The night I saw a shooting star, I didn’t make a wish

I was walking my dog and not expecting anything. It was a quiet night and the sky was clear – the stars were twinkling like it was performaing a dance for my entertainment. Then, a streak of light cut through it – a shooting star that unraveled something.

I would quickly make a wish when I see one and move on. Most people did that too. Maybe you did too. But, have you noticed that the wish you had in the shooting star is the same as the one your heart repeatedly screams at you – similar to those prayers you had in church or a job you sincerely was wishing to get hired.

A shooting star is not about an outside force that gives you what you want. It is about your inner voice that wants something, a sincere inner desire. A wish implanted in your heart that was thought difficult to get and felt like a divine intervention is needed.

Although shooting stars are simply space debris burning up in Earth’s atmosphere – a fleeting event that exists for seconds and never again in the same way. And maybe that’s why it seemed like an element that gives miracles, something that we could cling into or would help us get what we want.

That time I saw one after a while, I didn’t even make a wish. I just stood there, realizing how long it had been since I looked up at the sky, see a shooting star, and tried to ask for something. I got excited for a split second, halted my dog, closed my eyes, put my hands together, and ready to make a wish. But, my excitement faded faster than that of the falling star. I realized how much the past years had changed – I now have everything I needed – those that I was consistently praying for years ago.

Maybe a shooting star isn’t about the wish, maybe it is about drowning the noise in your head to create a quiet space for you to better hear and understand your heart’s desires.

The next time you see a shooting star, grab the opportunity of that split second. Try to make a wish. It is not just a simple wish, it is a form of reassessing yourself.

You cannot always blame the poor for being poor (Dahil minsan ang prioridad nila ay ang mabuhay)

Minsan ka bang sumakay ng jeep or tricycle at naisip na bakit si tatay drayber ay pumapasada pa rin kahit sobrang tanda na nya? O napatanong na bakit hanggang ngayon mahirap pa rin sya?

Isang araw narinig ko ang isang babaeng nakapostura, mukha syang walang problema tungkol sa kakainin nya kinabukasan. Napabulalas lang sya sa kanyang kaibigan at akin itong narinig. Ang sabi nya, “tingnan mo si tatay, ang tanda na pero mahirap pa rin, hindi naman nya kasalanan ang ipanganak at maging mahirap pero nasa kanya yan na mahirap pa rin sya”. Mga salitang nanggaling sa taong nakaalis sa kahirapan, o di kaya ay pinanganak na may kaya sa buhay.

May punto na hindi kasalanan ipanganak at mabuhay na mahirap. Pero, hindi mo naman kasalanan na tumanda at mamatay kang mahirap. Dahil ang pag-ahon sa hirap ay kinakailangan ng pinagsama-samang pagsisikap, swerte at paglabas sa mundo at kaisipan ng kahirapan.

Ang ipanganak kang mahirap sa isang mahirap lugar ay parang isang pagkakahon sa iyong kaisipan. Kung ang nakikita mo ay hirap, ang kagustuhan mo ay ayon din sa mga nakikita at nararanasan mo. Sa isang lugar na puno ng kahirapan, ang unang gugustuhin mo ay ang makakain sa isang araw. Iisipin mo rin na sila Aling Nena na kapitbahay mo nga mahirap pero masaya ang buhay. Nakukuntento ka sa kung ano’ng standard ang pumapaligid sa’yo.

Hanggang hindi mo namamalayan na tumatanda ka sa parehong lugar at kaisipan. At isang araw lilisanin mo na lang ang mundong ibabaw na ang apo mo ay mahirap pa rin.

Cycle of poverty kung tawagin. I-imagine mo yung ferris wheel pero tuloy-tuloy lang ang ikot, na para makabababa ka, kailangan ng isang intervention. Ganito ko maihahalintulad cycle of poverty. Nandun ka lang at hindi madali makita ang iba pang kakayahan mo at mga kayang ibigay ng mundo sa iyo.

