M i l l i e y o

Living in a tropical island all my life has made me attached to the water, sand, and warm weather and that is something I can never get rid of. There will always be an island girl in me.

One of the best parts about living in Southern California is the breathtaking beaches. SoCal is so blessed to have gorgeous beaches next to the blue Pacific Ocean and nice weather all year around. We all love that 70+ degree weather after all.

Malibu would be my favorite beach city in LA. Every time I drive to Malibu, I always find time to pull off to the side of the road and take in the beautiful views. 

I finally did it! Yes, I packed my whole life in a suitcase and left my hometown, Cebu to find opportunities, adventures and face new challenges. It definitely was not an easy decision to make. It was a battle between living my dreams or enjoying the comforts of home. Life was indeed very comfortable in my hometown - the luxury of having household help, drivers, and living with the parentals (free rent and food). But after much thought and deliberation, I decided to make the big move of my life to Los Angeles, California.

I was afraid --- I was afraid to leave the comfort of my hometown. I was afraid that I won’t survive in such a big city. Lastly, I was afraid of what my friends and family will think of me if I fail. I took that risk and rolled the dice. I had faith in myself and I know that fear was not an option. 

I was excited --- I was excited to discover new places, face new challenges, and meet new exciting people. Living in a big city means I won't be saying hi to a friend in the mall regularly, or won't allow me to bump into anyone I know. It is exciting. You somehow become invisible.

Today, I am currently in LA, 7341 miles away from my island paradise. I miss my family, my boyfriend and my best friends. I have missed so many significant events the past months -- birthdays, weddings, Christmas, New Year's and also Sinulog. My best friends are Viber, Facebook Messenger and iMessage. For 3 months, I have been working in two retail jobs (so sad it's coming to an end) and next week - I finally start my corporate job in a financial institution. 

I swear, everything has been happening so quickly and I couldn't be any happier. One thing I have learned is that you should never give up. It is important to have faith in yourself and be patient. That's the secret. 

My good friend, Steph, invited me to join her and her visitors from Manila to go down south for an adventure! We drove down to Oslob where the famous whalesharks are at. We swam, took gazillions of photos and just enjoyed the sun.

To celebrate our 365th day as a couple together, my man and I went to Siquijor also known as Isla de Fuego. It was a perfect choice since we are both beach loves and adventure junkies. We stayed at Coco Grove Beach Resort, an 8 hectare private beach resort in San Juan, Siquijor. Everything was just wonderful - from the lovely welcome by the hotel staff, to the free room upgrade (we got a suite!!) and to the good food at the hotel restaurants. It couldn't have been any better.

We explored the island by renting a motorcycle, and went to the different attractions such as the falls, the 400 year old tree & the church and convent. Although the weather didn't cooperate with us, we still had a fantastic time!

What I love about living in Cebu is the 30 minute drive to the beach. Cebuanos are so lucky to be blessed with white sand and crystal clear water -- it is truly the epitome of paradise. Thank God for the #IslandLife!

My good friend, Jensen, has a beautiful beach house in Mactan Island and one Saturday, the gang paid a visit to his luxurious villa.

It was a fun filled day with good music, overflowing booze & awesome friends! I couldn't ask for more :)

After our cruise in the Mediterranean, our plans were to head back to Italy and spend three nights in Rome or Milan, but somehow fate had different plans for us and we found ourselves on the way to Barcelona instead. This was my first time in Spain & I was thrilled to be in the land of Zara, the famous La Bouqueria Market and Antoni Gaudi's Sagrada Familia. 

There's something about Barcelona - the passion, the color, the food, the dancing, the zeal for life! It was beautiful... I didn't want to leave.

If you haven’t been following my Eurotrip adventure you can see all the past posts below:

DAY 1- Milan

DAY 2- Milan

DAY 3- Venice

DAY 4- MSC Cruise

DAY 5- Bari

DAY 6- Olympia, Greece

DAY 7- Santorini, Greece

DAY 8- Athens, Greece

DAY 9- Corfu, Greece

At last, Dubrovnik was the final stop of our Eastern Mediterranean cruise. I had some serious mixed emotions that day. I was stoked to finally have decent wireless internet connection, but felt unhappy that our cruise was coming to an end.

Before heading back to Italy, we had to make our last stop of the cruise at a country called Croatia. If you guys fellow famous fashion bloggers like Gary Pepper and Tuula Vintage -- then Croatia isn't new to you at all since they have posted scenic photos of the place.

