Ahhh… 2012.
You are an ebullient homage to wanderlust. Frankly, I am quite obsessed with your ruffled months. In fact it’s almost midnight and amid that end-of-the-world hullabaloo, here I am fondly sewing a patchwork of idyllic imagery to commemorate your flamboyance and purport. Now this may seem like a pathetic way of exiting the universe, but at least I dove in a vibrant flashback during my last minutes on earth. I get to utilize fancy words too.
Nope. I’m not drunk.
Shoot for Travel Blogging Calendar 2013. Shout out to the photographer, fellow Pinay travel blogger Claire of
Lakwatsera De Primera. Not the actual photo on the calendar.
Speaking of dying, just last week an aunt of mine told me, “Dami mo nang napuntahan, pwede ka na mamatay.” (You’ve been to so many places, you can die anytime now.).
“Eh… I’d like to see more. A lot more.” I said. Then she went, “Hinde, pwede ka na mamatay!” (Nah, you can die anytime/now). I thought to myself, if the planet doesn’t blow up and claim my life, her statement probably will.
But yeah, I got her point. And 2012 is a testament to that. See for yourself how the universe spoiled us to bits this year.
1. Mexico
Clockwise from top left: 1. New Year’s Eve dinner, mole! 2. Palenque Ruins. 3. A cenote (sinkhole) in Cancun. 4. Chichen Itza without the hubby and baby doll.
2. Peru
Clockwise from top left: Watching penguins in the wild, Islas Ballestas. 2. Red Beach in Paracas National Reserve. 3. Machu Picchu. 4. The Tree, Nazca Lines.
3. Brazil
Clockwise from top left: 1. Cristo Redentor. 2. Carnival at the Sambadrome. 3. The hubby bought his first pair of Havaianas (Luna’s first pair too)! 4. Sexy Ipanema Beach.
4. Morocco
Clockwise from top left: 1. Hassan II Mosque, Casablanca. 2. Ancient Roman City Volubilis. 3. Sahara Desert. 4. Ait Benhaddou, Ouarzazate.
5. Vietnam
Clockwise from top left: 1. Street art somewhere in Pham Ngu Lao District, Ho Chi Minh. 2. Pho! 3. After wriggling through the tunnels of Củ Chi. 4. Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica.
6. Mongolia
Clockwise from top left: 1. Tsagaan Suvraga, Gobi Desert. 2. Two kilometer trek to Yolyn Am. 3. Inside our Couchsurfing host’s ger in Ulaanbaatar. 4. Khongoryn Els Sand Dunes.
7. Russia
Clockwise from top left: 1. Aboard the Trans-Siberian train, skirting the world’s oldest lake. 2. Luna dons her first down jacket. 3. Nizhny Novgorod. 4. St. Basil’s Cathedral, Moscow.
8. Philippines
Clockwise from top left: 1. Dasol, Pangasinan. 2. Liwliwa, Zambales. 3. Gubat, Sorsogon for the Book Sharing Project. 4. Tondol Beach, Anda, Pangasinan.
9. Singapore
Clockwise from top left: 1. With Singapore-based Filipino bloggers. 2. Ze sister’s birthday. 3. Second overseas trip with the ‘rents. 4. Harry Potter Exhibit.
10. Australia
Clockwise from top left: 1. Dee Why Beach. 2. Luna’s play date with Justice and Mayor. 3. Meet up with Pinay travel bloggers. 4. Catching up with Persian in-laws.
11. Indonesia
Clockwise from top left: 1. Sanur Beach. 2. Luna tramping on an Ubud rice field. 3. Fourth anniversary of togetherness, Bali’s Uluwatu temple. 4. First time checking in a boutique hotel.
12. East Timor
Clockwise from top left: 1. Maubara Fort. 2. Third year wedding anniversary spent volunteering for Academy of Swimming Education East Timor. 3. Dollar Beach, Manatuto. 4. Cristo Rei, Dili.
And then some.
