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Bauko 7 Peaks: The Truth About Illusions And Limits
How many times can you question your life choices in a single morning? I counted seven in the first hour of my Bauko 7 Peaks hike. Question one came when I realized I hadn’t slept well in two weeks and my body was demanding payment. Question seven came when my left calf suddenly tightened and screamed hijo de puta in Tagalog. Yet even with the hiccups and the voices screaming to turn back, quitting wasn’t an option. Throughout my life, I’ve learned how to bend reality and shift stubbornness into fuel. Seven peaks meant seven chances to be wrong about my limits. The mountain was real. The pain was real.…
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Paoay Sand Dunes And The Forgotten Empires That Time Erases
One day, I will die, and strangely that thought has made life feel lighter. Since graduating college, I had been stuck in the rat race, chasing milestones and moments I thought would define me. But when I realized none of it would matter in a hundred years, something changed. Suddenly, the pressure to constantly achieve loosened its grip. And that shift is what drives me to explore places like the Paoay Sand Dunes. At the Paoay Sand Dunes, that realization takes shape in front of you. The wind pushes back. The sand gives way. You climb, slide, laugh, and try again. Nothing cooperates. Your tracks vanish almost as soon as…
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Calle Crisologo & The Quiet Art of Letting Go
Every great story starts with a bad idea and a backpack that’s seen better days. On a random Tuesday in October, I impulsively booked a trip to Ilocos, with no clear plans or even goals. I just wanted to walk along the cobblestone streets of Calle Crisologo and stare at the massive windmills of Ilocos Norte. And for someone who’s usually bombarded with meetings and responsibilities, that tiny act of recklessness felt like reclaiming a little piece of myself. As I strolled along Calle Crisologo at night, I realized why this small act felt so satisfying. Lately, I’d started feeling like I traded my carefree and messy side for deadlines,…
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Bangui Windmills And The Strange Absurdity Of Taking Life Too Seriously
What if none of this really matters? What if everything we stress about doesn’t mean as much as we think it does? And what if that’s the best news you’ve heard all week? As I stood before the massive Bangui Windmills, I couldn’t help but laugh a little. Here I was, surrounded by giants that survived everything nature threw at them, while I’ve spent the past week battling storms that only existed in my head. All week long, I thought about canceling my trip to Bangui Windmills and Ilocos Norte. I kept thinking about the recent earthquakes and aftershocks. I kept thinking about my recent performance at work. And I…
For anyone who’s felt a little lost or tired.
101 Letters to Juliet
I wrote this book for you.
101 Letters to Juliet is a philosophy book disguised as a love story — shaped by places, distance, and slow days on the road.