Finally! After a long period of time, friends, blogger friends online and netizens (who visited my blog, watched my VLOGS and following me on Instagram) asked the the same question: Who takes your photos when you are traveling solo?
Common answers: 1. My tour guide. When I am joining a group tour. 2. Ask a random stranger to take your photo. BUT what if there is no one to take your photo?
Simple! I am finally sharing you simple tricks and tips on how and what are the basic tools I am using when I travel. LIKE, GUYS! YOU HAVE ALL OF THESE THINGS, FOR SURE! :)
PS: I also included short video clips in this video and the results of my photos! If you have questions, leave a comment and don't forget to subscribe and hit thumbs up if you like my video. ENJOY!
Making big decisions made the changes for me this year. As I will look back starting January I can say that I tried to do new adventures with friends, family or alone. I don't want to post a drama here because, like I always say that whatever shit happens, I always look at the bright side and thinking that there are reasons why it happened and I don't dwell on negativity instead I go for solutions and how to get over it and move on with my life. #LifeGoesOnandOnandOn
Who would have thought that dad and mom will see each other after 21 years? We are not requesting or rushing them to go back together, but seeing them both in our home makes us feel complete. 2016 is definitely a year of changes for me, to my friends and to my family!
Thank you to my parents for not bringing up the past in the present and just be together for us being happy.
Meet New People
We all have wanted to keep our friends forever, but as you grow, you have to meet and deal with new people and you'll realize that we have a small world. I started that joining Cebu Booze Cruise. Some of them are my friends online only few of them I met to hang out after. I'm still happy to know them.
Sky diving is always on my bucket list and as much as I would like to do it before I turn 30 few years from now, I said "yes" to the outdoor adventures that I never thought would be fun!
I don't want to try this activity ever because I don't know how to swim and I don't think I can do the jump, but hey! Thank you for showing me what is YOLO how to enjoy life and do what you can do while you're still young.
Get Out of my Comfort Zone
I grew up in Manila like I always say whenever someone heard me speaking in Tagalog. BUT moving there was really one of my hardest decisions this year because 1) It's Manila 2) Cebu is my comfort zone.
Work and Live in Singapore
Last April, I decided to move there and accepted a job. After a few weeks, I was sent over to Singapore to work with the team. Things went pretty well, but you know you can't please everyone. Know where and when you stand is still one of the traits to do - respect whatever culture and traditional method they are doing. The good side of this experience is that I was able to hang out my friends who are working there. So yay!
Thank you for the time, dinner, lunch, coffee, treats and stories you shared. You are all hospitable and very welcoming that I felt at home.
So I went back to Cebu for a month. I am back to being a freelancer and not worrying about finishing the project in Singapore. While in Cebu, I attended some events to catch up with my blogger friends and also went back to some routine such as Muay Thai, Jogging and Yoga that I missed when I was in Manila
Cebu Muay Thai
Friendship
So happy to spend year-end with my loves! As time goes by our friendship grows and more mature. I can't wait to bond with them whenever we can as long as we are still single. hahaha :D
Thank you childhood friends for understanding whenever we have small arguements, looking forward for more memories with you.
Shelly, Jonah, Cathryn and Jewel
Thank you for unexpected sisters-bonding friendship we have and making time to meet me whenever I'm in Cebu.
Crisch and Gracia
YES to Spontaneous Bookings for Great Adventures
Boracay Island
I accepted the fact that I will travel less this year. So when friends said yes to Boracay Island adventure. I was really excited because we knew that we want this trip ever since!
Neil, Hendrix, Jewel, Rod, Cybil, Issa and Jenesa
Thank you for making this dream outing come true. For saying "yes" to my invite to have a trip to Boracay. This is one for the books.
Thailand
One thing I hate being working from home - You don't have a social life. That ended in booking flights to Thailand! :) Wahoo! Since I am a freelancer, I went there for two weeks. I've been lucky to have friends living in Thailand for so long and took care of me while I was there.
Thank you friends for making my trip unforgettable in Thailand.
Another spontaneous trip. I was invited by Nabi to come with her to Buscalan to meet APO Whang OD. I was not excited for the trip because of the weather, but ended great because I finally met her! I also gained new friends for keeps because I am finally back in Manila to work in a new start-up company.
Thank you Nabi for the inviting me though at first I was not that excited for the trip, but it ended awesome! I loved it.
Japan
And in the end. All I learned was how to be strong alone.
