@itravelRox

@itravelRox 17 July 2022

Hi everyone! This is my second day that I accomplished my 12,000 steps. Minimum is 10,000 steps a day. I encourage everyone to move their body. I am not a fitness guru or a fitness coach. I am just sharing my fitness journey to everyone. https://read.cash/@itravelRox/starting-my-10000-steps-a-day-a16e25e6

@itravelRox 17 July 2022

Starting my 10,000 steps a day Finally, the watch has arrived from yesterday while I was having my day off from exercise. It is color pink to suit for a girl like me. My husband chose this color. I downloaded the Health app to my Huawei phone and connected the device via Bluetooth. The watch is ready to be used the moment I wake up so I was kind of excited to see how many steps I can do in a day. The goal is to do 10K steps a day. Here is a photo of me wearing my exercise clothes. I always wear a t-shirt but I am just trying to flex my muscle. Lol So, yeah, I am fat. Elise just woke up but Alexandre already made a mess. I picked up all the toys later on. **Grow with Jo YouTube playlist** If you are wondering how I am able to achieve at least 10k steps today. Because I am doing INDOOR WALKING and I found this YouTube videos made by Grow With Jo. You can do the exercise inside the house and just walk in place. I do the beginner workouts. My first exercise for 15 minutes, I've done 2K steps for at least 1 Km. In between, I do 100 squats every day. I did breathing exercise for 1 minute. I made another 2 Km exercise for 20 minutes. It felt so good. After I finished every work out, I need to attend my kids, give them food, shower and repeat. When they play, I can continue doing my workout. Before 6 or 7 PM, I've done 8k steps already so I was very closed to 10k steps. And just like that, I made 12k steps before 9PM. What an accomplishment!? I am so proud of myself. FYI. The steps are a mixed of doing the workout for about a total of 70 minutes and walking around the house doing home chores. There are times my kids want to be in my arms so I hold Elise or Alexandre when I do my workout. They are my extra weights. LOL They love to be involve when I do my exercise. They enjoy being carried. Heavy kids, whew! I still have a bloated tummy because I always have a good dinner. I am not losing weight as I am hungry and Elise is still breastfeeding. I am happy to say that I'm slowly working out on my endurance. But I need to strengthen my core that hopefully, I can have my flat stomach back. It takes time, I know. I am still 53 kg and my ideal weight to return to is 48 kg. I used to be 46 kg from 2016 to 2018. I am eating healthy here so there is no way I need to cut out my food intake. I am just really hungry. I am happy to move so I dont care if I am not losing weight yet. Any moms doing their fitness journey? Please share your fitness journey and blog about it.

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@itravelRox 16 July 2022

A day of disappointment from exercise Before the Paris trip, I was happy to be at 50 kg weight with 28 inches waistline. I ate half of what Fred used to put on my plate but no exercise. I gained weight during the trip to Paris at 52 kg because of burgers, pizzas, and kebabs + ice cream. After that, I decided to do exercise and do home chores at the same time. Now, I’m at 53 kg with 30 inches waistline. Hahaha! I’m doing squats. It’s good for my back but I am still having a tummy pouch. I look more pregnant than in my first 8 weeks of pregnancy with Alexandre. But I’m eating more and more especially at dinner time. I AM BLOATED BIG TIME. The past few days, I felt great. Today, I felt lazy and disappointed. So, I told Fred to do nothing today. Last night, the kids and he slept earlier than usual. I cleaned the kitchen and washed the floor, and the bathroom. I got tired cleaning the bathroom but was happy. I took a nap with Elise this afternoon. I am not stressed or depressed. I am happy to do the house chores almost every day and do 20-40 minutes of exercise on the side. It’s just that using my energy makes me HUNGRIER. I am disappointed that my METABOLISM is not the way it used to be. I had a fast metabolism before having kids. My diastasis recti is my other problem. My abdominal muscles are separated during 2 pregnancies plus 2 CS. I know it will take me time to repair my abdomen or to have that flat stomach again. I know which exercise to do. In other words, di na jud ko madalag DIET kay gutom gyud permi. Elise is still breastfeeding me that’s why I’m always hungry. I will just rest today but I still continue doing my exercise. I need to be mindful of my core strength for my tummy. My insecurity, so far. My lower and upper body are fine as I am doing squats and arm exercises. Just the core area and my back problem I need to improve and is always a struggle. P. S. This was a rant I made few days ago because I was very disappointed. I took a rest for two days because I was very tired. The next day, I started my fitness journey as the husband told me that the sports watch he ordered from Amazon will arrive. Yes, I received it. I will blog about it on my next post.

