Goodbye, year when the world was supposed to end :)

It's the last day of the year 2012, and guess what, we're still alive!! The Mayans were..wrong. Soooo I looked at my Project 365+1 album just so I could remember what the hell happened to my 2012. And what surprised me is that I've been to a lot of places this year, and what didn't surprise me was the number of food photos I have posted, well hey I like to eat and make lakwatsa hihi :) It really is a dream for me to travel, I mean it's everyone's dream - to go out and see the world and try out the adventures that life has to offer. And I'm really glad that that dream is slowly coming into life (wut?). I would like to sincerely thank DOST for the allowance that's keeping me alive and financing my food trips and other trips HAHAHA! Besides traveling and eating, I did learn a lot this year mostly about myself...for the purpose of self-improvement, and of course I also learned school stuff HAHA! A lot of first-times, a lot of experiences, a lot of lessons, a lot of heartaches, but the joy was beyond compare :)

Here's a list of the memorable things I did this year:
1. Paintball at La Mesa Eco Park with orgmates - great experience! what could be more satisfying than being able to shoot people HAHA!

2. 17th International Hot air balloon festival in Pampanga with orgmates again! ~ first time!
3. The Rebelution camp in Rizal re-creation center in Laguna ~ God taught me a lot of things mostly about my personality. I was broken and redeemed at the same time.
4. Team One 2012 - JZONE nationwide leadership conference in CCT Tagaytay ~ Learned a lot about leadership, ministry, and service. And I was able to socialize a little..define little!
5. Family adventure in Bicol last April! It wasn't my first time but the adventures we had was worth remembering and the fact that we went as a whole family! I saw the beauty of the Mayon volcano for the nth time, I was able to try making a flower vase at a pottery house in Tiwi, and even though we didn't get to meet the Butandings in Donsol (for some unknown reason), I did experience snorkeling - the coral reefs and the school of fish was just....awesome!!! Besides the adventure, the food trips! We tried the sili and malunggay ice cream! The pansit bato for only 10pesos hihihi!
6. Intramuros semi-photoshoot! ~ there was a similar place in Cebu, the plaza independencia if I remember right
7. Tagaytay with the new Jcore Leaders  - it was our first planning getaway! God had given me a task I didn't think I was capable of doing, but then again He gives me the reason to JUST DO IT and have faith in Him.
8. Cinemalaya goes to UP 8 ~ I was able to watch most of the films and it was a great experience. I felt like I was really from UP, I mean my friend and I, we were making assessments every time the movie ends and we were using our imagination, we were using our brains for crying out loud.. just to analyze what the hell was the movie about (ehem diablo ehem)
9. Aly Siopao turned one! Time flies so fast! she's dalaga naaaaa~
10. My first ever musical! (yak feeling cast??) - Phantom of the Opera in Manila ~ SOOOOO AMAZING!!!! Goosebumps all over! my student discounted ticket was so worth it!! *kilig*
11. 30th SPP Physics Congress ~ first time to attend, first paper to submit for a national conference - and by God's amazing grace, that paper was chosen for the parallel sessions (oral presentation)
12. Binondo Food trip with Chem friends! ~ not the first time in Binondo, the fooooooooood waaaa
13. ARCHERY!!!!! 'nuff said.
14. Fellowship with Churchmates. Seriously, that's a big deal for such an introverted person like me. SERIOUSLY. Give it some credit!
15. Dgroup <3 ~ I have cried a thousand (nabilang?) tears for the people in my group. I learned a lot from these girls, and I learned a lot about myself. I did realize I have a lot to work on for myself for me to be able to help these girls with their walk with God. And until now, I still don't know what God wants me to do or maybe I'm just scared.
16. THESIS! even though I haven't started HAHA! I mean the journey from choosing the adviser wherein God specifically told me in a dream and confirmed it through His word (a true revelation that God really is awesome!), up until the sudden change of thesis topic which I seriously think is ..... err very difficult for me to understand HAHAHA! And I thank God for my very funny and very mabait na thesis adviser :)
17. BAKING! was able to try making blueberry cheesecake, blueberry muffins, and the most recent violet velvet cake which is our version of red velvet cake..we only had the violet food coloring that's why :P I am seriously considering this as a hobby and I want to invest in the baking tools etc... hihi
18. Citipointe Live concert in Manila! one of my favorite Christian bands! And we were upgraded to a better seat! we went down to the lower box from the gen ad section hihi
19. Purity series <3 wait to date contract <3
20. Food trips: barbara's resto in Intramuros (buffet), Cafe Lidia, Cafe via angelo, Bubba lab, casa feliz, mama chit's, chinatown buffet, binondo food trips, leona art unlimited pizza, TOSH unlimited pizza and pasta,  burger king, tamagoya, strawberry taho, yellow halo, pinkpikan, and many moooore
21. Ice skating with chem friends! after more that 15 years, I'm back in the skating rink and still don't know how to skate properly HAHA
22. Checked out some of the things in my bucket list! HOORAY! ~ watched a movie alone, finish the Bible,   learn how to bake, archery, paintball, some of the places in my travel list :)
23. SAGADA ultimate adventure! A DREAM COME TRUE INDEED! Thank you Lord for Your provision! and for letting me have such adventurous friends to accompany me haha! and for making our trip very safe though tiring! Extreme adventure it is! Cave spelunking for 4 freaking hours! very fulfilling huhu! And the death defying hike to the Pongas falls, seriously it's more scary than the spelunking haha!
24. BAGUIO! side trip after our sagada escapade! strawberry taho <3
25. Almost done with MS! except for thesis which is 0/10 haha! and thank you Lord for the miracle grades you have given me :)

Sagada adventure! (c) Jay-el Esguerra

2012 in a glimpse! incomplete pictures :(

There's a lot of things that are worth remembering during my 2012. And I thank everyone who became part of it. My family, my friends most especially LBT and chem friends, churchmates, Dgroupmates, MSE classmates..everyone thank you! Most grateful to my Lord and savior Jesus for everything, for the everyday experiences, for the heartaches and the lessons behind..and the joys, for my redemption, for Your unending love and amazing grace. It was a great year because You made it great. It was awesome because You are the awesome-est! I did get to know You more, and I want to know You more..for our relationship to continue til eternity! Love you Lord. You are my one and only <3