A Goal Without A Plan Is Just A Wish

I started 2010 by listing down the things I'd like to do the whole year around. The original list consists of pretty safe things - in short, boring items! So I ended up adding ones that can challenge myself more. Honestly, this is just the 1st time I wrote a To-Do-List, and actually do it!


○ It was January when I bought Harvey, my Canon 500D and used it for my family's trip to Boracay. How I hate my first shots, I almost regret getting that DSLR. I was never satisfied with my shots. And actually up to now, sometimes Im still not. I know I can do better.

meet Harvey - my Canon 500D

1st photowalk at Boracay - fail!


○ I can still feel the nervousness I got when I planned my 1st ever solo travel. Trust me, up to the last minute, I wanted to back out. Good thing I didn't. I realized the hardest part of this solo trip was just convincing myself that everything's gonna fine. I was never the girl who would take risk, not until I traveled solo in Sagada. I cant describe how fulfilling this entire experience was.

surviving Sagada alone
Im very proud to do Cave Connection (Lumiang + Sumaguing)


○ The start of summer was set for a travel to a not-so-popular spot back then- it's called Calaguas. I remembered myself bugging very few bloggers about this trip. I set my standards too high, and surprisingly this beach didn't disappoint me. It even exceeded my expectations. The best part: I got to sleep barely in the sand and underneath the stars. Priceless!

hail the best beach - Calaguas
oopps, 1st time kong mag two-piece


○ Im blessed to meet a nice set of blogger friends this year- there's Doc Gelo and his celebrity son Gabby, Dong Ho, Nina, Gael, Anton, Rob, KG, and a lot more. But this girl instantly become my favorite, she owns the thrown for "The Best Person I Met This 2010"! ^-^




○ My body is weak and my health is never at its finest. That's why I never wanted to do so much physical activities. But since I survived Sagada, I told myself Im going to survive mountain climbing too. I joined a group of strangers and climbed Mt.Pulag. Had I known it's the highest peak in Luzon, and the temperature's gonna drop at Zero Degrees at night time, I would really think twice.. or thrice! Haha

at Mt.Pulag's peak before sunrise
zero degrees happens in Pinas - now we know! ^-^


○ The annual JGC (my life-long friends) summer getaway took place in Camiguin and CDO. It's everybody's 1st time to set foot in Mindanao! It was nothing but 8x the fun!



the most fun activity ever - water rafting at CDO


Sunken Cemetery in Camiguin


○ Who would forget Mang Arnel? He's the tour guide who showed me incomparable kindness when I had an unexpected solo travel in Ilocos- with insufficient money, no cellphone, and no ATM card in hand. And to add, this hysteria happened on my birthday! Once again, God proved that all misfortunes are blessings in disguise. I cant be more thankful. Im moved with this experience.

Ilocos hysteria turned blessed birthday


○ As my closest friend in the US sent me some GC's for my bday, I made a contest for every reader of this blog. The prize: a lunch date at Outback!

paying it forward to this young blogger Allen


○ Since I have traveled solo twice, I didn't hesitate to pursue my 1st ever backpacking trip outside the country. Originally, I have companions but they backed out. Thanks to Nina for all the encouragement and for spoon-feeding me almost every tip I need for this trip. Haha Thanks to Lee, a Malaysian blogger who spared her time to meet me in KL as I made some personal requests.

Batu Caves : KL, Malaysia
not all backpackers carry huge dirty backpacks

○ I had a great time doing this backpacking trip especially in Saigon, Vietnam and Siem Reap, Cambodia because I did it all by myself. It may look scary to be in the middle of nowhere, where no one barely knows and understands you, but this experience is priceless as well. The hardest part is not speaking Tagalog for 4 whole days! ^-^

Asians can easily fit at Cu Chi Tunnel : Saigon, Vietnam


Tomb Raider wannabe : Siem Reap, Cambodia


○ My agony ended as I met Marisol for the 1st time. She's also a Pinay but we only met in Bangkok. She's my stranger travel buddy. It's kinda hard to trust anyone with your passport, money, and other valuables, but luckily I found this girl. She was really nice to travel with. Right there and then, we decided to travel together again the future.

day 10 of my backpacking South East Asia trip : Floating Market
Bangkok, Thailand


○ Just a week after I got back from my SEA trip, I had another trip in line. Thanks CebuPac for the Piso Fare and I managed to do a Boracay trip for less than P5,000- this includes airfare, island hopping, parasailing, and reef walking activities!

