Aside from marrying my SO, one of the days I've been dreaming of finally arrived! After 19 months of patiently waiting, we got the keys to our first home. 

It was such a long and an expensive process, but it was worth every blood, sweat, and tear. lol

At the day of our unit acceptance, Bani was busy editing so I brought Manang with me. It was also a bittersweet moment for her because we were going to be living apart from this day forward.

Scheduled turnovers for January 25, 2018

As soon as we accepted our unit last January 25, I emailed Converge for an application right away so we could officially move in. At that time, they had fast and excellent customer service since they were able to install our router 5 days later.

Our first internet provider: Converge 25mbps for Php 1,500

Two years later, unfortunately, we had to terminate our contract with them because of its intermittent connection.

7sqm service area located at the roof deck

 

February 3, 2018

Our appliances and furniture were almost complete!

 

One of our first sunsets in our first home.

We didn't have much stuff in here and we only decorated our home with a few items, but we love this place so much! I love the idea of having our own space and getting to decide everything for ourselves.

Ultimately, living on our own taught us to become more independent. The dynamics of our relationship were so different from the time we were still staying with my folks. 

It gave us space to discover more about ourselves and it really pushed us to prove to ourselves that we can take whatever life throws at us, but also gave ourselves room to make mistakes and learn from them on our own.

And this is something I'd always, always recommend to couples.  

Live on your own at some point in your relationship. Sometimes, you'll only have to deal with small things like thinking of what to cook for your next meal or learning how to fold clothes. Sometimes, it will be something in between like how to divide household chores between the two of you. And sometimes, figuring out bigger problems like managing your finances and paying your mortgage on time. Because being married and having a place to call your own is all about the art of balance; it may seem harder than it sounds, but it's oh so incredibly amazing.

Watch Bani's condo tour here.

I can't believe it has been almost four years since I tied the knot with my SO! This also means it's been four years since our families reunited. Friends and relatives all over the world flew to the Philippines to celebrate this once in a lifetime moment with us.

Our wedding was planned a year and a half ahead. As soon as Bani proposed in July 2015, we immediately decided on a date, so that gave our families, relatives and friends ample time to plan and apply for their vacation leaves.

We didn't want our special day to focus on us alone. For us, it was all about being surrounded by people close to our hearts.

I wasn't planning on posting a blog anytime soon, but while washing the dishes last night, this idea popped into my head out of nowhere–that I learned so much in 2018!

It's been a crazy ride, with so many ups and downs–from moving to our own place; to finishing my fourth World War II documentary with my husband Bani; to living together with an online celebrity; to rescuing more pets, and so on...

I could write my feelings and all, but for now, I want to share with you guys what I've learned from Bani and I's journey as online creators; what I've learned from other amazing creators that I've met and become friends with, and what I've learned from my own experience as a beginner!

It's famous for being an island within a lake within a volcano within a lake within an island. 

Bianchi certainly knew she was loved and will always be loved, and that's all that matters.

Kelso Dunes is located in Mojave National Preserve, about 3.5 hours away from Los Angeles. It covers 45 square miles and rise 650 feet above the ground.

Meet Doglas, a short-haired aspin (native) puppy we adopted from Pandi, Bulacan, and now Bigong's baby brother (and the Azure cats' nemesis). lol

We just picked up our marriage license yesterday and thought it would be nice to write an entry on how we did it and what are the requirements to do so. The license is only valid for 120 days so this month is the perfect time to apply for it since our big day is two and a half months away.

Exactly 13 months ago, we treated ourselves a spontaneous adventure after working on a few projects for 6 months straight.

Cebu Pacific made it all possible with their promo fares. Our flight was delayed as usual but I couldn't really complain-- my dream trip was finally happening!

Can I just say that I'm loving Marikina even more?! A fine-dining restaurant opened last year and it's such a shame that I haven't tried this until last week. One thing's for sure though, I'm definitely one of their loyal customers now.

Wedding Invitation Mockup

After so many months, we finally have a wedding invitation!

Even before Bani went on a break for two weeks in California, we were already talking about getting married soon and about telling our friends living abroad so they can start saving up. While he was away, I started pinning on Pinterest some wedding ideas, because, duh, that's how us (most) girls do it. Haha.