We arrived at Dubrovnik, the magical walled city where my boyfriend's favorite show, Game of Thrones was filmed! We went around the port area and wandered in the alleyways. The Old Town and its many sights (including the well-preserved city walls along which you can walk) is one of the top attractions here. After all, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

I noticed people had a different language, sounded like Slavic or something. People were very nice and helpful when we asked for directions around the city.They also carried a different currency called Kuna. You should know that the currency in Croatia is Croatian Kuna and not Euro! However, Croatian people are so accustomed to Euros that it is the best foreign currency for use in Croatia. My advice to you is that you don't bother buying Kunas before you actually arrive into Croatia. The places where you actually need cash money are: restaurants, bars, ice-cream and coffee shops.

It is indeed the pearl of the Adriatic, my words do not give justice to this dazzling place. So come soon and see it with your own eyes!

If you haven’t been following my Eurotrip adventure you can see all the past posts below:

DAY 1- Milan

DAY 2- Milan

DAY 3- Venice

DAY 4- MSC Cruise

DAY 5- Bari

DAY 6- Olympia, Greece

DAY 7- Santorini, Greece

DAY 8- Athens, Greece

Our last stop in Greece was an island called Corfu Island. The island is part of the Ionian group of islands located in the northern part of Greece and Albania, just across the southern tip of Italy.

With its lush vegetation, magical white-sand beaches plunging into turquoise waters, its breathtaking coves, Corfu’s scenic landscape is a place reminding a lost paradise, a heaven on earth for unforgettable summer retreats.

4 hours was clearly not enough to explore this beautiful island paradise. Nonetheless, I had a grea time strolling around, eating authentic baklava and enjoying Greece for one last time.

Croatia, you are next!

If you haven’t been following my Eurotrip adventure you can see all the past posts below:

DAY 1- Milan

DAY 2- Milan

DAY 3- Venice

DAY 4- MSC Cruise

DAY 5- Bari

DAY 6- Olympia, Greece

DAY 7- Santorini, Greece

After 4 days of exploring small cities/towns, we finally arrived in Pireaus, the gateway to Athens from sea. Yes, finally in Athens --- a BIG city! We couldn't wait to go visit the Acropolis, eat more Greek food, and go shopping! Although the port was pretty far from Athens, we still managed to commute to the metro. We rode a bus, a train and walked a little bit to get to the central.

The downtown area was fun and it had great energy. We dropped by a few of our favorite retail shops -- H&M, Zara, Bershka, etc.It was overwhelming to finally get to shop after 4 days of no commercial stores.

After lunch and shopping, it was time to see the Acropolis.

That's the Acropolis, alright! We really had to figure it out on how to get there. It looks impossible to ride a train, and we didn't want to ride a bus either. Our solution? Walk.

We talked for about 25-30 minutes to get to the top. We got lost along the way, but that didn't stop us from reaching the Acropolis.

It was worth the climb to witness the majestic ruins of the Parthenon & the Erechtheion. BUT... yes a big but-- there is a downside, prepare to be with a couple thousand of tourist. It is a mess of people! You also need to pay for admission, and then walk up the stairs to the top.

It was one of our least favorite stop of the trip. Athens isn't that fancy, and it's pretty run down, so other than the Acropolis, there isn't much there to offer other than a big city.

If you haven’t been following my Eurotrip adventure you can see all the past posts below:

DAY 1- Milan

DAY 2- Milan

DAY 3- Venice

DAY 4- MSC Cruise

DAY 5- Bari

DAY 6- Olympia, Greece

There is nothing quite like Santorini. With it's white washed churches set against the blue waters of the Mediterranean, I can honestly say that the island of Santorini met all of my expectations, and even surpassed them.

Since before I can remember, the island of Santorini has been a destination on my bucket list. I have seen a couple of movies that was filmed here and also seen several photos of it on travel magazines, ads on newspapers or TV, as it is the most photographed town in Greece after all.

From the crystal clear blue waters to the stunning white cliff side towns – everything about this tiny Greek island is spectacular.

We arrived in the old port of Santorini at 7 in the morning. Santorini is too little of a port for our ginormous cruise ship to come into so we had to be tendered in by small boats. (A ship's tender is a small boat used to take people and /or supplies back and forth from the boat and port. Now you know.)

