Silventure: Ren Faire 2025

 

    Let me start by thanking Cali for letting me drag them to Baguio and enduring my bad DIY travel planning. Love you, Cali!

    The 2025 Ren Faire was held in Baguio at the Igorot Stone Kingdom in February. This marked the second time the event has taken place. I missed the first one, so I was determined to attend this year. Huge thanks to Cali for letting me indulge in this experience!

    It was so electrifying to be there. We attended 2 of the 3 days of this event. Being able to see how people interact at this event was very different from other events I have been to. People felt nicer and a lot more approachable.  

Gowns, armour, swords, and amazing headdresses. The location is also great for photoshoots. I knew the outfits I had ready were very simple compared to the ones the other people had made for themselves. However, I felt welcomed, and everyone seemed more approachable. 

 Overall, I would like to go back. I need to experience all 3 days, even the night shows. The organizers have that there will be no Ren Faire in 2026. Which will be good, I guess, that way I will have more time to prepare for it. 

    

Silventure: Cebu 2025

 

    It has been a while since I have traveled "alone". The last one I talked about here was my trip to Bacolod in 2017.  This trip to Cebu was one grand vacation for me. I stayed for 7 days. Traveled from February 22-28. Also, not really alone, I was with the ladies of TravelAlleys‬.

    The flight was at 5pm and was in Cebu by 7pm. It was hard being alone in a new place, because Aya and Lime were at 7pm from Manila. So I booked Grab to get to the Condo I have booked for the stay. It felt weird to be alone, but it was fun. Getting to the room felt like it was getting home if I were living alone.

    I got to try new things in Cebu, being more open to new food, using sunblock, and trying my best not to just stay in the condo. The girls and I joined a city tour, and we got to hit up most of the places that are known tourist attractions. 

    For a week, I was alone and enjoying it. I didn't have to think about whether I would be asked to do anything coz I'm the eldest. I felt at peace for a bit. I was worried that I wouldn't have enough money to survive, but at least I was only thinking about myself at that time. 

    It was funny that I had a bike accident while I was there. Nothing major, just a big ass bruise on my left leg. It was fun traveling on the bike in an unfamiliar place. It gave me a sense of freedom. I would do it again if given the chance.

     What are my takeaways from this trip?   

• New experiences will not happen if you don't ask
• I like Lato
• I need to learn to take more useful videos for Vlogs
• Some things will never happen, no matter how much you want them to happen
• I would like to do this more often

If you want to see some videos, they are here: Youtube

Work: Biggest Loser 2025

 

    This year marked the beginning of my weight loss efforts. I have been using the office gym's treadmill during my lunch time since December 2024. In early 2025, my team decided to do a Team Challenge. There were about 15 or more people who joined. There was a registration fee. The money that was collected was the prize money for the top 3 losers. 

    We officially started on February 11, and it would last for 6 months. My starting weight was 88.70 KG or 195.55 Lbs. What did I do to lose weight? I slowly tried to be more active. Finding time to use the office gym's treadmill and going out to walk at the local track and field.

    

Me at the start of 2025

    At some point, I felt like I was no longer losing weight, so I had to do something to help me lose a bit more. So I started watching my calories and tried running as well. It did help, and at the end of the challenge, I was down to 76.10 KG or 167.7718 Lbs. I was part of the Top 3. Hehe, it was fun and I'm still trying to stay active! If there is a takeaway from all this is "stay active!" 

Before and After

     I'm still trying to lose a bit more. As of today, we are at 74.4 KG, and I'm just happy to see my neck better! I do hope this encourages you to continue your journey! Do the things that you feel are working and keep doing them until you achieve your goal!

Look Ma, my neck is back