Juno Wanders

Summer of 2019

We crossed paths 4 years ago, maybe coincidentally, or maybe it was already fated.


I was lost, endlessly wandering, wanting to get out of the bad place I was in, and there you were, on the side, patiently offering a home. I can still remember the faint memory of the first time I saw you, your hair’s shoulder-length, painted in warm sunset, your glistening calm eyes, your warm gummy smile and your soft soothing voice. Everything about you was perfect but I didn’t realize it back then.

I’ve always known you were there; I’ve felt your presence. But I never really paid attention, not until the summer of 2019.

You’re calm as the beach waves on a peaceful afternoon. You’re modish - the way you move, choose the words you say and the way you think, everything you do exudes grace and elegance. The way you smile warms up even the coldest nights, the way you speak comforts even the messiest thoughts and the way you sing calms even my most chaotic moments.

Throwback to our 2017 Hot-Air Balloon Festival experience.

Throwback 2017, in the mid-February where couples are enjoying their Valentines, it was also the month which the 21st Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fest was held at the Omni Aviation, Freeport Zone in Clark, Pampanga. It was a 4-day event filled with exciting activities and giant balloons shading up the horizon.

The festival kicked off from February 9-12, with local tourists coming in…

2020 - Earth's Hiatus: Look around, it isn't too late to save our time.

COVID19 is spreading like wildfire throughout the whole world – countries are under quarantine, streets are empty, and hospitals are crowded. Thus our planet is taking its time, slowing down, regaining its wellness one step-at-a-time.

3 months into 2020, the start of a new decade, a year where people look forward to begin anew. Many of us hope for a brighter future, either still planning to…

Happy 25th! 🎂

Today marks the 25th birthday of my Ate and looking back, I’m extremely grateful that she was also my confidant, my best friend and my mentor. She’s strong, jolly and have the kindest heart for an Ate that anyone could ever hoped for. I’ll always pray to keep her safe and happy simply because she deserves all the best things. ❤️

Throwback to three months ago when #LANY rocked the first moonlit night out of legendary three nights in MNL. The experience was memorable - I can still remember the ecstatic feeling of being a part of the best crowd, singing my heart out and drowning myself in the same emotions that Paul had when he wrote the songs and perfomed them live. This moon era will always be special. 💞🌙

Let us meet as strangers, cross paths like star-cross lovers

Bump into each other amidst a very busy day

And somehow pause, say apologies that we've hit the other

We'll end up saying goodbyes, then steal a glance back before going our separate paths

Let's mindlessly participate in destiny's fair play,

Then we'll meet each other again

Still magical as ever, ever memorable than the first

Cause this time, we took our time and there was no rush

Let's skip all formalities but still start off on friendship,

Cause it's still the best example of love, better than any relationship.

Jump off on each other's likes, hobbies, similarities, even pet peeves --

Have true meaningful conversations without excluding real shits.

I’ll be anything you want me to be, but my love, just be my best friend. Oh my Love, are you ready for an adventure that is us?

We’ll do things simultaneously and spontaneously. We’ll go on adventures only the two of us will remember. We’ll book trips on weekends where everyone we know is resting their asses off while we’re making new memories at different places.

Let’s pretend to be each other’s…

A word that only comprises of four letters and yet, it’s probably the most complex word there is. It has many meanings, it has more than a thousand interpretation underlining that two-syllable word. It’s Love and it drives most people mad.

Many people long for it, many people do everything to receive it and many people also neglect it. Maybe because that’s how life plays with us, it makes us realize that regret is always greater than gratitude. But in this small span of life, we encounter million kinds of Love. We just turn our cheeks to it. As cliché as it may sound, but Love is really in the air, we’re just blind enough to miss it and numb enough to accept it.

