- my travel financier (disguised as a job)
- waking up every day so I could earn my travel fund (salary)
- my manager for approving my leaves and for not kicking me out for taking too much time off
- getting sick when I was close to my own stinky bed. I don't like getting sick, but at least when I did get sick, it wasn't when I was out gallivanting away from home.
- getting invited to eat, eat, eat at Ramen Sora, Family Mart, Marissa's Kitchen, Tatang's Boneless Lechon, and Salinas (and to other events that I had to turn down because of work. So, you know, I could fund my travels.)
- my friends from the piggery: Justinne of Babe for Food and Brennan of Baktin Corporation. Pigging out is not something I am ashamed to do with you!
- travel companions who researched, made itineraries, negotiated rates, booked accommodations/van transfers/tour packages when I was too lazy to
- travel apps
- cool heads of tired and lost travel buddies
- perfect timing: reaching the bus/train station five minutes before the bus/train is scheduled to leave or reaching the jeepney/bus stop as the jeepney/bus approaches (especially in areas where jeepneys/buses don't come by often)
- the boat captains who took us on the roughest boat rides of our lives
- my friend for treating me to some Treat Street treats
- a nice sunny day during our impromptu uphill hike along transcentral highway and then getting rescued by a jeepney an hour into the impromptu hike
- JJ Express for responding so quickly to my request for bus ticket reservations
- Mr Phone for his kindness and hospitality: for welcoming us into his home, letting us have a nap in his living room, feeding us lunch, and letting us take a shower in his house
- my friend for feeling sleepy so early that he volunteered to go ahead to Dalaguete town proper (while we frolicked in the beach) to find our group a place to stay in for that night
- the owner of St Therese Beach House in Dalaguete for the discount
- the chance to revisit Moalboal, Gilutungan Fish Sanctuary, Olango Island Wildlife Sanctuary, Kawasan Falls, Mantayupan Falls, and Osmeña Peak
- first time visits to Balabac, Guimaras, Camiguin, Carnaza Island, North Sandbar, Tumalog Falls, Obong Spring, Dalaguete Beach Park, and Mt Manunggal
- seeing more bird species than was expected during our off–season birdwatching session in Olango
- El Ideal Bakery for turning itself into a baggage storage while we strolled around Silay
- my cousin and his wife for driving us around Iloilo
- the lady in Nelly's Garden for accommodating our request for a tour on a Sunday (her rest day!)
- honest tricycle/habalhabal drivers and boatmen for not overcharging
- a friend's birthday boating treat in Moalboal
- the pod of dolphins that showed up when we weren't looking for them
- meeting the awesome sea turtles and sardines of Moalboal
- strong swimmer–guides for towing us lazy snorkelers
- the very helpful boatman in Moalboal who volunteered to take underwater photos and videos because I wouldn't sink thanks to the built–in flotation device round my middle (in truth I am a very bad swimmer)
- the cold, cloudy, windy day we hiked Mt Manunggal
- hitching a ride on an open–bed truck from Manunggal to Balamban town proper
- China and Japan for granting me entry
- my close friend from highschool for the free ride to and from Mutianyu
- crowds missing from the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall of China
- never give up attitude: this is how we found DaDong Roast Duck in Beijing
- my legs for not surrendering when it had to walk 15x more than its lazy daily average
- free use of pocket WiFi from our Tokyo and Osaka airbnb accommodations
- the brains to understand the subway system in Tokyo and Osaka
- deciding to splurge on a farmhouse stay in Ainokura...it turned out to be the best part of our trip
- Yamamoto-san for the half English (me) half Japanese (him) chat while on the shinkansen to Himeji
- Ryo, a Japanese I met in a bus in Cambodia in 2012, for traveling two hours from Kobe to Kyoto to meet me, for treating me to some street eats, and for the omiyage
- the people who sent me emails to ask questions, to ask for recommendations (making me feel like a fake expert), and to send words of appreciation. Your emails made my day.
- the readers of this blog. Thank you, thank you, thank you. All the hours and sweat (it is warm in the corner of the room where I have my computer) I have spent on this blog weren't for naught because of you guys!
Grateful for...