WRITER DIARIES: Young. Wild. Free. And still employed!

I'm finally crossing off a few things in my bucket list as I am set to finally have my wildest dreams come to life—to try traveling alone (ONLY meaning away from my family, friends and all familiar faces) and to explore the world out of my own comforts of having a Dad or someone to take care of all the logistics, accommodation, hotels to sleep in, tours to go to, meals and all the souvenir shopping—now, I'll just jump in and see where it'll take me. Whew!

I think that I've come into a point in my life of early-twenties where I want to feel young and wild and free. I just feel like I finally want to be more adventurous (read: responsibly) and be open to new things—so new that it would be life-changing (but only for the better). There's something about traveling alone that feels liberating, as you for a while leave the usual daily grind/cycle/routine behind you and clash with the unfamiliar, the mysterious and the different.

BUT with a fast-paced editorial career that demands most of me (in the name of DEADLINES), never did it crossed my mind that one day our CEO would simply approach me with a smile and tell me that I was just assigned to do a coverage in a luxurious Asian cruise with stopovers in Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and more—ALL in a week’s time!

"WAIT WHAT?!" I thought. I almost quit my job by giving in to wanderlust—and now my job is...TO TRAVEL.....(—in a cruise—that'll take me to every corner of the whole Asia—for free—with extra travel allowance—and a salary because it's still "work") I'd faint.

I remember praying to God early this year about my deepest longings for a great life adventure. But that prayer was like a prayer I thought God would put in a time capsule and answer it in years’ time. (Like what we think He always does)

I remember praying for God to expand my territory—which I thought He had already answered by giving me all the three TV stations (ABS-CBN, GMA and TV5)—but surprisingly, He really meant MORE for me. He was willing to give me more than TV stations, He meant giving me nations.

It feels like whenever I pray, God would answer me with a wide open Heaven that He just gives me MOOOOOOOOOOORE than what I asked in His SOONEST response. His love is just so captivating.

OH GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS IN MY LIFE, GOD! Global domination for His Glory!!

#LiveToLeaveALegacy

PHOTOSHOOT: #NoFilterBeauty and HANA Shampoo

MEGA dares women who best personify natural beauty to empower themselves by showing off their most natural un-filtered beauty, as a support for Hana's nationwide digital campaign #NoFilterBeauty.

The Japanese beauty brand Shokubutsu offers women HANA Shampoo which uses 100% all-natural ingredients that goes beyond quick fixes through sustainable solutions and long-lasting effects to bring your hair back to its natural state--the way nature intended it to be. As HANA's brand manager Norman Mier puts it "We want to showcase hair in its natural glory."

Focus on what makes you naturally beautiful, without the retouching, studio lights, heavy makeup, and most especially. the digital tweaking, and just dare to go out in your most natural look! 

Real beauty is effortless. It's not about transforming into the look that isn't you, but rather real beauty is all about how you take good care of your well-being--just the way HANA takes good care of my hair.  #NoFilterBeauty #HanaShampoo

Photos (c) Jessica Murphy

REAL TALK: The Words I Regret

WORDS build bridges from one place to another and cut-through places that we cannot.

WORDS can turn hopelessness into hopefulness, just as it can also turn hopefulness into hopelessness.

WORDS can break someone into a million pieces, just as it can also put them back together.

WORDS. So crucial. So fragile, yet so powerful, that most of us start to cringe and hesitate, for fear of saying the wrong thing at the wrong timing. 

But lately, what scares me more that that is letting one moment pass without saying anything.

Because sometimes the words that haunt me the most, aside from the careless words I've said, are also THE WORDS I DIDN'T SAY—the words my heart wanted to scream out loud, but my mouth just kept shut. 

I'VE REGRETTED NOT SAYING 
"I love you"