Love is the first time your parents laid eyes on you when you were not more than a day old, it’s feeling the warmth of their embrace when you’re cold. It’s them reminding you to not play far from their sight, so nothing bad will happen to you. It’s the way they treat your wounds when you were a kid and their way of scolding you when you disobey their orders when all they want is to keep you safe. It’s the tears they shed when you told them you failed at school and it’s the same tears they shed when they saw you accepting that diploma among all other graduates of your batch. It’s them being proud of seeing you excel at your work and it’s the sadness they felt when you told them you want to live on your own. It’s their eyes shining when they finally saw how much you’ve grown and how you became a better person under their care. Love is the gift of having Parents to guide you, hone you and care for you.

Love is meeting all types of people and becoming friends with some of them. It’s the thrill of entering a room filled with complete strangers and leaving it with your new-found friends. It’s the way you found pieces of yourself into another, it’s the way you realize another soul has the same interests as you. It’s the profound silence when you first shared lunch on the first day of school because you’re all shy with one another. It’s the exchanges of HI’s and Hello’s every morning and bids of “Bye” and “Take care” on your way home. It’s the excitement you all share when you’re planning a travel getaway or just going to watch a movie you all looked forward to. It’s the giggles you all had when you talked about boys you adore and the tears you shared when one of you had a messed up relationship. It’s the late nights you all stayed up for, whether it’s finishing a term paper due tomorrow or just binge-watching some movies. It’s all the early mornings you woke up to prepare for a school event or just because your late night party lasted until dawn. It’s the laughter and tears you all had when you all failed at an exam or you all won at a academic competition. It extends way beyond the memories you’ve shared inside the four walls of the classroom where you met them, you still find it even when you now lead separate lives, making your own mark at the world. It’s the feeling that haunts you when you miss them late at night or just in between coffee breaks when you wonder where they are now, what they’re doing and who they’re making new memories with. Love is having friends by your side, the guarantee they assure you that they’ll be there to celebrate with your triumphs or care for you when you needed it the most.

Love is having mentors that are more than teachers when they extend their help outside the university. It is the moment they taught us more than what we need to know, more than what is printed in our academic books. It is the moment when their offices are more like our second home, offering us comfort whenever we feel like our classrooms suffocate us. It is when they tap us in the shoulder saying we did a great job at the presentation we had and It is when they approach us when they say we look like we’re having a bad time during class discussions. It is present in that moment when they hugged us after we accepted our diploma after four years of struggling in our academics. It is also them being proud after they learned that we nailed that interview where our job meets our passion. It extends at the stage where we find difficulty in our work and they are still there to console us, advise us and believe in us. Love is having Life Advisers that we meet when we are still immature students struggling on our education and they still stay even we became mature adults redefining our own life.

Love is being able to wake up in the morning feeling refreshed and having a good perspective on a brand new day. It is having food on your table and sharing it with your loved ones. It is having a stable job to sustain your daily needs and expenses. It is having a home you can call your own with people you call your family. It is being able to make memories with people you love at places you all dreamed of. It is being able to smile at simple things because they make you happy. It is looking at the bright side even if life tests your strength and patience. It is being able to celebrate another year filled with surprises, changes and choices. Love is all about appreciating all the blessings that come your way.

Love is finding goodness in every people you meet and in every circumstances that you encounter. It is walking down the street, unconsciously dropping your wallet and a random stranger returns it to you. It is present in the moment you’re stressed about the work you’re gonna do, yet your boss invites the whole team to take a break and eat outside. It is having your siblings disturb your sleep or suddenly turning the tv off because they want to spend time with you. It is your best friend saying she’s really against that guy because she knows he won’t do any good. Love is feeling the kindness in strangers and feeling the care of your loved ones.

Love is finding your better half and never letting them go. It is meeting someone and never having an idea you had the same outlook at life, same dreams and same goals. It is present during those times you planned out your whole life with them. It is among those moments where the two of you made memories at places you’ve travelled to. It is having them at your side whenever you feel down and only wanted someone who will listen at your woes. It’s in the moments where you’re doing absolutely nothing special, yet you’re happy because you’re sharing those moments with them. It is looking them at the eye and just being thankful you have them in your life. It is about finding your Twin Flame and doing everything to keep them in your life, forever. And sometimes, love is reuniting two old souls and wishing you’d never lose them again.