@itravelRox 15 July 2022

What I bought at Decathlon? Decathlon is a French sports and retail company. Somehow, they have branches in the Philippines just a few years ago. I've heard that Decathlon will have its Cebu branch as well. Most of the items I bought with the husband are: 4 ombre t-shirts 4 regular t-shirts 4 sleeveless shirts 4 leggings 4 sports bra 0.5 kg dumbbell 1 yoga mat 1 jumping rope I don't have photos of all the items I bought but here are some of my faves. We changed a brand new watch worth 40 euros but we lost it. So he decided to order it from Amazon. I regret not keeping it in my small bag right away. What a waste of money. T_T I bought the XS leggings when in fact, I should have chosen the S size. My waistline is now 30 inches. I used to have 23 inches. Damn, that's 7 inches in two years. T-shirt 1 So far my fave, wearing a small-sized ombre shirt from Decathlon and trying to fit in the XS leggings (while nag huot ang bilbil insist pa more). I'm wearing lumbar support for my back while it can actually hide my love handles. The floors are clean. Just the kids starting to make Kalat in the house with toys. But it's easy to pick up and store the toys now. Pre-washed the dirty dishes with water last night before putting them inside the dishes machine later when I finish drinking my coffee. Bed sheets and pillow sheets are now in the washing machine. Fantastic! I feel so organized today on a Sunday. Chill! Who would have thought? Tapulan man gyud ko sauna asa manglimpyo? Hahaha! Basta way online job, no choice. XD I used to be in front of my laptop working from 10-12 hours a day. Sobraan ka hardworking. Lol! T-shirt 2 100 squats, arm workout, and 20 minutes TABATA plus carrying Elise as my additional weights. Hahahaha! T-shirt 3 Katas ng SQUATS. Hahaha! Road to XS. It is not easy to get rid of the tummy pooch but what is important, I am moving and doing something. Charot! FYI. When you have a back problem (after giving birth and 2 CS in my case), doing squats is the answer.

@itravelRox 15 July 2022

Spending 200 euros in 30 minutes Rich world problems ko dinhing dapita. Well, gesapot ko. This was a rant on FB I made a week ago so I will just repost it here. The fam went to Decathlon because the shop is on sale. The husband knew what he wanted. I wasn’t ready for what I wanted but a small dumbbell and a jumping rope are fine for me. I didn’t prepare for my correct body measures coz I thought I was about XS. Blamed it on food trips. Happy to be inside Decathlon and just do some window shopping. I am not the kind of person who asked to “buy me this, buy me that.” Him: What do you have? Me: Just some few items, a sports bra, pants, 4 t-shirts. Him: Okay, take more. We only have 30 minutes. Time pressure na naman! He asked me to go to women’s attire and look for branded items like Adidas or Nike. Turns out, branded items for women are more expensive than for men. His t-shirts were about 10 euro while women’s at 25 euro. I prefer the Decathlon brands and were on sale for 4 euro to 15 euro. The thing is, I personally hate shopping for clothes because I have a terrible taste for style. And I also hate time pressure. Shopping for 30 minutes? I found a sports watch for 9 euros. That was the cheapest. I was happy about it because all we need is TIME. I don’t need fancy sports watch. He spent 200 euros on my clothes And some items. But to be honest, I am not quite satisfied with the shopping experience. I want to explore more of the shop because it is huge. We went home and fit the clothes that I have. I got disappointed because 1 out of 4 sports bras is a comfortable fit. And 2 out of 5 pairs of pants are a nice fit. He said I should have bought 10 more of them, especially the t-shirts. He doesn’t like the watch I bought because it is cheap and has bad styling. He even asked me why I never asked for his advice? GESAPOT NA KO! Coz I literally don’t have a PEACE OF MIND buying the clothes that I want without minding the price and quality. I should have just taken a few items that are worth the price, money, and quality without spending 200 euros. Another realization: I’d rather spend my 30-minute shopping at a restaurant, ordering chocolate + banana crepe with ice cream and a cup of hot choco by the terrace, and enjoy the view of the beach. I don’t even need to spend 50 euros on a SIMPLE HAPPINESS AND SATISFACTION. I will just sit down and eat. Chill Lang. A 200 euro worth of shopping spree for 30 minutes doesn’t make me happy. I’d rather wear my old clothes and have my PEACE OF MIND without worrying about the TIME PRESSURE. I can still exercise without fitness clothes. Update: Items were returned and exchanged to new sizes. I ended up buying more. I will blog the items I bought from Decathlon.