From the Old port,which was in the town of Fira, we rode a cable car to reach the caldera cliffs. There's an option to take a hike or ride a donkey for 5 euros too, but we opted to take the cable car instead. 

As soon as we arrived in Fira, we rode a private van to take us to the beautiful, picturesque town of Oia.

Oia- It’s pronounced [ˈi.a] or ‘ee-yah’ for those who don’t know. There is no doubt in my mind that Oia is one of the most beautiful places that I have ever seen in my life (so far). It took my breath away. Really!

Poised on a cliff with it’s white painted houses and it’s blue domed churches with white-washed walls, Oia offers fantastic views of the Caldera and the best sunsets one will ever see.

I was so happy I was able to taste the authentic baklava from Greece -- it was heavenly. It was a perfect pair for my latte.

We spent the whole day enjoying the fantastic view of the caldera. I don't think I put my camera down for even a few minutes. I just had to take all the photos that I could.

After exploring the little town of Oia, we headed back to Fira to have lunch and do some shopping. 

Time passed by too quickly and before we knew it, it was time to leave the beautiful island. 

This time, we decided to just take a hike down to the port. We thought it would be easy and quick. But guess what? It was a terrible idea! We should have just rode the cable car and a donkey. It was quite challenging going down since we didn't have any sneakers on and the sun was scorching. Bad idea.

That sums up my wonderful trip to Santorini, Greece. I swear, this place is definitely heaven on earth. Oia was absolutely a dream...and my most favorite town on the island of Santorini. I only wish we had more time to enjoy it! 

If you haven’t been following my Eurotrip adventure you can see all the past posts below:

DAY 1- Milan

DAY 2- Milan

DAY 3- Venice

DAY 4- MSC Cruise

DAY 5- Bari

Our next stop was Katakolon, Greece, located in the part of Greece called the Pelponesse. What's there? Not a whole heck of a lot except overpriced Greek trinkets. What makes Katakolon a note worthy stop is it's proximity to Ancient Olympia, the birthplace of the Olympic Games.

As soon as we disembarked, we walked into the sea side town to rent a car for a day trip to Ancient Olympia. Thank God for AVIS!

It was a 45 minute drive to Olympia and we enjoyed it. Who would have thought that daddy would be driving in Greece?

We couldn't understand a single thing on the road signs. Instead, we just kept following some tour buses (who obviously were on the way to Ancient Olympia) because we weren't quite sure of the accuracy of the hand drawn map from the car rental place.

And after that fun drive, we arrived at Ancient Olympia.

We had absolutely perfect weather. Blue skies and golden sunshine greeted us at every turn.

The site of Ancient Olympia is home to a host of buildings. Temples, priest's homes, baths, a gymnasium, and hostels were all found here. 

Probably the most impressive of the buildings that were here was the Temple of Zeus. Yup, that's the temple of Zeus or what's left of it at our back. 

We ended the tour with a hearty Greek lunch. I just had to try some Greek Salad in Greece.

Off to Santorini next!!! <3

If you haven’t been following my Eurotrip adventure you can see all the past posts below:

DAY 1- Milan

DAY 2- Milan

DAY 3- Venice

DAY 4- MSC Cruise

The first stop of our Mediterranean cruise was Bari, Italy. Truth to be told, I have never heard of Bari or anything about it. None of my friends have been there too, so I couldn't ask anyone for some tips. Upon disembarkation, i was really shocked to see a very big town in front of me. It was like a secret gem of Italy.

Situated in the ‘heel’ of the boot-shaped country that is Italy, Bari is a big port city on the Adriatic coast. Since we were only there for a few hours, we only had the chance to explore the old town, also known as Vecchia Bari.

There's something about medieval cities that excites me. There's just so much history and glorious architectures. We visited the beautiful Castello Svevo, and also the 12th-century Basilica. I was happy there was a tour in the tangled network of streets and alleys to witness the making of home-made pasta. Oh, Bari- you surprised me.

If you haven’t been following my Eurotrip adventure you can see all the past posts below:

DAY 1- Milan

DAY 2- Milan

DAY 3- Venice

This was our home for 7 days. Ladies & Gentlemen, welcome aboard the MSC Fantasia!