The highlight of my year is traveling to Japan! I booked my tickets as early as January 30, 2016 with my cousin, but he had to cancel his trip for some personal reasons. That was actually making me sad because I thought I will not go there alone. I processed my visa a month before my trip and not even planning for my itinerary. I was happy that some of my friends living in Japan pushed me so hard to get up my ass and plan my itinerary in Japan. Three days before my flight, I did all the bookings for domestic flights to accommodations and tour.
Thank you friends living in Japan for making me feel that I am not alone in this trip.
with Ryan in Kyoto
Yvonne in Narita
with Joel in Asakusa
with Rustan in Shinjuku
I can say that I will definitely go back there this 2017. :)
Hong Kong
Are we all love to have a friend that booked your tickets without your permission? My friend included me on her trip with her relatives to Hong Kong and Shenzhen China! I was like "hey, I don't think I have a budget because I will be back from my Japan trip" She said "that's fine. Just join us!" I am so thankful to be back in the city after two years! So many changes, but the feeling homey is still there. I wish I could stay there longer, just like my other international trips. Overall, it was great to travel again with Ate Jo after a long time.
Mong Kok
Shenzhen, China
Thank you Ate Jo and Sir Isaac for this unexpected trip to Hong Kong I am so happy to be part of your trip. Cheers!
Great way to end the year of 2016 travels!
Best Blogs in the Philippines Award 2016!
How do you define success? There is no definition of success, but whenever I received recognition or an award I always take it that I am on the right track doing what I enjoy and love. Blogging is fun! Check my previous blog awards here.
I was able to share my knowledge and tips to all aspiring young people who would like to start their blog. I'm glad that I was given a chance to do this. It was an amazing experience.
Thank you everyone for the appreciation of my works and to recognizing my humble photo blog. This motivates me to enjoy more and share more adventures in my blog.
Thank you 2016 you are now a year full of memories.
When I started blogging the only thing I thought of is that I want to document or write everything memorable in my life. It's like a personal diary with twists: it's posted online and with photos.
I thought that expressing my feelings and my thoughts randomly is cool, not until I wanted to change the way I post my experiences. It’s always good to share the downside of your life and how to overcome it, but it would be better if you could share something that can inspire others.
I have a camera, I have a view, Ugh! I click the button of my camera.
Jewel Clicks is a photo blog I started in 2011. I came up with the name by combining my first name “Jewel” and “clicks” because I love clicking the button of my camera. I thought it would be great to share the photos I have taken in a blog. Multiply and i.PH was already dying that time.
I posted more photos of my life experiences and share the story visually and wrote some short stories about the photos. I talked about about travel, food and dining, lifestyle and events.
I believe that you don’t need an expensive camera to take good pictures.
One of the things that I share in my blog is how millennials like me can enjoy their lives.
We all have to deal with responsibilities, difficulties and struggles in life, however you don’t have to mop around when dealing with them, preventing yourself from enjoying your life, instead you can choose to do things that you wanted to do for a long time now. For me, that meant pursuing my travel goals.
"Leave to Live"
I started traveling last 2013 when I said “yes” spontaneously to my friend and hopped into the ferry going to Bohol. Since then, I realized that it is possible to go to places you’ve never been to once in a while. Since then I always leave to live. As a blogger posting my travel diaries online inspire others to take a break from work and to breathe, relax and enjoy.
One of my most memorable travel experiences is when we went to Bantayan Island three months after Typhoon Yolanda hit. It was really a great change for me personally because as a blogger I was able to share about the situation in the island- that it is safe to go there and that all of the beach resorts are business as usual. Aside from that, we were able to help their local tourism.
Another change started when I decided to go on solo travels. The idea of a perfect travel is to have a big budget to spend. Oh well, not anymore as there are travel organizers who offer affordable rates and accept solo travelers or joiners to participate in the tour. The aim is to help the local community of our destination from food, accommodation, tour guide and buying local products.
As a blogger it is a great deed to share the experiences to others that “you just didn’t go there, you lived there”. I love interacting with locals and getting to know more about their culture.
Short and Simple Questions
Finally for the first time I will share these!
Here are some messages from friends, people who've seen my post / video blog and people I met online and then became friends.
Jewel Clicks Now
Sharing valuable, fun, and informative content on your blog will leads you to receiving questions from friends living abroad and friends who are planning to visit one of the places you’ve been to. I always love answering their questions giving them tips and advice, and being their virtual tour guide whenever they need to. It feels good that I help promote tourism and local communities in my own little way.