parasailing

reef walking
i extremely enjoyed my 3rd Boracay visit because of this


○ Another tipid trip was set in Coron. Been waiting for this trip since I denied myself from traveling for almost 2 months. Afterall this time, I was a beach bum. I could only enjoy a beach if it has white sand and blue waters. But not anymore. Not after my encounter with Coron's underwater creatures. I extremely enjoyed snorkeling and taking photos.

my most favorite shot for 2010


○ I blocked off any travels in the months of October and November. I decided to do splurging this time. For a change, I stayed in a Suite Room in Oakwood Premier over the weekend. Bonus part: I did this splurging with someone who shares the same bday as mine. It's undeniably the suitest of them all!

splurging at Oakwood Premier Suites


○ As I got my 13th month pay- I bought Blade, my black and bold desktop computer (instead of getting myself an average laptop that fits my budget). I cant be happier with the decision I made!

meet Blade - my black and bold desktop pc


○ Among the many activities I did this year, this one's the most difficult and challenging to do: Organize an outreach. And so I thought this one's a piece of cake, well it's not. I learned great lessons along the way. I'd like to thank everyone who supported and volunteered to make this outreach possible- it's actually overwhelming.

I don't need to hear these kids say Thank You.
Smiles on their faces are enough.


Im surprised to see I almost done everything in my list. It's really simple to achieve a goal if you surely want it. Just start planning it. Because as the Little Prince said "A goal without a plan is just a wish."


Another thing that surprised me is to discover Im now in Google's and Yahoo!'s most searched names. Amazing! (Click the photos to show compiled search)

search my name

or my blog name

I may not have good writing skills but I know some people read and follow this blog. Not because they need to, but simply because they enjoyed doing so. Im very flattered. Your personal messages and invites always make me feel loved. Thank you! ♥

61 responses:

Chyng said...

I wish everyone a more positive outlook in life, simple pleasure, and peace of mind! Cheers to brighter 2011! ^-^

khantotantra said...

ang ganda ng mga trips mo nitong 2010. At popular ka na kasi instant na lumalabas ang blog mo sa google search. :D

Gusto ko yung sinabi mo nung first part na ang pagconvince sa sarili lang ang pumipigil sa pagsolo travel. Hopefully, magawa ko din yun. :D

princess_dyanie said...

talaga binasa mo yung little prince?

love you more!!! :x nag dedication portion na tayo sa card at sa text haha :D

Chyng said...

@khanto,
very true. enough encouragement lang katapat nyan. magugulat ka, its so simple!

@dyan,
anuver, wala na namang tulugan ito? wag kang magtetext mamya ng maaga makatulog sa ofis! haha

eMPi said...

Ganda ng camera.

Okay naman mga kuha mo. :)


Happy New Year, Chyng!

rob said...

.. through my best friend docgelo, i met you, then dyan - para lang konek-da-dots! sabi nga namin ni dyan sa fb, alam mo na kung ano wish namin for you! here's a great 2011 for you, chyng! stay mataray, i like you that way! haha!

Mapanuri said...

That's a jam-packed 2010 chyng!..

A lot truly enjoy reading your blog because it's like talking to you in person.. it's real.. sabi nga nila, walang paliguy-ligoy, walang palabok!.. :)

more power in 2011 and more travels and goals to achieve!..

escape said...

this year is a great year for you Chyng! this post definitely sums it up and by the look of how you enjoy traveling, it seems that 2011 will even be better.

nice meeting you as well and yes yan si dyanie saya kasama.

among my favorite post here is of course calaguas, your birthday in ilocos and the asean trip!

cheers to more years in travel!

tandem trip next year!

Pinoy Adventurista said...

ang galing galing naman... you had a blast in 2010... I wish you more travels, new friends, experiences and gadgets this coming year! Happy New Year po! =D

mabel said...

hi chyng,i pray for happiness and more trips to come for next year.

:)

happy new year

yeah i love the little prince, one of my favorite books to date

Rah said...

Congratulations on your new cam. You take really great shots. kudos.

Diamond R said...

wow! what a year? ang gaganda ng mga pictures.Ang galing mo talaga chyng keep it up.

Unknown said...

sana makasama kita sa isa mong lakwatsa sa 2011

Nicole said...

wala akong masabi!Haha!

Happy new year na lang! Hehe! :P

lakwatserong tatay said...