It was a 7 night Eastern Mediterranean cruise - we departed from Venice, Italy and visited ports in Greece and Croatia. I really loved every minute of this floating paradise. I'm not sure if it's the 20 hour buffet in the L'Africana Cafeteria, the spectacular theater shows, the casino and the luxury shops, or the pool & fitness area that caught me off guard. I was blown away by the elegance and sophistication this vessel had to offer.

The main reason why we chose this cruise line was because it matched the itinerary that we wanted. One, it was departing from Italy and two, it included Santorini, Greece (which I cannot wait to share) as one of the destinations. 

Here's our itinerary:

(Adriatic, to Greece and Greek islands, round-trip)

7-day Mediterranean cruise from Venice to Bari  Katakolon Santorini , Athens ,Corfu ,and Dubrovnik.

If you haven’t been following my Eurotrip adventure you can see all the past posts below:

DAY 1- Milan

DAY 2- Milan

While on my trip in Europe, I was very lucky to be able to visit Venice. This city has always been on my bucket list and I'm glad I finally crossed it off. It's unbelievably beautiful - it’s literally a city solely on water- everything from the taxis, the police and the ambulance are all on boats.

Our cruise was departing from Venice, so we were able to stroll around before embarking. When in Venice, it is best to take time to stop and admire the water-city and enjoy some people watching. No matter what time of the year, this place will be bustling with tourists

Even though it is small, it can be difficult to navigate because there are no subways, buses, or trams to take, just water buses which can be hard to figure out. One thing for sure, prepare to get lost! 

Venice is expensive, just like any other tourist place but you will definitely fall in love with its maze of canals and small streets, whimsical bridges, and colorful buildings. 

If you haven’t been following my Eurotrip adventure you can see all the past posts below:

DAY 1- Milan

A visit to Milan is all about shopping, wandering through the Duomo, seeing the Last Supper (which we missed since we had no reservation), exploring the Brera and eating all the pizza and pasta in the world.

Some tips from yours truly. I'm no local or expert in Milan, but these are some places that I recommend to see and enjoy.

From the Duomo, check out the adjacent mall called the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. There are upscale stores here as well as cafes & restaurants. 

Walk a little bit more, and you will find yourself in trendy Brera district where you will have famous art collections at the Pinacoteca.

If you have more time from here, walk by the Sforza Castle, and do a quick stroll of nearby Parco Sempione. 

Night out at the Navigli District - This area of Milan is well known for its many Resturants, Bars and Cafes. It seems to be the area all the locals hang out in so for a real taste of the Milanese nightlife this is the place to come.

The next day, we took a train from the Milano Centrale to go to Venice. 

I’m very sad to leave Milan, I had an incredible time and being in the city reminds me once again how much I love traveling, discovering new places, and of course eating Italian food. 

If you haven’t been following my Eurotrip adventure you can see all the past posts below:

The most awaited trip of the summer was our family trip to Europe. 

My parents fell inlove with Europe during their last visit a year ago and they wanted to take their daughters with them on their next trip. My sisters and I were all thrilled for this since it would be our first cruise experience! My last visit to Europe was on 2012, but it was just to Rome.I wasn't able to explore the other countries in the EU.  I was excited as ever to explore 4 different countries, and 9 beautiful cities. 

Our first stop was in one of the world’s fashion capitals- Milan, Italy. 

We arrived in Milan at 8 in the morning from Hong Kong. It was a 12 hour flight and we were all very jet-lagged and tired, but that didn't stop us from discovering Milano.

We stayed at the Radisson Blu Hotel Milan. Location is a bit off downtown but still easily accessible. 

View from our hotel room. 

My close friend Nikki, who lives and studies fashion in Milan, picked us up at our hotel and brought us to the city proper so we can have lunch and explore the city.

Arco della Pace

Pizza at Pizza OK

Touristy in Milano, Arco della Pace

Chic Italians spotted at Sforzesco Castle.

Gelato to beat the heat.

Parco Sempione, a large city park in Milan.

Sforzesco Castle

Nikki and I at Arco della Pace

Beautiful Milan Cathedral, also known as Duomo di Milano.

The Gothic cathedral took nearly six centuries to complete. It is the fifth largest cathedral in the world and the largest in the Italian state territory. If you want to go inside the church, it is FREE. No more entrance fees to be paid. However, they charge you 2 euros if you want to take photos. 

The duomo attracts tourists from all over the world. It is certainly worth visiting if you ever take a trip to Milan.