@itravelRox 12 July 2022

My first train ride in Paris Before our Paris trip we went shopping The main goal was to shop for a new dress but we haven't seen a dress according to my liking. The husband kept on sending photos to mother-in-law how I looked like in a dress we found in the shop. We ended up not buying at all. Husband said MIL and I would go shopping in Paris. So I asked my husband, “will you drive us to the shopping center?” Him: No, you will take the metro. Me: Oh, okay. I am excited to take the metro! Lol, I was more excited to take the public transportation especially on taking the train in Paris more than shopping in Paris itself. Hahaha! I've been to a few countries which taking a metro ride is a very convenient transportation. I've been to Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Bangkok, Singapore, and Taipei. These are the capital cities of each country with a convenient train ride. With my experience, there is AC. But with the Paris train ride, just so happened it was about 34 degrees Celsius, summer weather. And our train had no AC. Not sure if it was broken or it was intentionally turned off because of the hot temperature outside. It is not very good for the health when you were hot outside and get inside with a cold temperature. As a first timer on taking the train in Paris, I was somewhat confused on which where to go or which platform to take since I am not familiar with the destinations around Paris. The MIL and I went to a shopping mall. We went to Zara. I am not a fan of shopping clothes because I am not a fashionable person. I am not very good in choosing clothes. There was a time i've been thinking I want to buy a boba milk tea because I missed drinking it. But the store I saw had so many people in it. The shopping mall is huge. I wasn't able to take photos inside. Just like a regular shopping mall to me. Of course, I miss window shopping, just looking around. Before 6 PM, we went home but the sun was up. It was very hot and the same train going back home without AC. When we arrived to our station, we walked towards home. I went to the bath tub right away and enjoy my time alone. It was good and refreshing. I ate ice cream after. I took care of the kids and the family prepared for our dinner. Real life Disney house Walking home, we saw this real life Disney house. Like the one you see in some Disney movies like in Snow White, Beauty and the Beast or Cinderella. It is just around the neighborhood. P. S. Life has been so busy lately so I am not able to spend time here in Read Cash.

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@itravelRox 26 June 2022

Disneyland Hong Kong 2014 versus Paris 2022 Disneyland Hong Kong 2014 with friends October 2014, it was my second country and my first time in Hong Kong. I was traveling with friends and one of the itineraries is to visit Disneyland. I prepared for this and got this yellow dress my aunt gave me because I felt the vibe of being a princess. It was very fun. We took all the adult rides and children rides. It was fun to see parents who were having more fun than the kids. LOL So yeah, I brought my DSLR camera with me. I was the official photographer but I can also ask a friend to take photos of me. Go to Adobe Lightroom and did a little edit. All photos of Disneyland Hong Kong were of high quality. I took thousands, I guess. Three friends went out of Disneyland. My friend and I witnessed the parade at about 4 PM. And we waited for the fireworks. One of the photos below I took using a tripod because it was my goal to take fireworks photos. Being childless, you can do whatever you want. You have all the energy. Also, we never spent money inside the park because it is expensive. We only had water, candy, and a little snacks. But we survived. When we went back to our hostel, we went to the nearest restaurant and eat a lot of noodles. LOL. Also, it was one of my memorable out of the country trip because when I came back to the Philippines, I had to attend my college graduation. It was actually late. I should have graduated in 2010 but officially graduated in 2014 for some reasons. I blogged about this before. What's important is I was able to file my graduation in 2010 and my files were still there. Disneyland Paris 2022 with family Of course, the experience was quite different but more memorable. It is not as convenient when I was single. My rides were limited that we couldn't do all. We were so thirsty and hungry all the time so my husband spent money for ice creams, sofa, burgers, and fries. We were not able to witness the parade as we were all tired. The fireworks was at 10 PM since the sun sets about this time during the summer. Yes, at 7 PM, the sun is still up. Disneyland Paris is a huge park so you really need 3 days to do all the parks. When you have kids, you need all the patience. When you visit Disneyland Paris in the summer, you really need to bring a lot of water and snacks with you. Bring also a paper fan or mini electric fan with you. I even see other parents bringing a huge backpack with everything they need inside. We will just wait for the kids to grow up and we can visit Disneyland Paris again. Dddd

