I got nominated for The Liebster Blog Award!

Two days ago, I received a very unexpected news! I got nominated for The Liebster Blog Award! *confetti!* wooo!

It's really overwhelming to be nominated considering that I've just started my blog with only 5 posts in it. Haha. 

Anyways, I have been nominated by a fellow travel blogger I met in Twitter who is about to embark to his first ever backpacking trip in Asia this coming March 31st, *drum roll please* and he goes by the name Backpacker Scott. Because we share the same passion for backpacking, it was not hard for us to become friends even though we're continents apart! Haha.

I am really excited for his blog as it would be soon filled with his backpacking adventures! I cannot wait! I know he has worked hard for this and I'm really happy that in two months time, his dreams will finally come to reality.  

These are the rules of the Liebster Award:

• When you receive the award, you post 11 random facts about yourself and answer 11 questions from the person who nominated you.
• Pass the award onto 11 other blogs (make sure you tell them you nominated them!) and ask them 11 questions.
• You are not allowed to nominate the blog who nominated you!
• Make sure the blogs you choose are pretty new ones who have great upcoming travel blogs!

11 Random Facts About Me:

1. I never knew what backpacking meant til I had my first ever backpacking Trip in Indochina. 

2. I'm a Directioner. I love One Direction as much as I love music, food and travel.

3. I'm an only child.

4. I have a weird collection of notebooks. 

5. I don't have a hard time cutting my hair short whenever I feel depressed. 

6. My first course was BS Biology and now I'm currently taking up Interior Design.

7. I am in a relationship with one of the members of the best boyband today. His name is Niall Horan by the way. 

8. I am such a corny person if you get to know me. 

9. My favorite color is green but most of my things are pink. Weird.

10. I love the brand Roxy so much I named my dog after it.

11. I'm starting to become a Zumba addict! Hehe!


My 11 answers to Scott's 11 questions:

1. List your top 5 music artists/groups/bands!

One Direction, Florence, Foxes, The Script & Maroon 5!

2. What is your dream/ultimate UNESCO World Heritage Site to visit?

I'd definitely want to visit Machu Picchu someday. 

3. From your experience or fantasy, which country has the sexiest women/men?

Philippines! Not being bias but men from my country are really gorgeous, Coco Martin and Derek Ramsay to name a few! Oh ofcourse, men from UK! One Direction... Fangirling much, huh?

4. Where did you experience the best party you’ve ever been to?

I'm not really a party-goer but I really enjoyed the house party we hosted last November! Definitely a party to remember! Haha.

5. What’s your favourite TV show?

To be honest, I'm not really fond of watching TV shows. I only watch Walking Dead and Gossip Girl.

6. If you could spend one night only with anyone in the world, who would it be and why?

My boyfriend, Niall Horan. Do I still need to explain why? Haha.

7. Do you think travelling is expensive or cheap?

The experience itself is worth every penny. ;)

8. Do you believe in God? If yes, what religion?

Yes! I wouldn't be here if He didn't create me. I'm a Roman Catholic. :)

9. What’s your favourite food?

My mom's Adobong Pusit & Ginataang Sugpo. These are Filipino seafood dishes. I recommend you give them a try especially when you're a Seafood Lover like me.

10. How much alcohol does it take generally to get you drunk? Or do you not drink?

I don't drink. (anymore) Haha. :)

11. What’s your favourite way of travelling? Plane, Train, Bus, Ship etc…?

Train! There's something about it that makes me feel nostalgic. Haha!

Here are 11 Questions to the bloggers that I nominate:

1. Where is your dream destination? Choose only one then explain why you chose it. 

2. Love, Fame or Money?

3. What's your dream Job?

4. What do you do during your freetime?

5. What's the weirdest thing about yourself?

6. What's your favorite childhood memory?

7. What makes you happy?

8. Do you have a blogging schedule? Kindly share. Hehe!

9. Where do you get your inspiration from? 

10. What's your favorite travel experience?

11. What's that one thing you love most about Travelling?

I've only started following blogs so I'm sad to say I can only nominate a few. So here are my nominees! *Drum roll please!!!* 

1. Diane of wanderingdork.blogspot.com

2. Rome of www.yellowcents.com

3. Gess of gpicks.wordpress.com

4. Krizchel of krizchelpagcaliwangan.blogspot.com

That's all folks! I really enjoyed doing this post. Thanks again Scott for nominating me. I am more inspired than ever to blog more and share my experiences with everyone! 

Sending good vibes to everyone! Cheers!
Happy 1st day of February! :)

- LMB xx

Love at First Flight

"The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page." 

-St. Augustine

Nah-ah! I'm not going to tell you about a love story of how I met a good looking blonde guy (with British accent) on a plane while going to a foreign country because I didn't meet any! (how I wish! haha!). This is not about a romantic love affair because (sad to say) I have none. (at the moment, haha!)

Seriously now, I just feel like sharing how my love for backpacking started.

Let's begin.

It was last year (2012), that I had my first ever backpacking trip. I joined a tour with one of my good friends, Ate Aileen. The tour was called "Backpacking in SouthEast Asia" organized by TravelPack. To be honest, I had no idea what backpacking meant that time. I actually thought we're supposed to use backpacks hence the name of the tour, but of course I travelled with my pink trolley instead! :p. All I had in mind was that "I'm going on a trip in 3 countries in Southeast Asia (Vietnam, Cambodia & Thailand). Yay!!!" -the highlight of my Summer break! (I'll talk about my SEA Adventures on another post.)

So having no idea what backpacking was all about, I had visualized myself staying in a fancy hotel, taking a photo of my sumptuous lunch then uploading it in my Instagram (cool eh! Haha!), reading a book while I sit comfortably inside my train cabin and the list goes on and on and on..  but guess what! All of these didn't happen. Contrary to what I had in mind, I didn't sleep in a fancy hotel, I ate fried rice almost all of the time, read a book while I sat and slept UNCOMFORTABLY inside the train cabin for 36 hours, YES! THIRTY-SIX LOOOOOOOONG HOURS with just a view of the mountains and rice fields. Define BOREDOM. 

It was indeed the longest 36 hours of my life. I wanted to go home so bad but obviously I had no choice but to just sit quietly (while I complain on my mind). 

*I would personally like to thank my headphones and mp3 player for keeping me company during my whole trip, and of course my favorite book, the Bible.* 

To summarize my experience... 

Well let's just say it wasn't really what I expected. Surely, I didn't have the comfort I had in my mind. But the overall experience.. it was REWARDING. The pain, the sweat and all the other discomfort I felt during my whole trip were all worth it. The 36 hours of doing nothing but staring blankly outside my window is like a blessing in disguise, a temporary escape to free my mind and to think about my life in general.

Just like my backpacking experience, I'd love to think that life is not all about the luxuries and comfort in the world but it's also about the pain and discomfort that we feel which help us become stronger and better. Experience is our best teacher and we are all students. Hence, we are all backpackers! After all, I'm happy to have experienced all of that and to be honest, I wouldn't have it any other way! :)

So that's it! That's the story of how my love for backpacking all started. My idea of travel changed after THAT. 

This time it's not about the hotel you check in to or the food you eat, but it's more of the adventure itself. :)

I now end this post by leaving you with some of my inspirational travel photos I found in We Heart It. 

Have a blessed & happy weekend! 

- LMB xx