready for the trip and being at the airport it just didn’t feel like a holiday. It felt like any other day. When we arrived in the Philippines almost 18 hours later it was January 2nd. 

2017 is an especially unique year for me in so many ways. It’s hard for me to explain without going too much into it. Maybe I’ll save that for another post, who knows. But let’s just say that I’m making a choice. I actually made the choice the week before Christmas because I was looking back at my year and just didn’t like what I saw. Don’t get me wrong, 2016 was filled with blessings too (continuing growth with Ninong’s and CO Creative Cartel, the official launch of my Real Estate business, hiring an awesome assistant, etc.) but I just felt a little lost and complacent. I made the choice that would end this year. 

As you guys know, I have a word that sums up every year. I’ve been thinking about my word for 2017 for months now. I’ll be sharing it this week with a more in depth reflection but let’s just say it has to do with me choosing to move past 2016. The first steps to moving past 2016 is actually being here in the Philippines. But more on that in a couple days. 🙂

In the mean time, happy new year everyone! I’m a big advocate for self improvement, self reflection, and contentment. Whether or not you choose to do that in the new year, in the middle of the year, or at the end of the year doesn’t matter. What matters is that you strive to improve and be a better version of yourself. So cheers to 2017! Let’s strive to make this one better than the last!
Xoxo,

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Top 5 Things I Want to Do in the Philippines

I’ve been to the Philippines a few times, but mostly as a young child. The last time I was there was in 2008 and was only there for 1 week. Not nearly long enough to do much except spend time with family, eat as much food as I can, and do 1 touristy trip.

My dad moved back to the Philippines in April of this year, but even before that Charlie and I have been planning a trip back to the motherland for over 2 years. There have been a couple times when Charlie and I were going to go because my mom was having surgeries or cancer treatments there, but she didn’t want us to. She said she wanted to go “next year” when she would be done with treatments and we can enjoy a vacation together. Even though we never got to take that trip I know we’ll be taking this vacation together. It’ll make my mom so happy that we’re going.

Charlie and I are leaving on Dec. 31 (technically our flight is Jan. 1st at midnight) until January 22nd. The main thing I want to do there is spend time with my dad and my Lola (grandma). But of course, my dad has some things planned for us while we’re there. I don’t have much of an itinerary while we’re there mainly because I’m so busy with work and would rather let my dad take care of all the planning lol. We’ll be doing a little bit of business and pleasure as we have some meetings for Ninong’s while we’re in the country. Though I’m going to let my dad plan our itinerary I have a few things that I’m personally looking forward to.
Here are my top 5 things I want to do while in the Philippines:

1. Eat good food! Charlie and I experience different places we travel through their local cuisine and I’m so excited to eat the food there but most importantly my Lola’s cooking. YUMMMMM. Some of the dishes I remember from my childhood that I’m looking forward to eating are: my grandma’s alimango (crab), green mango shake, laing (taro leaves with coconut milk), and lots and lots of seafood! Not just that but more lol!!! The other awesome thing about Filipinos is that we make really good desserts. Hence, Ninong’s passion for pastry. I’m excited to try all the new desserts that they have come up with. It’s so inspirational to see their creativity and I know will inspire us to create new items of our own.

2. Visit the malls. I don’t plan on doing much shopping except to bring back gifts for friends and family, but you can’t go to the Philippines without going to their malls. Their shopping centers are huge! What better way to burn off all the food we eat than walking around a 5 story mall? 🙂

3. Go to a spa. I want to get a nice mani/pedi and a massage. Every girl needs a little bit of pampering once in a while right? In the Philippines spa services are much more affordable so I’m definitely going to take advantage!

4. Do a little bit of sight seeing. Like I said, I haven’t really been to the Philippines since I was young. I have pictures of my cute younger self (I have no idea what happened lol) with a volcano in the background, in front of a waterfall, and fishing on a beach but I barely remember any of those things. Charlie also hasn’t been since he was 2 years old so it would be great for him to see the Philippines and how beautiful it is!

5. Go to Palawan. Everyone talks about Palawan and Boracay being the main attractions when visiting the Philippines. Conde Nast Traveler named Palawan as the Number 2 best island in the world (Number 1 being Boracay). The country has so many islands which means so many beautiful beaches. I’m so excited to go since I heard the beach is beautiful, the beer is cheap, and the seafood is plentiful! Check out those crystal clear waters!

Stay tuned as I’ll be blogging here and there during our vacation with all the happs on where we eat, what we do, and places we visit!

Xoxo,

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2017 Goal Setting – Stuff we Like

“For auld acquaintance be forgot,

and never brought to mind

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,

and days of auld lang syne.”

I never want to forget who I am, and the people I’ve met that shaped the woman I am today. I know that it’s still the first week of december but this is the time of year where I do a lot of self reflection. I’m a big believer that there is always a lesson to be learned, always room for improvement, and always adjustments that need to be made. I’m never one to be standing still, I need movement. I need progress, especially so I can be a better person. And when the year comes to an end, I usually try to soak up all the Christmas cheer while I start thinking about how I want to improve my life. I usually come up with a word that sums up my goal for the following year. In 2014 it was Simplify. 2015 was Journey.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have one in 2016 because this year was a bit crazy to say the least. But if I did have 1 word to sum it up I think it would be Grace. It was by the grace of God that I got through this year. Through all the heartache and uncertainty that his year brought, I still have faith that God is with me and that He wants what’s best for me. I know, you wonder how? Sometimes I wonder too, but that’s a whole blog post in itself. 🙂

moreorless

I’m not quite sure what I want my word for 2017, I guess we’ll have to wait and see. What I do know is that I want more of the good things in life, and less of the bad. Don’t you?

xoxo,

Kissa

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