Kaya hindi mo pwedeng sisihin si tatay drayber or yung senior citizen na naglalako ng taho at sorbetes kung bakit tumanda na silang mahirap. Dahil siguradong masipag sila at ang mga choices nila sa buhay ay ang tingin nilang the best sa hinihingi sa kanila ng sitwasyon. Iyon na kasi ang namulatan nila at hindi madaling umalis sa ganoon na kalagayan.

Ang dami ngayong apektado nang pagtaas ng presyo ng gasolina. Baka pwedeng maging mas mabuti tayo sa mga taong nakakasalamuha natin.

To the version of me who may not remember,

If you’re reading this, it means time has done what it always does—moved forward, quietly taking pieces with it. Maybe the details are gone. Maybe entire chapters feel like they belonged to someone else. That’s okay.

What matters is this: you cared deeply. You tried, even when it was hard. You made choices with the information and strength you had at the time. You traveled. You said YES and NO. You moved out of your comfort zone. You healed. You loved. There were moments of doubt, but also moments of clarity, curiosity, and quiet determination. Don’t let the absence of memory make you question the sincerity of who you were.

I hope you’ve come to accept something that once felt heavy—that rejection and failure are not signs that you were off track, but that you were participating, reaching, and stretching beyond what was comfortable. They were never the opposite of progress; they were part of it.

You were drawn to things that mattered—ideas, people, questions that didn’t have easy answers. Even if you can’t recall them now, that instinct is still part of you. Trust it.

If things feel uncertain, that’s not new. You’ve been here before in different forms, and you found your way through—not perfectly, but honestly. That’s enough.

And if you’re wondering whether you were on the right path: you were moving forward. That counts for more than you think.

Be patient with yourself. You’re allowed to begin again, as many times as you need.

—You

HOW TO APPLY FOR A CANADA e-Travel Visa for Filipinos?

As a Pinoy passport holder, applying visa has never been easy. It costs us to take a day off to go to the embassy, print documents. pay necessary visa fees and be anxious for days or weeks if you get approved or not. And, I was surprised about this way of getting a Canadian visa for short travels that I recently discovered. Disclaimer: This is based from my research and experience. And, I could say, this is the easiest, fastest and cheapest visa I got!

Applying for a Canada e-Travel Visa (eTA) for Philippine Citizens

Traveling to Canada has become easier thanks to the Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) system. While most Philippine passport holders still need a traditional visa to visit Canada, those who previously held a Canadian visa or currently hold a valid U.S. non-immigrant visa may qualify to apply for an eTA instead of a full visitor visa—making the process faster and simpler.

What is an eTA?

An Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) is a digital travel document linked to your passport. It allows eligible travelers to fly to Canada for tourism, business visits, or short stays (usually up to six months). The application is done completely online, and in many cases, approval arrives within minutes.

Who Can Apply?

Philippine citizens may apply for an eTA if they:

  • Hold a valid Philippine passport
  • Have previously held a Canadian visitor visa in the last 10 years or
  • Currently have a valid U.S. non-immigrant visa
  • Are traveling to Canada by air

If you do not meet these conditions, you will need to apply for a regular Canadian visitor visa instead.

How to Apply

Applying for an eTA is simple and can be completed in a few steps:

  1. Prepare your passport and basic travel information.
  2. Visit the official Canadian government website and fill out the online eTA application form.
  3. Pay the application fee (about CAD $7) using a credit or debit card.
  4. Check your email for confirmation and approval.

Most applicants receive a response quickly, though some cases may require additional documents.

I got mine in my email in less than 30 minutes. I almost got scammed in another website. BE CAREFUL WITH THE LINK where you are applying.

1-Day Itinerary at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida

8:00 AM – Arrive Early

Arrive 30–45 minutes before opening. With a Park-to-Park ticket, start at Islands of Adventure first to tackle the biggest thrill ride before lines explode.

9:00 AM – Jurassic World VelociCoaster (Do This First!)

Head straight to:

  • Jurassic World VelociCoaster

This is the big Jurassic dinosaur roller coaster everyone talks about — fast launches, inversions, and incredible views over the lagoon. It’s consistently one of the highest-rated coasters in Florida.

