Janakidiary

Early this year, I chanced upon an airline promo, and not having been able to travel for sometime (except for that 1-day Cebu escapade) I decided to book Bam and me a trip for two to Coron, Palawan. I got the tickets for roughly P3,200.00 round trip! J It’s sort of a hubby’s birthday- slash-wedding anniversary gift.

Now, for the itinerary and accommodation. I immediately scouted searched for a good accommodation in Coron. One of my staff recommended a lodge that serves great buffet but most of all has very good service. When visiting a new place (yes, this will be my first time in Palawan) I always prefer recommendations from friends and family. Among other factors, I always consider good food and good service as top on the list. So I emailed for quotation and the nice reservation agent gave me a P19K package for two which includes 4 days/3 nights stay, full board meal with buffet dinners, tour of Coron famous sites and beaches. In short, just pay the moola and we’re hassle free. So far, so good.

Fast forward to July. The time Bam was offered a good company car plan and we realized it’s inevitable to buy a car because the taxi fare we spend every day is too much already. The original plan was to buy a second hand car but things got really stressful on that part that we finally decided on a brand new one. Plus, a bank that has been a loyal partner of our company is offering a really good rate. Plus, I was granted a parking slot that I never use since, guess what, I don’t have a car. In short, these are just good stuff I can’t refuse and pass. We knew before we decided to purchase the car that we need to sacrifice some things or, to put it bluntly, this particular Palawan trip L The trip was a short term goal and a not-so-priority thing that it’s the first thing we can let go L L Bam was telling me we will still have the Baguio family trip anyway. Don’t get me wrong, I like Bagiuo with it’s ukay ukay shops, fresh veggies and fruits that I always buy and bring to Manila no matter what and the wooden wall decors that I can’t resist. But Palawan is different, first of all, it has been on my Places To Explore list for a long time that I haven’t crossed out yet until now and most of all I miss my beach trips. When I was single, I was on the beach almost every week! Now, nada.

I’m still holding on to our trip tickets, though. Now I’m scouting for cheaper alternatives... considering backpacking and not have to get a package rate. It will be a great adventure trip! Fortunately, I have this knack for budget management and juggling available resources (which is also my bread and butter for decades now). I hope that I can pull this trip through (as I did the house and the car, hehe). Last night I told my husband I can still squeeze in the Palawan trip in our budget and when he asked how, I just gave him a quiet grin. With great will and enormous faith comes boundless possibilities. That’s my long standing motto for any goal I put my heart into. Good thing my husband is supportive and somehow has blind faith on how I manage our finances. I guess he also knows the segurista and realistic in me always prevails.