finally, i have recovered from my trip to occidental mindoro. if i have slept on you while on the phone, zoned out while we were having a face-to-face conversation, or was generally unresponsive the last couple of days, i hope you'll understand that it's not you, it was me.

my trip started late night saturday (after a really hectic day that involved lunch with friends at atc, quickie shopping at festival supermall, another quickie shopping at sm sucat, attempt to attend anticipate mass first at virra mall sucat then when there wasn't any on that particular saturday, anticipated mass - or what was left of it - at forbes, and a children's birthday party at jollibee fort) at the alabang bus station of dela rosa transit. i arrived at batangas pier sometime at 1:30 am and waited there until my companieons finally arrived a little before the boarding time which was 4 a.m.

can i just say that while i intended to read my book and listen to my ipod while waiting a security guard started chatting me up and by the time we left, it seemed like we were good friends already. such is the charm of a sleepy girl who had absolutely no skill sleeping at the pier.

me and my companions - 8 people from the IPT of lingkod qc - took the ferry to abra de ilog and it was daytime when we arrived at the port. after a harrowing three-hour road trip over a trail that alternated between paved and rocky (but was more of rocky), we finally arrived at gay's house in sablyan, occidental mindoro.

by that time, i wouldn't have minded staying at the garden inn my entire vacation. i was THAT tired. (on a side note, the garden inn is part of the homestay program at sablyan. if you're not into hardcore diving, i'd suggest you stay here, take the boat to pandan island first thing in the morning and come back at around 5pm and stay at the inn rather than sleep at pandan where there is no fresh water, no electricity, and absolutely zero breeze making sleep almost impossible).

but then the lure of the beach was too much and after a hearty lunch, a long shower, and a lengthy nap, we were on our way to our destination, pandan island.

let's just say it was very very nice there.

forget the fact that i'm so not a beach person. one look through my goggles at what the sea had to offer was enought to make me stay in the water every chance i got. save for the elusive pawikan, i saw a LOT of beautiful sea creatures and bright corals.

not only that, i also saw lapu-lapu and hito. can i just say again that i was so proud to see these LIVE instead of on my plate for a meal?

i totally loved the experience - the harrowing sea-and-road trip included and i can say with all conviction that i plan to go back there. unlike galera and boracay (not that i've ever been to bora), the beach was immaculate - not only in terms of litter but in terms of people. there were about five or six foreign little kids and around ten french and german divers and that was it. as we kept saying over and over again - THIS IS THE LIFE.

right now i am burned to a crisp. my shoulders have stopped being rosy read and are not just muddy burned and everyone who sees me would just say, "ang itim mo." my tan lines have criss-crossed each other and hardly makes sense anymore. i don't care though. i had just had one of the best vacations in my life and i am totally looking forward to having one again.

p.s. but maybe not for a while. my dad is coming home for HIS vacation and i am looking forward to spending some time with my papa.

p.p.s. will be signing the roll of attorneys on may 3, 2007 at 2:30 p.m. on that day, look at your watches, offer up a little prayer of thanks to god, and know that on that day, i - the girl who began as an angsty law student who couldn't drive one bit - had finally fulfilled the biggest dream of her life.