Riding in the first hour can save you 60–120 minutes of waiting later.

If waits are still high, consider Single Rider.

10:00 AM – Quick Hits at Islands of Adventure

Since you’re already here, knock out nearby attractions:

  • Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure (if wait time is manageable)
  • Explore Hogsmeade briefly

Don’t overpack this park — remember, you’re park hopping today.

11:30 AM – Hogwarts Express to Universal Studios Florida

Take the train:

  • Hogwarts Express

This connects the two parks and counts as an attraction itself. It drops you inside Diagon Alley.

Afternoon at Universal Studios Florida 🎬✨

12:00 PM – Escape from Gringotts

Start with:

  • Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts

Then explore Diagon Alley briefly — shops, Butterbeer, dragon fire.

1:30 PM – Lunch

Grab food at:

  • Leaky Cauldron (themed and efficient)
  • Springfield quick-service spots

Keep it around 45 minutes.

2:30 PM – Midday Ride Strategy

Midday crowds peak, so mix in high-capacity attractions:

  • Revenge of the Mummy
  • Transformers: The Ride-3D
  • The Bourne Stuntacular (great air-conditioned break)

5:00 PM – Optional: Return to Islands of Adventure

If wait times drop in the evening, you can:

  • Re-ride VelociCoaster
  • Ride anything you missed

Or stay in Universal Studios Florida and revisit your favorites.

Is This Doable in One Day?

Yes — if you:
✔ Arrive early
✔ Ride VelociCoaster first
✔ Keep meals efficient
✔ Use the Hogwarts Express strategically
✔ Consider Express Pass during busy seasons

You won’t do absolutely everything in both parks, but you will hit the biggest thrills — including the Jurassic dinosaur coaster — without feeling completely rushed.

The Quiet Route Back to Your Light

Starting Where You Are

If you don’t know how to find your spark again, start smaller than you think you should.

Not “What am I passionate about?”
But:

  • What doesn’t drain me?
  • What feels a little lighter?
  • What moments make me forget the time, even briefly?

Your spark might not come back as a wildfire. It might arrive as a flicker. A quiet interest. A moment of peace. A tiny yes in your body when everything else feels like no.

Pay attention to those moments. They’re not insignificant. They’re signals.

You Are Not Behind

Losing your spark can make you feel like you’re falling behind everyone else—like everyone has figured something out that you somehow missed.

But there is no timeline for aliveness.

Some people bloom early. Some burn out. Some go quiet. Some return to themselves in pieces. None of it is failure. None of it is permanent.

You are not broken because you feel lost.
You are not weak because you feel tired.
You are not failing because you don’t know what comes next.

You are human, standing in a pause.

Trust the Pause

Maybe this season isn’t about passion or purpose or reinvention.

Maybe it’s about rest.
About honesty.
About letting go of who you think you’re supposed to be.

Sometimes the spark doesn’t come back until you stop chasing it and start listening to what your exhaustion is trying to say.

And when it does return—because it often does—it may not look like the old version.

But it will be real.
And it will be yours.

Even if, right now, you can’t feel it yet.

I Woke Up Without My Fire

When the Spark Goes Missing

No one really talks about the moment the spark disappears.

Not the dramatic moments—the heartbreaks, the blowups, the obvious endings. I mean the quiet disappearance. The slow dimming. The day you wake up and realize you don’t feel lit up by anything, but you can’t point to a single reason why.

You’re still functioning. You’re still showing up. You’re still doing the things you’re supposed to do. But it takes so much work, as the color drained out.

And the scariest part? You don’t know how to get it back.

The Quiet Loss of Myself

Losing your spark feels like trying to find a version of yourself who’s still alive, lost in pitch blackness.

You remember who you were—the way excitement used to come easily, how curiosity pulled you forward, how joy didn’t require effort or explanation. Now everything feels muted. Deafening silence. Like you’re watching your own life through thick glass.

Just a constant sense of being disconnected from yourself.