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@itravelRox 25 June 2022

I am Wearing a Lumbar support for back pain I am wearing a lumbar support for back pain. My only complain in my life after having 2 kids and 2 CS. I got this lumbar support from my in-laws. They have extra so I am using it. Current waistline size: 28 inches Current weight: 50 kg Before pregnancy Waistline was: 23.5 inches Weight was: 46 kg I am happy that I am losing weight without trying hard to do such. I realised how heavy I was during my 2 pregnancies. With my first pregnancy, I was at 57 kilograms at 39 weeks with Alexandre. With my second pregnancy, I was at 55 kilograms at 37 weeks with Elise. Few months ago, I was doing zumba. Now, I stopped because doing home chores is a priority. Then my kids want more of my attention. Sometimes I am too lazy which I prefer not to do anything at all. Also, I missed writing for the month of May so I wasn't earning that much. Sad. Now, I am trying my best to take care of myself. To make myself look attractive the way I used to be. So every after shower, I try my best to put on lotion to my dry skin. I wash my face with the skin care products I bought from the past few months. I can feel the improvement of the texture of my facial skin, it is now soft. It used to be dry and dull. I am doing my best to wash my face and to brush my hair. P. S. I have saved this as a draft before our trip to Paris. I am back to 52 kilograms now because Summer in Paris was very hot at 39 degrees Celsius. I ended up eating a lot the whole week in Paris. Hahaha! Now that we are back in the countryside, my goal is to do more exercise. Be consistent. Hopefully, I can reduce weight and achieve 49 kg. But it is so good to eat here that is why I can't resist. There is a chocolate ice cream in the fridge I am very tempted to eat. There a lot of Kitkat chocolates in our storage. Anyway, I realized how important it is for me to wear a lumbar support. I had 2 Cesarian sections in less than 2 years with my 2 kids. I disregard wearing this when I was a new mom with my first child. Now that I am determined to have a healthy lifestyle, at least I can do something with my back pain.

@itravelRox 24 June 2022

My younger version of believing in myself When high school graduation was approaching, I had this reason why I wanted to take up Information Technology in college. I had foreseen my future to work at home with my computer. I told myself that I would love to travel to different countries without working abroad. After many years, who would have thought that I actually made it traveling to different countries while working on my laptop? A few people may have underestimated me. That I could not make it. It was an impossible dream. Or I will just waste my college education just to get pregnant early and get married at a young age. But I was very practical that even though I did not finish the bachelor's degree in IT, passing the second year would still earn me a diploma. Thus, the Associate degree in Computer Technology. When NOBODY is believing me, there I was, my younger version of me, BELIEVING IN MYSELF. Char! Writing this on Facebook like a diary or an inspirational post. I just wrote this when many times there were some people who actually voiced out themselves that they were not impressed by me. Well, these people are those who have never seen what I did to be where I am today. I realized how satisfied am I as a person. How satisfied my life was when I was single. When I used to have no kids. Everything I've done in the past was all worth it. What can I say to my younger self? You did a good job, Roxanne! Your head is on your shoulder. You know how to fight for yourself. You understood the consequences when you make a mistake and what you can learn from it. Your life is not perfect. You have so many options for which path to take. If you do option 1, this is what happens. If you do option 2, this is what happens. I don't know why but I feel that there was a part of my life where my goal was clear and it happened. That happened in the early stage of adulthood. I was so full of hopes and dreams. Well, before I achieved my travel goals, I was in a long-term relationship. But I was not in a hurry to get married or to get pregnant. Before it happens, I wanted to travel solo or with a significant other. Although I never ended up with that ex, I am happy I met my husband who is also a fond traveler. I traveled solo and I met him while traveling. We ended up traveling together, now with the kids. Back to my younger self, I could say I have no regrets. Although I made some stupid decisions about love and relationships after, my ultimate goal actually happened. That is to travel and work on my laptop. P.S. Sorry for my absence from the past few months as we were so busy. We went to Paris for one week and visited Disneyland Paris. Hoping to blog about it soon here.