Sa totoo lang po isa ka sa naging inspirasyon bakit ako nagsusulat...
Sa dami ko na rin po napuntahan...mapabundok o ibang lugar sa pilipinas...
Natutu ako na ibahagi sa iba ang aking karanasan at ito ay aking ipagpapatuloy hanggang ako'y mapupuntahan...

salamat po...

pero sana minsan makasama naman kita sa isang trip...backpack trip...:-)

Ed said...

I follow this blog because it's really fun to read and insightful. Pictures are awesome too! and the tips are really helpful. dami ko nang excuses to read ha. hehe.

really, more travels for all of us Chyng!! awesome desktop by the way! :D

Unknown said...

You had a very adventurous and meaningful year. Kudos to that! May 2011 present you with more opportunities, possibilities and places for you to explore.

gillboard said...

looks like you had a great 2010.

chyng, let's start the new year right, Lunch on Jan 15 at California Pizza Kitchen in Glorietta. Your tumbler's waiting. :)

kg said...

clap ! clap! what a year it was for you chyng! galing!

alam mo baliktad tayo, i don't make lists of things to do! he he!

nina said...

Ang exciting naman ng 2010! Here's to an even better 2011 :D

iluvgreen said...

I admire your courage to travel alone, thats one of the things id love to accomplish next year and meet some blogger friends. Happy new year

bang said...

hataw sa travel!
Hoping to hear more travel kwentos in 2011.
Happy new year Chyng!
Nice meeting you! :-)

thepinaysolobackpacker.com said...

wow! dameng trips! :D it's been nice you Chyng. You're a blessing! Nxt year, i'll limit my trips, i wanna buy gadgets na din, parang gusto ko na maging flashpacker. Happy Travels dear! :)

love love,
Gael

Debbie said...

Been a good year for you. Wee! I really love your blog Chyng and I bet mas madami ka lakad ng 2011.

My favorite is your Sagada trip. Next, Mt. Pulag. My favorite photo of yours is the "lonely at the top" pic. Dun talaga ako napa-wow.

:)

Photo Cache said...

ako ang napagod sa jampacked 2010 mo. travel galore pla. keep it up.

happy new year.

Iyay B. said...

Clap Clap Clap!! Ang galing mo! I commend you for accomplishing ALMOST all on your to-do-list. Pero the one thing I'm looking forward na ma-accomplish mo ay (And im sure included din to sa to-do-list mo for 2011) "Some personal goals (including a new job)" Haha!

Bilib ako sayo, ang lakas talga ng loob mo! Ikaw na, ikaw na ang magaling! APIR!! :)

flipnomad said...

wishing you more travels and more fun sa 2011 :-) happy new year chyng :-)

Pinay Travel Junkie said...

whatta year! cheers to 2010 and the coming 2011. safe trips!

pusangkalye said...

at diko muna babasahin kasi me balak din ako gawa ng summary.tinignan ko lang mga pics at naiimagine ko na marami tu similarities.narealize ko bigla na nakapattern ang maraming goals ko this year sayo.alam mo naman na idol kita esp sa travels.kaya kung saan ka nagpupunta gusto ko rin puntahan. Sagada for example, na inspire talaga ako don sa solo travel mo na yun.at don pa talaga kami nag honeymoon.hehehe. yun tuloy , nahawa din ako ng pagiging snob mo.joke.

2010 is definitely a breakthrough year for you. more brave pursuits for you next year Chyng!!!!

Robbie said...

Congratsssss! To be honest, this is one of the most influential blogs that I've read. You also encouraged me to go to trips with complete strangers, and hopefully travel alone in the future.

At at at! Nakagawa na din ako ng to-do list for 2011 dahil sayo. Hehehe. Gaya much?

Thanks so much Chyng! :D

Shey Malindog said...

This year is indeed a blessed year for you..continue to impress us and "Inggit" us with all your travels in the future...

Happy New Year chyng!!!

Oman said...

cheers chyng. your blog is definitely one of the best emerging travel/photo/personal blog here. that was a blast in 2010 and hopefully more travels and fun in 2011.

RIZALENIO said...

Astig ni Blade.

Happy Holidays!!!

edelweiza said...

i'm one of those who read this blog every so often as i get inspired by your adventures and your guts. keep sharing them! happy new year! :)

Kura said...

