travel

Getting ready

/ iamsupercarla / Leave a comment

Just received an email from Delta, reminding me that I can check in now.  I cannot believe it; I am only hours away to see Le Beau again.

Via lustingdownthewonderroadsofearth.tumblr.com

Via lustingdownthewonderroadsofearth.tumblr.com

My bag is hardly packed, and I literally mean bag.  It’s been a little over a decade — 10 years and 2 months to be a wee bit more precise — since I last went to New Jersey, so you can only imagine all the knick knacks my clan decided to send to our families there.

That luggage guide sure is handy now.  I only wish it also counted the number of items for the dailies and the undergarms.

I don’t know why I waited so long to come back.  Perhaps there was not enough reason to go back.  And that is not saying family is not reason enough; we’re just always used to having them here.  Now, it’s a completely different story.

I remember a quote from The Last Time I Saw Mother by Arlene Chair, a quote about migrants:

Migrants, I think, are people who are never whole, never completely in one place.  Ours is a fractured existence.

I think that’s completely accurate.  When my cousins are here in the Philippines, we give them such a homecoming and they make no effort in hiding their joy to be back.  But after a while, they start missing a part of their home too and this home starts to feel foreign.  What a wave of emotions.

And maybe, since I’m being so sentimental pre-flight, in a way I am coming home too.  It may not be a place, but the person sure feels like home to me.

Via fuckyeahlongdistancelove.tumblr.com

Via fuckyeahlongdistancelove.tumblr.com

And maybe, that’s too much romanticism for a trip, too much emotions for something that will come to an end at the boarding gate in JFK.

Via Pinterest

Via Pinterest

And maybe, that end is just the beginning.  And it would mean more than just a vacation vacation.

My aunt was teasing my mom, saying that it was a dry run of things to come, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves, okay?  I’m just excited that I am actually going on a vacation vacation.  No school to worry about.  No work.  Just a quick vacation.

With Le Beau.

Perfect.

Via Pinterest

Via Pinterest

Lost in Moments

/ iamsupercarla / 2 Comments

I must have played this scenario over and over in my head and each time, I still was not able to take it all in.

I would be bundled up in a cozy sweater, leggings and knee high boots, my green scarf snug around my neck.  Champs Elysees, Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame Cathedral, L’Opera, Jardins de Tuileries, Eiffel Tower, Roue de Paris, the Louvre, Versailles, Kilometer Zero, the Catacombs, Musee d’Orsay, I must have seen them over and over in my head.

During a hop on hop off, I overheard another pair of tourists.  Allan was sound asleep on my shoulder, power napping because it has been a long day.  Anyway, perhaps one of them was furiously clicking the camera at every turn because the one she was with said this:  “You keep taking pictures to make everything last longer, but you’re missing the moment.  Moments are the ones you should never miss.  You can live without pictures, but you cannot live without moments.”

I sincerely hope she heeded that advice.

Here are the photos of Paris that we managed to take.  I hope these are enough for your viewing pleasure, but just so you know, we were drowning in so many many moments.

They were never enough, though.

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The Jardins de Tuileries weren’t in full bloom.  Weather forecasts showed overcast skies for the next 12 days, and the winds at the time were about 22-25 mph.  Nonetheless, everything still looked so pristine.

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He has a lot on his mind.

Allan said, he wanted to show that he had a lot on his mind.  This is a silly guy right here.  Still cannot believe he’s with me.

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There were a couple of Middle Easterners who tried to have us sign a petition.  Then out of nowhere, a French police came on his bike and basically ran them off.  He told us they were pickpockets.  Allan didn’t like that.  Almost immediately, we went to the hop-on hop-off tour.  Given that 80% of my day is all about work, this quick ride around the city really was worth it.

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He promised to take me here and he did.  It was just too bad that the carousel was being dismantled at the time we were there.

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Along Champs Elysees, we saw the brightest pair of shoes ever…

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… and a literal car charger.

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The streets looked so romantic.  And surreal.  I still cannot believe I am here.

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The beauty and Allan.  Hehehe.  The salesman was so nice, he let us in the showroom and let us take so many pictures.

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We ended up somewhere near Trocadero, the perfect view of the Eiffel Tower.  To be honest, it wasn’t much in the daylight.

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But the Notre Dame Cathedral was absolutely stunning.  This is probably the only architecture we managed to take pictures of.  Most of our long walks at the end of the day weren’t that documented.

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The most beautiful stained glass windows.

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We totally failed to make this right.

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It may have been ordinary in daylight, but at night it was the most perfect structure.  It was beautiful.  It was stunning.

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Allan fell in love with the bread here.

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And the weirdest statues.  Hahaha.

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We went to where Celine and Jesse met again.

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And asked for extra whipped cream on our cappuccinos.

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Who else can look at me like this?

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A Parisian Surprise

/ iamsupercarla / 4 Comments

I finally found the time to tell you more about what I saw and did in Paris.  It’s mostly for work, though, so forgive me if the narration is not as extensive as any travel blog.  There are some things I am legally not allowed to disclose.  But this — this amazing moment in my life — I cannot wait to share this.

As I said in my previous blog, I had the opportunity to visit France for a Parisian work thing that I am not legally allowed to disclose.  (What an introduction)

You can only imagine how excited I was.  It has been too long since my last intercontinental travel and Paris nonetheless!  I was almost pissing my pants the entire time I was waiting for my departure date to come.  I knew immediately that I wanted to be a compact traveler, especially I would only be there for 10 days.  I was excited for the weather (tail end of winter!), for the clothes (boots, leggings and coats!), for the food (macarons, bread, bread, bread, and chocolates!) and most especially, the sights.  

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I was debating between getting a museum pass but given the strict work schedule, I don’t think I would be able to maximize its worth.  So in my head, after work, I’d just walk around, train around, get lost in the most romantic city in the world.  I had nothing planned, but I had my Lonely Planet guide with me.  My bags were packed, my plane was waiting and I jetted off in an almost 20 hour flight with two stopovers to Charles De Gaulle Airport, the busiest airport in France.  

The beau was quite excited for me and I thought it was because I was so excited for myself.  But when I exited the baggage claim area of Terminal 2F, I discovered why he was so excited for me.

He was there, waiting to keep me company for the next 10 days.  There.  Waiting.  For me.  In Paris.  To be with me.  In Paris.

I think I was crying for a good five minutes.

First Time

PARIS.  The most romantic city in the world.  With all the coffee and desserts and chocolate and wine and fine dining.  There with me.  Just me.  For me.  

It was the most romantic experience I have ever had in my entire life.  I remember feeling shocked, I remember crying.  There was a lot of hugging and kissing (ewww TMI sorry), and a lot of “WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE” in a loud shrill voice.

Fifteen minutes in Paris and already it was turning out to be the most memorable experience of my life.

With Allan Again

Recovering

/ iamsupercarla / Leave a comment

The first 12 days of the year was easily my most romantic ever.  If you’ve been following me on Instagram, my very good man followed me to Paris.  It was the best surprise of my life.

I just need time to sort all the photos we took, which are not much by the way.  I remember someone telling me that although taking pictures make the beauty last longer, it can also make you miss the moment.

And, my dears, we had so many moments.

For now, I wish you all a happy new year and may your heart be filled with a love that only lifts you up.