That kind of loss is lonely. It’s hard to explain to others, and even harder to validate within yourself.

Trying to Fix What Isn’t Broken

Once you realize your spark is gone, the pressure kicks in.

You should try harder. Be more grateful. Change something. Start something new. Meditate. Journal. Travel. Heal.

Suddenly, not knowing how to feel alive again becomes another thing you feel like you’re failing at.

But here’s the truth no one likes to say: sometimes the spark doesn’t disappear because you’re broken. Sometimes it fades because you’ve been surviving for too long.

You’ve been strong. You’ve been responsible. You’ve been holding it together. And sparks don’t thrive in constant endurance mode.

You Don’t Find the Spark – You Allow It

We talk about finding your spark as if it’s something lost under the couch—something you can recover with enough effort and the right tools.

But sometimes the spark doesn’t need to be found. Sometimes it needs to be allowed.

Allowed to return slowly.
Allowed to look different.
Allowed to be small at first.

The version of you who felt alive before was shaped by a different season. You can’t force that exact feeling back into a life that has changed.

And maybe that’s okay.

10 Things I Want To Do Before I Get Forgetful

New year means new goals. I was browsing through my drafts and found this title, but there was nothing in it. Time to fill in these 10 things I want to do before I forget. My family had a history of dementia, and I do not want to forget these things I have on my bucket list.

1. Skydiving in Palm Jumeirah

Get an adrenaline rush from skydiving, but make it a bit fancier and in Palm Jumeirah!

    2. Riding the hot air balloon in Capadocia

    Wake up before sunrise and watch the sun rise from the hot air balloon.

    3. Witnessing the great migration in Serengeti

    See the animals not in the zoo but in the wild!

    4. Walking around Machu Picchu

    Walk around the Incan citadel and be intrigued by the panoramic views.

    5. Seeing the pyramids

    Ride a camel and go around the pyramids.

    6. Earning a new degree

    Get another degree, cos why not? It’s something I always hear from my heart, might as well do it!

    7. Having a business

    Find my brand from the things I enjoy as a hobby. A passion that later turns into a business.

    8. Feeling that I gave my best in everything

    Give the best in everything – from the mundane to the most complicated things in my life.

    9. Realizing the meaning of my life

    Realize, or at least see why I existed in this era.

    10. Decluttering most of my things when I am 60

    Take out and transfer the things I accumulated. I was born with nothing leave Earth without anything.

    To my future forgetful self, do not forget the dreams that were in your heart – I hope we got them before our thoughts fade.

    A Message to My Reincarnated Self: What If Death Is Only the Beginning?

    What if death isn’t an ending at all—but a doorway?

    We grow up being taught to fear death, to see it as the ultimate full stop at the end of a sentence called life. But what if that punctuation mark is wrong? What if death is less of a period and more of an end of another season, like a series of a Netflix show? What if it is you in another form, another body, another time?

    Across cultures and centuries, reincarnation has whispered its way through human belief systems. I grew up believing that death is the end, while questioning what happens to all the souls that have left the body over the past thousands of years. I once held onto the idea that if we did good and lived kindly, death would lead us to an eternity of happiness. However, I am bothered by what happens to all the contented souls deprived of struggles or challenges.

    The idea of reincarnation comforts me more. The thought that we have a life after this but of course, we do not have a clue who we were previously. I believed that our next life is based on how we lived our lives prior – we do good, we get a better life; we do bad, we get a challenging one.

    If this is true—if our death is the start of another life—may that future “me” get a head start and a good life.

    And so, I want to write a message to that “me” in another body in another life.

    Not to my future self in five or ten years, but to the soul that may inherit my wit, my tendencies, my scars, and my unfinished questions.

    To You, Whoever I Become Next

    If you’re reading this in some inexplicable way—through intuition, déjà vu, or an unshakable feeling you can’t name—I hope you are kind to yourself. Please do not let my bad habits carry over to your life, and be better than I was in our previous lifetime.

