Top 10 USA Trip Highlights

There were many highlights, of course!  But in this BuzzFeed era, these 10 were the most memorable and my must-do recommendation when in New York and San Francisco.

Singing along to my favorite Disney musical Beauty & The Beast in Castro Theater

Climbing on top of a mountain in chilly, windy weather just to get an evening shot of Golden Gate Bridge

Biking along West Cliff Drive while enjoying the beautiful scenery in Santa Cruz, California

Seeing beautiful modern artworks like Warhol's Campbell Soup in MoMa

Attending 3 NY Couchsurfing meet-ups and gaining friends from all over the globe

Exploring the sights and sound of New York Times Square, a tourist trap that I don't mind at all

Having a picnic with lifelong friends in Mission Dolores Park

Getting cathartic while watching the Broadway play The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Wine-tasting then getting drunk in Napa Valley!:)

Exploring cinematic Central Park with both my high school & college friends

There! :) Overall, I enjoyed New York more than San Francisco.  San Francisco was too hipster for me.  Regardless of the place though, nothing beats the company of good ol' friends.  Just being reunited with them made the trip memorable already.

I know I promised to post my USA Trip itinerary but work obviously got the best of me.  In case you're interested, just send me a message and I will readily share it with you.

Three Milestones

I have been very busy since the last time I posted an entry that I forgot to blog 3 life milestones that happened to me this year.

First, after 15 years of working in the industry, I finally got to direct my first full-length mainstream movie.  It took us a year to make it because of our lead actors' busy schedule but it was worth it.  I am sincerely grateful to my company bosses for entrusting me with the project.  I must have done something right because my hard work paid off.  The critics, of course, clobbered the movie but the fans and our target audience were all praises and loving.  We also hit the 100 million mark in the box-office, which is rare for a movie launching a new loveteam.  In the end, doing the film validated my purpose of working for mainstream TV and cinema.  That is, entertainment.

The alternative poster of my first full-length movie "Just The Way You Are

The second milestone was my first trip to the USA, specifically California and New York, which happened March and April this year.  It was a memorable trip like all my other trips.  I met lots of people, got to reunite with old friends, and went to places I only saw in the movies (hello, Central Park!)  I promise to photo-blog my US vacation after this entry.

Napa Valley, California

Third milestone was me finally moving to my own condo unit last May.  I am now independent and living alone.  So far, so good!  For some reason, I now choose to stay at home than go out on my free days.  I am becoming a homebody.  I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing.  I am just in love with my space.  Haha!

My bed where I'm seated now doing this blog entry

I am truly blessed. Yeah, I know for some people it means I'm bragging but I really am blessed, and grateful. :)

Multiple Entry

I am just so thrilled and happy that I have to blog about me getting a 10-year multiple entry US visa! Woohoo! I honestly didn't think I'd be granted one.  The fact that I'm single and in my 30's surely looks like a red flag to them.  It was nerve-wracking seeing single people getting denied while waiting for my interview.  I owe a lot to ABS-CBN because I did see the visa officer's shift of expression when I mentioned I work for the company.  Aside from that, I think my 12-year loyalty paid off.  I think, aside from travel experiences & income, that was a major consideration.  It made them think I will not TNT on them. Alright, no more analyzing!  I'm blessed, I'm grateful, I'm happy, and I can't wait to see New York!