Thank you 2016!!! We look forward to what 2017 will bring...

At the start of this year, I remember creating 2 goals for myself.

First Goal:

Only 3 Personal Trips with Sofia (as 2015, which you can read about here got a bit too hectic with all the flying I had to do as part of my work). DONE

I told Fi we could only go on 3 trips together, and she chose them really well.

1. Taipei

We celebrated my birthday weekend here so she really didn't have a choice.
#37inTaipei

2. Europe - 

This was my concession to Fi for being away so much. 

I let her plan her own itinerary in Paris and she did really well. You can check out Sofia's tips on Things to do in Paris for Kids here.

Not only did we do Paris... we did Pisa: Read post here.

Cinque Terre: Read post here.

Riomaggiore

Monterosso Al Mare

Vernazza

Manarola

Firenze: Read post here.

Mercato San Lorenzo. Shopaholic like mom.

 

3. And for Sofia's last trip, she asked for a Legoland Birthday trip to Singapore. 

(Sorry, no post on this yet). 

We did Brick or Treat after the Waterpark in Legoland.

Sofia planned the whole Singapore itinerary.
It was made all the more special since she was allowed
to play in the "IKEA SMALAND PLAYGROUND"
for the LAST TIME... twice!!! 

Just like Performance Management where I work... the personal trips came out to be a 3+1.

We did a very impromptu weekend trip to Hong Kong to help my future sister in law plan their Hong Kong wedding (which BTW is still up in the air). Read post here.

We love our future sister in law... but she doesn't like sharing her
Salted Egg French Toast. In fairness, masarap talaga.

Second Goal: Blog at least once a week. DONE. 94 posts in 2016 if I am able to finish this one. So let me breeze through the rest of my highlights.

Work still continued to take me places. 

If I'm not mistaken, I think I did 25 different work trips, squeezed into 15. I get 2 for 1 on my trips since I am now smart enough to do my Singapore mtgs during the layover for the none direct flights. Even for business trips, I am a sucker for a good deal. Hahaha.

Singapore

Vietnam

Malaysia

Indonesia

Thailand

I visited a new place, Myanmar, and I loved it. I was lucky enough to visit thrice. Read post here.

Yangon

Bagan

The secret to success at your job (well at least in my case)... is loving what you do and loving the people you work with.

I am lucky enough to work with this team that feels like family.
Complete with our dad, my kids and my pesky brother. Hahaha.
You know who you are.

My mantra for 2016 was "Dream. Then Do." 

If I were to refine it further, it would be "Dream Big, because You Can Do It!" (thank you Nike!)

It goes hand in hand with stretching your creativity to its limits, and let me
tell you... there are none.

I learned how to make my own Jewelry in Bali.

I also developed myself to myself to be a leather artisan and entrepreneur.

Wanderlust Sandals has expanded into Ballerines and leather accessories.
I'm so proud of what we achieved in our first year:
3 styles, 11 colors, 300 pairs sold, 3 styles in the pipeline

I now think I can make anything. Seriously.
Some ideas just need more honing than others.

I learned how to make scented candles too.
Thank you Tita Joy for generously teaching us your craft.

Lastly, I would say, this year was about Adulting. (Such a Millennial phrase)

It was both an honor (and a shock) to be asked to be a Godmother at
Peachy and Karlo's wedding, but I am very happy to be there for them.

On the same topic, I was happy to finally meet my cousin Jay, who has
literally been "ahente ng gastos" who has been aiding me in
Condo Hoarding because I started planning for my retirement
12 years and 2 months from now.

Excited for what 2017 will bring. I already see Hong Kong, Barcelona, Lyon, Paris, Madrid, Segovia, Marrakesh, Casablanca, Sri Lanka, more Singapore and definitely more Legoland in the plans, with tickets included. Clearly we don't have a 3-trip rule next year. 

So that makes 94 posts this year. Hope your 2017 will be just as exciting as ours. just saying.

HAPPY 2017!!!