It’s been almost 2 months now since we celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary. On the day itself, we just took a quick break from work and had a lovely dinner.

Then a few days later, we went to Puerto Princesa City, Palawan to continue the celebration. This trip to Palawan was planned months before (got some promo plane tickets) and was almost cancelled because my grandmother passed away a few weeks before the trip. But my Dad (my parents were with us), said that we should push through because the airfare and accommodations were already paid for and were non-refundable.

I knew we should still be grieving but I was also glad that we decided to go. Puerto Princesa City offered a much needed respite from everything we’ve been through in the past year (and we’ve been through a lot). It is a city that hasn’t completely lost it’s countryside charm. As such, it is dubbed as a city within a forest and is pleasantly without the hustle and bustle of a typical metropolitan area. There’s no need to rush here. And their beautiful tourist attractions are aplenty and relatively within easy reach from the city proper.

And did I say we love the food? It was a Seafood Fest the whole week for us. Everything is fresh and a lot cheaper (compared to the prices in Manila).

A wedding anniversary should always be a special day, just like a birthday is, because it’s the day when ‘the union’ was born and each year, you should celebrate it’s growth and maturity. This wedding anniversary was a special one in particular because of the many many things that we’ve been through last year. We’ve had our share of ups and downs, of triumphs and trials – the really serious ones. We weathered the pain of losing our first child. We had 3 relatives who departed from us all within a span of one year.

I’d like to think that celebrating (anything for that matter) will somehow break the cycle of tragedies and sadness. We’re only on our third and we still don’t know what the future holds for us. So whenever there’s a chance, I’d like to make special moments really special. Something that you’d like to do again.

That’s why, as early as now, I’m looking forward to celebrating our fourth wedding anniversary. Ehem, I have the plane tickets already.

Our wedding anniversary was last January 30, but I only saw this image last night, after I asked if he can copy some files over to my Shared Documents folder. He’s not really the type who will do this kind of stuff — you know, sneaking in to my computer, cellphone or any personal belongings just to leave a message — so I guess he’s learning. Sweetness 101.

I left Boracay Island with a heavy heart. But upon seeing the beauty of the town where we’re heading to, I somehow felt less bitter. Nabas, with its pure countryside charm, lush greenery and simple, almost sleepy lifestlye, is a refreshing respite from the urban landscape that greeted us everyday back at home. Sure, this quaint town doesn’t offer the same comfort and luxury that Boracay has, but it boasts of a different and perhaps, equally captivating appeal.

I love the green ricefields, which magically turns into a bright golden carpet at noon. I love the cool breeze in the afternoon, drinking fresh coconut juice straight from the fruit, and taking short, restful naps. I love the slow pace of each day, reminding me how nice it is to pause for a while and just do nothing but commune with nature.

Snail eggs

This is where we usually spend the afternoon, taking naps and eating/drinking fresh fruits. The best seat in the house.

In the evening, our dinner would consist of these mushrooms that D’s uncle-in-law harvested from underneath the pile of dried coconut leaves. They were very tasty.

A private cemetery where one of D's deceased relative was interred.

I love Boracay, but this place captured my heart, too.

We didn’t have our honeymoon. Right after the wedding, it was back-to-work for both us. So when our first wedding anniversary was looming around the corner, we decided to spend it in Boracay. But because D’s mother has been wanting for the longest time to come home to her native town in Nabas, Aklan and because Nabas, Aklan is less than an hour away from Boracay Island, I suggested that we tag her along and spend time in Nabas as well.

That was how our 8-day trip to Boracay and Nabas, Aklan came into finality. The itinerary was simple. We would spend the first night in Nabas. Travel to Boracay first thing tomorrow morning and go back to Nabas on day 5, where we’ll stay until we fly back to Manila. So that’s 4 days in each location. Fair enough.

Day 1: First airplane ride as husband and wife, where blue skies and white, fluffy clouds greeted us.

Day 2: First day in Boracay. We arrived there at 10 a.m. and because our room was not yet ready (check-in was at 2 p.m.), we decided to just stroll along the beach and took random pics of ourselves and the beach.

Day 3: It was a gloomy and chilly day in Boracay. According to plan, we were supposed to have activities today but one (parasailing) was canceled due to strong winds. Nevertheless, we carried on with the plan to have fun and make the most of what Boracay has to offer, despite the not-so-sunny weather.

Day 4: We had hoped for a better weather the next day. And our prayers were granted, albeit only slightly.

Day 4: The saddest day of our stay in Boracay was upon us. The day started with an overcast but gradually brightened up as the noon peaked. We were to leave that noon and up to the last hour, I still entertained the thought that maybe we could extend our island vacation. Not that I didn’t bring it up to D. I did, but the next day was Nagustan’s Feast day (the town in Nabas where his relatives live) and we really need to go back because we promised to be there in time for the town fiesta.

While 4 days may seem long enough for some, trust me when I say that 4 days when you’re in Boracay will seem like just 4 hours. Even if we weren’t blessed with a tropical beach weather, the island was still beautiful and mesmerizing.

to be continued here…