Naka naman! What a blast! Nabasa ko na lahat ng nasa summary mo pero the fact na nagawa mo yun sa loob lang ng isang buong taon?!?! Clap Clap Clap talaga! Cheers to 2011! I'm sure it'll be an exciting year for you. God Bless!

escape said...

hi Chyng, just read your question in my blog. yes you can rent a jeep from banaue to batad and back (special). the hotel is Simons. kelan mo pala balak umakyat?

docgelo said...

basta panalo ka sa listahan ko, chyng. yun lang!

wow, una name ko sa billing ng mga ehem, bloggers at may title na si gabby, hahaha!
pero walang kokontra sa award ni dyan. *bow*

God bless us and our families more, chyng! May you continue to be an inspiration and a blessing to others.

Maldito said...

loooking at the pictures makes me think my life this year is a bore....hahahahahys....i only visited manila and iloilo this year as i am based in cebu...yung sa manila badtrip pa kasi bumabagyo...

makapabook na nga ng mga travel..ahahaa

C A R L A said...

what a year! definitely one traveling year! thanks for this blog, it really helped on my vietnam - cambodia trip...happy new year, chyng

Lakad Pilipinas said...

A very good year indeed! I'd have to delay my year ender, wanna finish everything first bago ko post yung year end report ko =P

Your year was infinitely better than mine tho! =)

Jo Tan said...

awesome blog!!!
amazing adventures!!! ^,^
we share the same passion for travel and food!! hahaha

The Nomadic Pinoy said...

What a blessed year 2010 has been for you and I do hope this goes the same for 2011.

Hope to travel with you someday. Happy New Year Chyng!

kassy said...

take me to Mt. Pulag! :)

Nice meeting you chyng! :) oh tell me about this homebased work that you mentioned?

Meedge said...

congrats, chyng! you accomplished what you set out to do in 2010. ako major fail where my goals are concerned, BUT, kaya nga may 2011. this is gonna be my year, i can feel it! haha.

thanks for the inspiration! i will continue reading your posts kasi contrary to what you said, ang galing mo! may dating ka magkwento!:)

Micamyx said...

Happy New Year Ching! This year tayo naman lalakwatsa din hehe :D What i love about your entries is that it is so heartfelt and the pictures are great! :D Stay happy <3

Photoblogger said...

Chyng you are indeed a traveller. That's a really interesting summary of your travels. Yey for being a Canonista too :D inggit ako sa reef walking mo.

Hope to see more of your tavels for 2011. :D

Calvin said...

Chyng!!! nice recap of your travels. Yung shirt mo nasa akin pa. Paano mo kukunin? if weekdays nasa makati lang office ko i could meet you there somewhere.

bertN said...

Here's wishing you the best for 2011.

Anonymous said...

i hope you have more adventures and meet ups this year chyng! ang cool, sana matuloy na din yung lakad namin ni dyanie! kakainggit yung mga trips mo! i hope it rubs off on me!

Ian | GoingRoamingWandering said...

What a year of adventure and travel! And congrats for being most search travel blog in major search engine sites... Happy 2011!

Allen said...

Happy New Year ate chyng!!! Buti nalang andyan si Harvey to capture all this. And thanks for sharing a piece of you on the internet. We learn a lot. :)

Ced said...

Saya saya naman. You've been to a hell lot of places last year. I'm sure you'll travel even more this new year. :) Ingat palagi!

lechua said...

it must feel great looking back at 2010 with so many great adventures! n was glad to have met u in person during ur SEA trip. Wishing you a year of new adventures in 2011!

Ibyang said...

happy new year chyng!!

congratulations on an awesome 2010--your travels are truly amazing.

ferdz said...

Wow! What an accomplishment from your to-do list. 2010 was a big growth for you. I also remember Sagada being my first ever solo trip when I started back years ago.

Can't wait to see your to-do list for 2011 :D

SunnyToast said...

You really have a great year. You know where to shop happiness! goodluck for this year...Chyng:)

Angel said...

You have accomplished a lot this year Chyng! I am very proud of you! Cheers to a new year of more adventures, travels and goals!

lakwatsera de primera said...

What a great year Chyng! I know you're gonna top it even more this year - Cheers to more trips! kelan kaya tayo pwede magtravel nina Gael at Nina?

Pinoy Boy Journals said...

one of the reasons why traveling became a new way of life for some is because they have been reading your blog. You're inspirational, and fun. The work you do for the kids is admirable. And i hope this 2011 will be a year of more notable trips with unforgettable experiences! Cheers Chyng!

xcess baggage said...

punta ka nang hot air balloon festival? :)

Marrk said...

That's the joy of (digital) photography Ms Chyng , just keep taking shots! Happy New Year .

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