Love is having faith that everything will be alright. It is staying strong despite all circumstances and it is taking a rest but not giving up. It is holding on to Him when all else seems to be out of hand. It is the feeling of being blind and clueless yet you believe at that greater things are in store for you. It is feeling the warmth and care when you fully let go of thing. Love is trusting in the process even if you dont have any idea of what will come.

Love is embracing your faults and improving the second time around. It is realizing your mistakes and changing for the better. It is having an open mind for corrections and having room for improvements. It is making mistakes on your first try and still have a boring passion to pursue what your heart speaks. Love is realizing you’re not perfect and still, you embrace your second chances.

Here’s to all kinds of love we encounter everyday; we may not always appreciate all of you, but we are grateful for having you in our life. Here’s to all kinds of love that puts a smile on our face, that allows us to see the good in everything, that reminds us that it’s always good to be alive.

For 21 years, this world has shaped you to be the woman that you are now. I’m lucky enough to witness how you matured and grew into a strong woman. 21st birthdays are meant to be celebrated grandly and I know you’re already an expert in that. But today, I wish you a life full of Happiness, maybe not in grand things but in simple things that brings joy in the heart.

We now walk separate lives, travel to far-away places and make memories with different people. Sad as it may seem but Life is meant to happen this way. So I wish you Strength to face every day, to conquer what is out there. You’re a tough woman, everyone knows that. But you’re a lot tougher than what everybody knows, I’ve seen that side of yours.

I miss your presence. To feel that someone is always there, to laugh and to hold, to cry and to smile with, and to eat and have fun with. So I wish you Loving Relationships. You deserve a Love you won’t be ashamed of and you finally have it. Protect your Heart.

People thought of us as “Friendship Goals”. They admired us because we complement each other’s weaknesses by giving the other’s strengths. We were a Perfect Duo. We were everyone else’s Dream Bestfriend. And I deeply hope we will continue to be. So, I wish you Steady and Long-lasting Friendships in strangers that you may meet along the way. You’re a sociable, kind and loving person and becoming one of your friends was a great time of my Life.

You’re realistic, you have dreams that you wanted to pursue. I saw it in your eyes how enthusiastic you were when you told me those dreams. I had concrete plans for our future; we promised that we’ll reach our dreams, together. But life wrecked all those dreams. So, I wish you Passion to never give up until you reach yours. You have a long life ahead of you and you must make the most of it. I know you will.

For four years, we built our friendship on great heights. We grew together, we matured side by side, we wiped each other’s tears, we became better, we laughed, we argued, we talked and solved misunderstandings, we studied and conquered academic competitions, we supported each other, and we travelled together. We were the happiest. But now, the way we ignore each other and the way we pretend the other doesn’t exist brings us unbearable pain. We both know we weren’t supposed to end up like this.So, I hope we may find the chance to fix and solve things the way we used to. Because that’s what we’re good at, running to each other, supporting and loving each other.

I know your family, friends and Love have all brought you expensive gifts on your special day. I would have, too, but I don’t want to compete with them. I have no right.

So, today, the only gift I’ll be able to offer is the gift of Genuine Friendship and Affection. The vow that I will always be ready to catch you when you fall, that I will always be ready to spoil you on the things and foods that you like, that I will always be ready to protect you from any harm, that I will be always be ready to drive three hours when you need me, that I will always be happy to take pictures of you while eating, travelling or just laughing candidly, that I will always exert 110% of my time and effort to surprise you, that I will always be there when you need me, and that I will always care and look out for you from afar.

Today officially marks your 21st year, I wish you Happiness, Love and Good Health. I know you already have all three, but still I wish them for your being. You’re a good person and you deserve all happiness you have now. You’ll always have a special spot in my life; you’ll always have a home in ours. I wish you well. Happy 21st Birthday, My Bestie.

Will Always Wait,

First travel after dark times happened. I’m so grateful for these people for bringing out the smile in my face even if I’m too weak to do so.