    I hope you remember that life is not meant to be perfectly understood. I spent so much time trying to make sense of everything: people, pain, purpose. If there’s one thing worth carrying forward, it’s this—meaning isn’t always found; sometimes it’s created.

    Please don’t be afraid of starting over. I’ve learned that beginnings are disguised as endings, and endings often arrive dressed as losses. Trust the cycles. Trust that confusion is not failure; it’s growth in disguise. Trust your gut. Ignore whatever other people might say. Be brave and persevere.

    Love deeply, even when it hurts. Especially when it hurts. I learned too late that protecting your heart too much can be just as damaging as breaking it.

    And if you ever feel an unexplainable pull toward certain places, people, or ideas—follow it. Maybe those are echoes of me. Or maybe they’re reminders that the soul remembers more than the mind ever will.

    While being kind to yourself, please be kind to other people. I assure you that kindness always pays off.

    Why This Message Matters

    Writing to my reincarnated self isn’t about certainty, nor will this message still exist in that future. I don’t know if consciousness truly survives the body. But this exercise forces me to live more intentionally now. If some part of me continues, then what I do today matters beyond this lifetime.

    It changes how I see mistakes—not as permanent stains, but as lessons passed forward. It reframes fear into curiosity. It makes me wonder: if I had to live this life again in another form, what wisdom would I want to inherit?

    Maybe the real purpose of believing in reincarnation isn’t about the future at all. Maybe it’s about learning how to live this life with more compassion, courage, and awareness—just in case someone else has to carry it next.

    A Quiet Hope

    If death is truly the start of another life, then I hope I leave you something useful. Not perfection. Not answers. Just a gentle reminder:

    You’ve been here before.
    You’ve survived more than you remember.
    And you are allowed to begin again.

    Wherever you are. Whoever you are.
    Good luck.

    1 day in DisneyWorld

    DisneyWorld is not cheap. It is not easy to visit if you do not live in Orlando, Florida. Sometimes, you do not have enough time as well to spend in the park. So, let me share my experience of spending a day in DisneyWorld.

    First, check the weather and make sure to wear something comfortable for that weather.

    I flew from Nebraska to Orlando, Florida ($370 for a roundtrip ticket through United Airlines). I rented a car ($150/day plus gas). I booked a hotel (since I also went to Universal Studios, which will be the next post after this) for 3 days, 2 nights ($380). You should book a hotel. You will be too tired after spending the whole day here.

    Day 1 was at DisneyWorld (if you want to spend your New Year’s Eve there, you have to book early for December 31st as tickets run out faster than Universal Studios). The ticket for Magic Kingdom was $190, plus tax, and all rides were included. Parking at Magic Kingdom was $35/day. Early entry was 8:30-9am. I highly recommend you to go there early.

    From the parking lot, you will either walk or take the tram to get to the bus. stop, or ferry port or train station that will bring you to Magic Kingdom. A little walk from the entrance after they scanned your pass, you will be welcomed by the castle.

    There are also several rides included in your park ticket, but lines were long (waited 1-2.5hrs in each ride that we did). Patience is key. Strategize your time. We did 3 extreme rides. I was feeling dizzy even before the rides, so I didn’t get to ride a lot of rides.

    Drinking water is free, just bring a container. It is also free to bring your own food, but restaurants are available inside. I would say that the price of food was not that expensive contrary to what I heard before going there (burger+fries meal was $15).

    The rest of the night was spent watching a parade and a fireworks show. My favorite was the fireworks show. But, be in front of the castle before the time of the show to get a good spot, as the area gets too crowded. It is not recommended to move around once the light show starts.

    Overall, it was a fun experience. Going back to the parking lot, you have to take either the train, bus, or ferry, then walk to where you parked or take the tram. DisneyWorld offers hotels as well but we didn’t take one of those because of the price.

    If you want to go to other parks, you have to allocate more days to get your money’s worth. Although you can do 2 parks in one day, it won’t be enough to get at least 2 rides for each park with the long lines.

    I highly recommend it for kids. But, for adults with no kids, once is enough.