Paying it forward. Left: Participated in the Book Sharing Project for the benefit of Rizal Elementary School in Gubat, Sorsogon. Right: Posed for the Travel Blogging Calendar 2013. Sales of the calendars will be donated to Mitrata Nepal and VSO Bahaginan. Purchase one now! Visit http://www.travelbloggingcalendar.com/
So do you think I can die any time now (Gulp.)? How was your 2012, fellow travel junkie?ShareTweet
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Whoa! I think hectic is an understatement for you this year. Even your aunt’s tongue-in-cheek comment makes sense – that is, if only the Mayan prediction came true (glad to visit Mexico this year too!)
Yeah! We went the same year π
Lovely year for a lovely family. π ~nikka
I always tell myself, one round the world trip and I’m ready to call it a life. But, I’m sure i’ll be asking for more after that. I die now of envy seeing your 2012 wrap-up. I wonder what will be Luna’s 2030 year-ender will be? a planet Mars mention isn’t impossible.
Happy Holidays Gaaaaaaay!
Na pressure ako… popost na rin namin yung sa amin in a bit! hahaha
Lost for superlatives actually.
Can’t imagine how blessed Luna is!
She’s a great contender to the youngest (and the cutest!) globetrotter award category if such exists! lol
Die? You still have the space to conquer! π
Happy holidays! Ho ho ho!
Marky, I’d rather go to the moon. Haha! Cheers to 2012 my friend.
Ron, excited to see FlipTravels’!
Happy Holidays also to your beautiful family, Doc Gelo. Hope to finally meet you in 2013.
What a poetic post! I just love the photos and the places you’ve been to this year! Cheers! Nice one Gay! π
Winner itetch! Happy holidays Gay, Sherv and Luna. Wishing you more travels next year and perhaps a new member of the globe-trotting family π
You can’t die now because we are still going to travel together at some point! π You deserve another 2012, gurl.
You and your family is so awesome! And Luna is such a cutie-patootie!
Your travels make me believe that nothing is impossible and one day I can do it too. π Happy Christmas to you and your family!
Ephraim, thank you! Cheers!
Claire, see you again soon! Let’s do them bushwalks.
Reiza, I hope we’d be as lucky in the future.
Mimai, I never thought that my dream of traveling around the world will ever come true. So yeah, we just hafta keep the faith π
it’s my first time here.
woaaah. you’ve been to too many places already.
im inspired. π
http://www.lilpink.info
Thank you for dropping by, pretty Kai!
have a blessed holiday Gay. More travels to come. sending my hugs and kisses to Baby doll Luna! amishoo idol! π
Happy holidays to you Gay, Shervin and Luna. Thanks for sharing an awwwssomme 2012 to us readers! Go top it off on 2013~! hehe
You are too young to even think of death and dying. Merry Christmas and keep on traveling!
Cotz, thanks for following our adventures! We’re planning to take it slow next year… But then again our plans change like, every day.
berN, Merry Xmas to you too!
The universe did conspire to spoil you this year! Maybe your aunt felt a little envious kaya nya nasabi yon. Hehehe. Hope you have a blast next year as well. Looking forward to reading about your next adventures!
Merry Christmas and Happy new year!
it seems like you need more pages in your passport gay,i can lend you mine π
just this year i met you (post office) and luna (phl 360 event), si sherv na lang ang kulang kumpleto na ang casting! π
have a blessed 2013!
Merry Christmas bff!!!! π Nakakatuwa mga photos, pang post-card talaga.
BFF! Merry Xmas. XOXO.
Mayan means MAli YAN! I don’t believe in those stuffs! Anyway, we have the same year 2012 as a year of travel but not as much places that you visited – its almost around the globe! Cheers to that achievement! Inggit ako but I wish you more travels to come and share too in 2013!
Haha! Well it’s more like, it was misinterpreted. More travels to come, Ian. Cheers to 2012 and 2013!
More travels pa for 2013!!!
Mongolia, Vietnam and East Timor, wahoww! Witty travel chronicles you have. Cheers to the itchy feet that led you to unfamiliar grounds! More for 2013!
This is really an inspiring blog! You really cannot stop traveling, it’s definitely a BIG world out there. When they thought we’ve seen enough, we definitely know we’re not even half way!haha. Thanks for sharing this. Keep inspiring and sharing. More more travels to come! Happy Holidays! =)
grabe, yours was nothing but awesome!
you really are blessed, specially with that kind of family. hehe in that case, ayoko pang mamatay sympre!
