Summer Vacation

Disclaimer: This post contains almost nothing that has to do with running…

Claimer: You should still read it… (Or at least I think you should… Haha.)

            Last semester was a long one, to say the least.  I formed some of my best friendships yet, continued to challenge myself mentally, morally and physically, made memories to last a lifetime with my family and friends, had some of the best experiences of my life as well as some of the worst, and finally, after a long, cold winter and a spring with temperatures of questionable warmth, finally reached this phenomena called summer vacation which I was starting to doubt the existence of…

After my last class last week and after my friends and I spent one last night together, ending the year on a high note by visiting a neighboring school to enjoy some of the therapy dogs that had been brought in for their finals week and making a few more final memories, I cracked down on packing, disassembling all my furniture, and putting everything into storage at my friend’s apartment.  And then it was time to head to the airport, to not go home as usual, but to head to the Philippines!  I was given the opportunity to come spend just shy of a month in Manila this summer, to visit my friend’s extended family with her. 

It was a solid two days before we landed in Manila.  We spent about 20 hours in the air and had a quick layover in Dubai, where we met up with some family friends I hadn’t seen in a while, and they gave us a quick tour.  We made a detour to the beach where we shot some quick photos of the Burj al Arab (the sail shaped hotel).  We also drove by the Burj Khalifa (the tallest building in the world) and finally went out for a traditional meal in an extremely unique Arab-style restaurant.  Hummus.  Yum.  My favorite!

Then it was back to the airport and off to the Philippines!  I’m still working on adapting to the time zone, but I think I’m about there.  Meanwhile, I’ve consumed one dessert after another, from brownies for breakfast to Sans Rival, Halo Halo, Krispe Kreme donuts, cronuts, crepes, fruit tarts, dilly bars, ice cream sandwiches, etcetera… It is highly unlikely that I will starve to death here.  (I’ve also eaten plenty of normal food…  Ever had Century Egg?  You should check out a Chinese restaurant and try it sometime…).

In the past few days, I have shopped more than I ever thought possible (four malls in five days and we’re not even close to being done yet).  From the high end malls to the changue, where you barter prices until you drop, and back again, to Eastwood where we shamelessly demolished “King Kong’s Revenge”, six scoops of ice cream (chocolate, ube, coffee, etc.) with pineapple slices and bananas, topped with whipped cream, chocolate sauce, nuts and chocolate chips… (Don’t worry!  I shared it!)… I’ve been to at least 3 bookstores, and today I picked up Freakonomics, which I’m looking forward to reading.  And clothes!  Lots and lots and lots of clothes!  

In addition, we went swimming the other day.  It’s crazy hot here, so even the water feels hot and it’s all about taking breaks every few laps, but it was still a good time.  Yesterday, despite the heat, I decided to actually work out (it was early in the morning and I was still grappling with jet lag… Thus I was wide awake), so I rode the indoor bike and did some lunges and squats after (still six weeks out from my first run = rehab at its best!).  Today we saw Spiderman 2 in 4D.  It’s kind of like Disney World with the theater where the chairs move, which is pretty sweet, if I may say so.  (The movie wasn’t bad either). 

Overall, it’s exactly the kind of trip that I needed.  I tend to be pretty high speed, but with my injury and coming off a long term and an overall tough year, I’m down for the opportunities to rest a lot, eat even more than I already do, and ultimately, be exposed to tons of knowledge and new experiences.  And hey, I’m working on learning Tagalog too.  (Or maybe just a little bit of Taglish). 

Salamat for reading! 

That’s all I’ve got for now, but expect more to come!
            -Sarah