What will I do during Vacation? {My Summer Bucket List}

Yehey! It is exactly 14 days from today and we will be traveling to PHILIPPINES. There is a mixed of emotions come rushing me now because it is what I have been waiting - our homecoming to my much-loved country - after three long years. Honestly, i know that within these remaining days, I will fixate on pre-departure preparations just to make sure that all the things we need to bring are complete (like passports, tickets, etc.) and our house in Oman is in full secure once we are on vacation.

An empty page for "my summer bucket list"..just starting though

But on the other side, I want to make most of our holiday. To do this, I review my previous post and from there, I have listed down the specific details of the things I will do during my getaway. I call them my “Summer Bucket List”.


My list is clustered into bunch for me to see them in a very organized manner. So here are the things that will keep me (and my family) busy for the whole 50 days:

A. Great Travel Destinations

• Explore the Ocean Park in Manila.
• 2 to 3 days’ vacation to Calbayog, Samar.
• Road trip: Calbayog-Leyte-Surigao (if possible, have a short stop-over on historical places).
• Offer an intimate prayer at the Holy Pilgrim’s Paradise of Mama Mary in Simala, Sibonga, Cebu.
• Swimming or watching with the Gentle Whalesharks in Oslob, Cebu.

B. Hometown and Neighboring Places

• Surfing and Kayaking in Cloud 9, General Luna, Surigao del Norte.
• Swimming in Magpupungko Tidal Flats and Lagoon, Punta Bilar, Surigao del Norte.
• Caving in Enchanted Sohoton Islands, Socorro, Surigao del Norte.
• Pool swimming in Almont Beach Resort, Lipata, Surigao City.
• Boating in small islands between Lakandula and Placer, Surigao del Norte.

Hot news, movies, chitchats and talks

• Read or buy local showbiz magazines.
• Watch local showbiz program most of the time.
• Watch box office movie in a theater (movie tickets in Oman are quite expensive).
• Chat (regularly online) with my friends in Oman and Philippines.
• Conduct short lecture (if possible) on local academic institutes.

D. Friends and Relatives

• Visit with my relatives in Manila, Cebu, and Surigao.
• Invite my (HS close) barkadas for a special dinner at home.
• Hang out with my friends at a budget resto bar which play alternative music.
• A singing/ karaoke session with friends or families in a local KTV bar.
• Be invited to / attend (if possible) memorable events like fiestas, weddings, baptisms, birthdays, or perhaps burial (sigh..this is reality, right?).

E. Food cuisine and local delicacies

• Buy Cebu’s finest dried mangoes and Otap (oval-shaped puff pastry).
• Dine in at famous restaurants in Surigao.
• Eat authentic local food such a kilawin, sinugba (grille), tinola (stew)…to name a few ( imagining these make me hungry..yumyumyum.).
• One-on-one baking session with my mom-in-law.
• Bake and let my love one taste my sweets and goodies.

F. House and bedroom

• Clean and arrange our new bedroom in my parent’s house (which will be accommodation for the whole vacation).
• Make a facelift or makeover of one section of my parent’s house.
• Organize and segregate our personal things in my parent’s house.
• Facilitate (our own) house construction / improvement.

G. Family, Parents, and Siblings

• Girls-day-out with my mom and sister.
• Hold birthday parties of Andrei and Anyah.
• Special family dinner with my family and in-laws.
• Treat my own family to a great adventure in Siargao.
• Hire someone to capture our family portrait for this year.

Aside from the above items, there are other things I want to do back home to help me accomplish some of the goals I set for myself for 2012, such as:

• Image makeover and personal pampering like massage, spa, haircut, and dental caring.
• Undergo fitness regimen and hit the ideal weight.
• Investment on mutual funds, time deposits, and other form of assets.
• Attend the regular holy mass in local churches.
• Campus visit at St. Paul University Philippines in Tuguegarao.

You see those are pretty plenty “must-do” activities. For sure they will keep me loaded. I wonder how long it will take me to cross them off.

So I'm wishing myself luck in hopes that in between being aware of the everything I put in my mouth, being diligent, and being held accountable to myself, I will be able to complete my bucket list within the time frame.

But really! I can accomplish all. I can.. I just have to say this and be optimistic!

Note: I will visit this page from time to time to strike out the item that I have achieve and to mark the date as well.