After 2 years I finally have something new to write. Who knew in 2019 a pandemic would hit and cause the world to be at a standstill, for a few months at least. I’d like to think we’re in the tail-end now, but airfares are still expensive and masks are still required in some places.
A few months ago, on a whim, a friend casually invited me to join them in their vacation. Having been stuck, both literally and figuratively indoors, I immediately said yes.
Our trip starts in LA, on a road trip to Utah, Vegas, and then back in LA again. I’m joining Ayen and Tin, childhood friends, and Michelle, a former neighbor and college mate. I’ve been to LA and Vegas before, also with Ayen and it was great, but this trip was different, it was beyond great on many levels.
We started our 7-hour trip in LA, stopped in Vegas to meet up with Tin, before heading to Utah. We left at 4pm and arrived at 1am (with time difference). Let’s talk about the drive, all I can say is thank god I wasn’t driving! Not only because I’m not familiar w the roads, but I don’t like getting behind the wheel, I’d rather be the passenger. We left late and towards the end of our trip the roads got really dark and I could tell Ayen was struggling a bit (I don’t think it helped that she drove like a madwoman😂). We arrived in one piece and was immediately slapped across my face and my entire body by the cold weather. I was warned it would be much colder and I thought my gear was enough to keep me warm, they weren’t, thankfully Ayen lent me her thermal jacket. It was obviously dark when we arrived, the lodges where lined with enough lights but as soon as I got in the lobby it was like I stepped into the pages of one of the books I’ve read. It was cozy, warm, and inviting. Mind you this was at 1am, I might’ve been dreaming a bit (I wasn’t).
All four of us hunkered in a room, Tin transferred to her own room the next day. We planned to wake up at 7am, that got moved to 9am, understandably so especially for Ayen and Tin because they drove. Being the early bird that I am, I stood up and peeked outside and I was blown away by the view. We were surrounded by mountains! It felt so surreal.
When we all finally woke up and went downstairs for breakfast I was further greeted by a full view of the mountains, an outdoor fireplace was busy burning, and I remember standing in awe for a few seconds just soaking it all in. It was magnificent, a once in a lifetime experience. We planned to hike that day so I knew at some point we’ll get to see mountains, I just didn’t expect we’d be surrounded by it from day 1. Breakfast was buffet, non-stop coffee was available, and it was everything you’d expect to stay full in the morning.
We started our hike late and although we planned on hiking the entire 2.x mile trail, we turned around after 30 minutes😂 I’m so unfit at the moment, I gained weight, and haven’t been exercising I was so out of breath during most of the incline. We did get tons of great photos, however. We had lunch in town, at a Mexican place before going back to our lodge to rest for a bit. For our evening activity we went out to buy ramen. The next day we had to check-out and I kid you not I savored every second, every step before getting in the car. because who knows when I’ll be back?
Ayen drove us back to Vegas and our main activity for the night and place is to see Chippendales! 😂 I’d like to think I’m a simple person with simple dreams and an even simpler bucket list, one of which is to know how it feels to touch rock-hard abs and I can finally scratch that off as of Nov 13, 2022 😂😂 that might’ve been the highlight of my trip, or at least a close second to Utah.
No trip to Vegas is complete without going to an outlet mall, I didn’t buy much, I had a budget to work with and frankly I know I’d still lose weight so there’s no point in buying clothes, nor bags because I have more than enough. I did manage to buy 2 thermal jackets and when I checked their PH prices they cost more than twice what I paid for! Needless to say, I had to check-in my other luggage which I rarely do because I’d like to be quick when I travel.
On our way back to LA we stopped by Barnes and Noble and was that a treat! A cherry on top of my glorious sundae. I’ve always loved books, as a kid I would hang out at the library while waiting to be picked up for home. I’d find a corner, plop down cross-legged, with a book on my lap. I remember crawling across our library’s carpeted floor perusing bookshelves after bookshelves. And when I find a book I absolutely enjoyed, it felt like finding a treasure in an endless trove of shelves. I live in a one bedroom condo and how I wish it was a 2-bedroom instead so I can turn the other room into my library. I know I have too many books, I’ve built enough shelves but I don’t know if I still have space to hold 3 hardbound books and a paperback😂 I’ll figure it out when I get home. I’m currently typing this from my phone while in a plane back to Manila.
On my first day I met up with Izza and Frank. I’ve known Izza since grade school, our classrooms were right next to each other and my memory of us together as kids is during lunch break, we were eating by our rooms’ balcony and she had pork chops with rice that day and she shared it with me or something. I almost forgot that until she showed me a picture from a while back and apparently I mentioned it to her. We became close in college, that’s where I met Frank too. Frank and I lost touch after college, as it normally happens and it was only last year (I think) where we all caught up on social media.
It’s funny, now that we’re adults (barf), we look at our lives and remember how life used to be simple. When you’re young your parents shield you from the harsh reality of life and how sometimes adulting can be hard AF. There were so many things we forgot, me especially, but also so many things we discovered about each other. I don’t have a lot of friends and the ones I’m lucky enough to keep I treasure most. I’ve always felt I found my tribe after school, but actually my “tribe” has always been there. As people we grow and find new versions of ourselves and that sometimes there will be people who stay, while some go. It’s a bit like being in a revolving door, friends will pass, stay for a while, go away, and come back again. Like the ebb and flow of the ocean.
Needless to say, it was only fitting I spent my last day with Izza, Frank, and his beautiful family. I couldn’t be any luckier with the friends that choose to stay in my life, friends who would take the time away from their busy schedule to pick you up at the airport, drop you off, show you their city, take you to places that they know you would like and you’ve never been before, take care of you while visiting, have dinner with you right before you leave, and so much more.
It’s not easy for me to ask anything from people, friends and family included, the last thing I’d want is to inconvenience them, this made me really comfortable with being on my own especially when traveling. Maybe it’s old age, maybe it’s just the people I was with, but I’m positive if I did this trip completely on my own it wouldn’t be as fun, it wouldn’t even come close.
A year ago I turned 40, had an accident and spent a few months not being able to walk, I had to use crutches. Turning 40 had always felt monumental to me, wrinkles start to show, the back of my hand is slowly changing, and where, as they say, life begins. Well, I sure as hell felt none of those things a year ago. But the universe has a way of turning things around and when I turned 41 a few days ago I got more than what I expected.
it begins with a step 