My Big Deal Summer officially ends.

Believe me, my absence has not been due to the lack of blogworthy
topics. I've got loads of unpublished drafts, and even more tatters
of thoughts that simply need to be transcribed. I guess I've been too
caught up with everything that's been going on lately, let's leave it
at that.

Well, I definitely feel like summer has officially ended, and mine was
truly a packed one. This felt like the busiest summer I've ever had,
strangely enough. I went on 4 holidays, though they're all pretty
short trips.

The first was the trip to Puerto Galera with my family and family
friends. I don't think I'll ever go back there (I really don't want
to). But I got to go on a banana boat. It may not seem like a big
deal to anyone, but I am terrified of boats. Of deep water. Of
toppling into deep water. So this was kind of a big deal to me.

For our decade's worth of friendship, it was the first time that my
high school barkada went on an outing. Overnight pa. And hindi pa
kami complete. But it was still fun. We haven't talked like "that"
in ages. I actually really don't remember when the last time was.

Then sometime in May, my family (and again, Sam's family) took a trip
to Hong Kong and Macau. The last time I went to Hong Kong, I was five
years old. It was my very first trip out of the country, and hence,
my first plane ride. That's when my travel education began. I
actually thought that Hong Kong was situated in the clouds, and that
the Earth was only composed of the Philippines. Don't you just love
how kids think?

Anyway, that was really a blast for me. I got to go around town by
myself, guided my mom and her older sisters when we had to split
during shopping day, depended on a map for dear life. And most of
all, got to shop in a foreign country with my own money. So it will
definitely be extra memorable because of that. I never really thought
that it would be such a huge deal, but it was. It was the same
feeling that I felt when I got my
"i'm-an-independent-woman-red-cellphone (Char's words)".

The morning we went to Macau, all I can think of was whether I should
jump. The Skyjump at Macau Tower. The HKD600 (P4,200) jump. I was
thinking of it til we got there. The weather was rainy, foggy, and
just plain dreary. Then I saw the tower. Yipes! I totally forgot
about the money issue. All I can think of was "I couldn't even see
the ground from up here!"

So we did the skywalk instead. That was still a blast! It was still
also a bit freaky at first, walking that high up without walls or
handrails.

One of my OFWs (Overseas Friends in the World!) also made a one-month
visit to Manila. It really is strange how time can both change, yet
not change, a person and a relationship.

Capping the summer off, Char, Rach, and I went to Boracay after
purchasing our tickets on a whim several months earlier (March 8, to
be exact). It was definitely a trip to remember in all aspects. :)

I think July will definitely be a lot more college-centric as one of
my dear college friends is coming home for a visit. It'll be nice to
get together once again, and as with other peers, share the
strangeness of being in this age at this time. Isn't growing up so
much fun? Haha.

There are other things in store for me, but I think it would be best
if I save that for a much later announcement. The only thing I can
really say about is that I've really kept an eye for the washing
instructions on each outfit I buy. 'Til next. ;-)