Louie, cheers to more unfamiliar grounds in 2013!
Kara, thanks for your kind words! Following your adventures too π
Happy holidays! π
Wow fantastic summary! I just discovered your blog as I was researching my upcoming trip to Eastern Samar. Thanks for sharing the highlights of your year!
You had such a busy and wonderful year of travel! Loved following your adventures and all these beautiful photos. Luna is one lucky little princess. There’s still so much of the world for you to conquer and visit π Wishing you more adventures in 2013!
bigatin ang mga destibations!and one thing I admire so much about you is kahit me baby ka na,it doesn’t stop you from going places,as if it’s so easy,when in fact alam nating mahirap magbyahe ng me bata.You make it look effortless,best of all, you travel in style parin.Pati ang kagandahan,effortless din.hahaha.Cheers to more travels for 2013!
My favorite is your Latin America escapades… Love the mom and daughter pic in bathsuite in Brazil and the funny geographical names in Peru. And Im so bitin of the Mongolia series. Hehe. π
wow…that’s what you call a travel….astig..but at least im happy i’ve seen you in person….^_^
more travels in 2013…
ka pressure toh..maya ko palang ipost un year ender ko….^_^
JR, wonder how you landed on my blog since I don’t have a Samar post… Haha! Am glad you did. Welcome to the site!
Mary, more travels for you and your beautiful family too!
Anton, aawardan kita ng best comment dahil sa linyang “Pati ang kagandahan,effortless din”. LOL. But yeah, it is VERY difficult to travel with a child but rewarding.
Edmar, more Mongolia posts coming π
Marco, happy holidays!
Brian, finally we met in 2012! Haha! Naalala ko nagpapicture tayo sa kadiliman ng Metropolitan Theater.
Happy New Year Gay. π Love your pictures!
Happ New Year to you too, Lea! Cheers.
Happy Holidays, Gay! Sooo happy for your 2012 travels.. I’m sure you’ll be seeing more next year. *hugs to Luna* Hope to meet you soon. π
grabe ka gayE! model traveller! hahaha.
happy for your travels this year! good luck na lang next year! btw, good luck na rin sa Blog Carnival! isang madugong compilation toh! hehe
Thanks, Ed! hope we get to travel also in 2013. Ugh… The blog carnival… What have I gotten myself into?!
Happy 2013! All the best this new year. Ingat lagi. Kisses to Luna. π
And the Ms. World Traveler award goes to…:)
Congrats with all of your travel accomplishments for 2012. Wishing you and your family more travels for 2013. (Hoping we could do that someday, too).^_^
Happy new year! You need a well-deserved rest after finishing the compilation of the record-breaking blog carnival.:)
Oh wow you are really the sole inspiration for world travel hi-5 for that and your Peru pics, I’m dying. Great job pinaytraveljunkie. Cheers to 2012!
super fun, travel -filled year for you Gay and I’m so envious of the 3M’s – Morocco, Mexico, Mongolia plus East Timor, Brazil, Peru and Russia ah…you can’t die yet coz you are going to give me tips to go see those places! cheers to a a great 2013!
When I grow up, I would like to be just like you! Major inggit.com! I know my 1st stop to research when I finally get the chance to visit these places and more.. Cheers an even more exciting 2013 to you and your family!
I agree! The Big U has spoiled you to bits! π Now, if only the universe could spoil me too… π
Happy 2013! May you get spoiled again! π
Cheers Cris and Carlo π
May the universe spoil you girls too, Claire and Suzette.
Hope I’ll see Luna na this year! I’m glad to receive a postcard last year from one of the major major famous travel blogger and sexy mom gay!! More adventure to you and your family! Happy 2013 crush! Love the first photo, I wanna photoshoot you (same with ada and cai, hope I can planned it out this year hehehe) P.S. My friend named Helen is a fan of yours she just love your adventure and is really inspired by your travel. π
Wow! A photoshoot? That would be awesome! Hello to Helen!