January in Review

CAPTURING MOMENTS || JANUARY 2016

ITINERARY

1.6-1.14 (Daejeon, South Korea) → 1.14-1.21 (Manila, Philippines) → → 1.21-1.27 (Palawan, Philippines) → 1.27 – 2.1 (Sanchez Mira, Philippines)

HIGHLIGHTS

Reunited with my Daejeon friends and bid a fond farewell to my life in Korea
Attended my cousin Paula’s wedding in the beautiful Batangas
Explored Manila eating at Din Tai Fung, biking around Intramuros, and getting my palm read
Visited the island of Palawan with friends from home/Korea and visited the Underground River and went island hopping around El Nido
Traveled to my parent’s hometown and reunited with family members I haven’t seen in ages, including my Lola
Finally saw my dad’s beach house in Sanchez Mira

FEATURED SNAPSHOT

NEWFOUND FRIENDS, Sanchez Mira, Philippines @ 5:05 pm

GOOD READ

Paris Letters book

PARIS LETTERS by Janice Macleod

“Immediately, I had the unpleasant realization that I was, in fact, living my dream life, but it was a dream life I had created after I graduated university when I didn’t know any better. I grew up; my dreams did not.”

Synopsis: “How much money does it take to change your life?” Unsatisfied with her life as she knows it, disgruntled accountant Janice MacLeod takes it upon herself to alter the course of her fate using this question as her guide. By cutting back not only on expenditures, but also material possessions, she frees herself from the day-to-day grind and embarks on a journey to Europe and ends up with the life she was meant for all along. In France, she meets a butcher who she pens a letter to – starting her journey to love and a way to be the artist she always dreamed of being.

I usually don’t read books like this one but as one of my New Year’s Resolutions, I decided to join the World of Wanderlust’s Book Club for 2016. The first book of the year happened to be this one. It was a surprisingly good and easy read although its chock full of cliches. For starters, there’s the premise about quitting your life to start a new one. Please don’t pin me as a cynic but here’s a woman in her mid-30s making this decision to restart her life so not only has she taken the time to make this choice, but she also has a steady income under her belt (which means savings) and talent working for her (she’s an artist). She has a a household full of possessions to sell and dabbles in stocks for an extra push. Its not that this is an unrealistic situation but for the younger generation who are not as well to do, quitting your life when it hasn’t even started yet seems well, unrealistic. Also, she finds love in… Paris. *womp womp* But seriously though, when does that ever happen? She’s the minority — not the majority, so its hard to relate to. The book is not that much of a Paris travelogue as it is a detailed account of how one woman changed her life. The name “Paris Letters” actually comes from the Etsy business she starts of writing water-colored letters of Paris to a fee-paying, subscribing audience. Now that was my favorite part of the book! As an ardent letter writer myself, I commend her resourcefulness turning a recreational pastime into a viable commercial enterprise. The book includes examples of these “Paris Letters” that tie in with the story line and having those visuals made the read all the more enjoyable. For that day when the bills are flowing, maybe it would be a fun thing to subscribe to! Check out her Etsy shop here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/JaniceArtShip. Also, if you end up getting the book, you’ll have a list of 100 ways she saved money to quit her job and move to Europe.

Want More? See 24 Hours in New Orleans: What To Do, See, and Eat

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ON THE INTERNET

Italian photographer Alessio Trerotoli released a photographic series entitled “Urban Melodies,” a compilation of sixty superimposed photos featuring famous cities around the world. These abstract photos capture the fast-paced tempo of these booming metropolises in part one and part two.
I wish that I had found this resource before my terrible overnight stay at JFK, but hopefully Sleeping in Airports will be useful to travelers who are in for a night at the airport on their next trip.
Watch the inspiring video of a Nepalese man who pioneered the movement to bring the power of the World Wide Web to people hidden away in the most remote towns of the Annapurna mountain region.
Did you know that every five years, the United Kingdom’s passport undergoes a design overhaul? This year, the passport pages feature a graphic patchwork of the most iconic monuments, people, and symbols of British culture.
Meet Jim Haynes, a man who has been hosting dinners at his home in Paris every Sunday for the past thirty years with an open-door policy. Now here’s someone you’d want to be neighbors with.