@itravelRox 20 May 2022

I've been underestimated many times that I can not do it! How many times many people make me feel weak. Many times I've been underestimated. That I cannot do it. Just because I am a girl. Just because I was dependent from my mother. Just because I never discovered the world alone. I had so many examples but I am not sure if I could remember everything. I hated the fact that their way of underestimating me made me feel not confident. I lost my self-esteem. Not sure why I was surrounded by people whom I felt invalidated me. It could be a parent, a relative, or an acquaintance. Let me share a few examples: My mother discouraged me to learn how to crochet My mother was right-handed and I am left-handed. I was eager to learn because I was interested to make my own bags and cellphone pouches. At first, it was difficult. I need to mirror her. I was impatient but I made it. In high school, I taught some of my classmates to learn how to crochet even though a lot of them were right-handed. I encouraged them that it would be easy for them since it was originally for right-handed persons. My father discouraged me to learn how to drive a motorbike I was 12 years old when I got interested with motorbikes. My used to have a motorbike and he taught his son at 8 years old. It was summer so it was time to learn a new skill. I told him I wanted to learn. He discouraged me just because I am a girl, underweight that I could not handle a motorbike. I insisted and cried. I learned. In my solo travels in different countries, I was able to drive a motorbike alone. It felt so good to drive a motorbike while traveling as I can do my tour alone without the help of a tour guide. I have the freedom to go where ever I want to. That's why we should encourage women how to drive a motorbike and a car. I regretted for not learning to drive a car. It could have been a useful skill here in France. An acquaintance told me I could never go to Europe I booked a one-way ticket to Myanmar for my backpacking journey in 2018. I posted it as a status and suddenly, an acquaintance left several comments the way I travel. Before the incident, he asked me advice on how to get a Japan visa but I told him and his girlfriend that it would be easy for them since they work in an office. They have good salary and they got their Japan visa. They got their Schengen visa for Europe. I am happy for them since they could actually afford. Suddenly, he just told me that it would be impossible for me to go to Europe since I never work in an office. I've been working as a freelancer that it would be difficult for me to be granted a visa. He humiliated me in the comments. He was questioning me why I keep on staying on cheap hostels? Unlike them, they stay in good hotels worth of their money. I am a budget traveler. Him and his girlfriend are luxury travelers. Do I need to explain more? So many things have been said already that it felt I had no right to go to Europe just because I got denied my South Korea visa and Canada visa. He preferred to discourage me and humiliate me. I met my French husband and he did his best to enter Europe. I did many research as well. I got denied on my first Schengen visa. I learned my mistakes. I lacked proper documents so I need to meet all the requirements to get a visa. I got a Japan visa for multiple entry. Having a ME visa helped a lot. I did my second try to get a schengen visa. I got it. Well, thanks to my researching skills and to the other people I really don't know who gave me tips to get that schengen visa. It's funny how strangers encourage you to get that visa but not your acquaintance. What's the point? People you know may discourage you but don't stop, don't quit, don't give up. Always persevere and do the things that were impossible to make it possible. There's no harm in trying. You may fail many times. But if you spot your mistakes and correct them, it would help. Help yourself. Encourage yourself. Don't mind other people when they say it is impossible. I am a person who loves to encourage other people. If nobody encourages me, then, I have no choice but to encourage myself.

@itravelRox 19 May 2022

You need to find your own luck I may not be lucky for not having rich parents. I may not be lucky for they were not able to pay my college degree. But I was lucky to had both parents. I was lucky that I belonged to elite sections from grades 1 to 6 and I was able to attend a science high school. It took me time to convince my aunt to pay for my college fees. With a condition that an uncle (my father's brother) would help for my daily expenses. And also, not to get married early. My aunt was hesitant to pay for my college for the fact that I am a girl. She thought that I would just waste her money not finishing a degree maybe because I would get pregnant early or get married early. In Cebuano, she thought I was IGAT. Igat means a girl who loves to play around or flirt around with boys. Well, I had so much low self-esteem that no guys would ever like me. So my aunt was very wrong about me getting pregnant or getting married early. I proved her wrong. I had my first bf when I was 18 but it never occurred to me to get pregnant because I was an ambitious girl. My goal was to save money for the future. When I broke up with him, I chose to travel. I maybe unlucky with love before but I made sure to enjoy my singlehood. For 5 years, I never had a serious relationship but I was lucky to get to know myself and learn to value myself. I may not be lucky to find a good paying job in the Philippines but I was lucky that a friend of mine introduced me to freelancing. That's how I started that I never looked back applying for a position in any job companies. I enjoyed working online for more than 10 years already. I may not be lucky as my friends had no time to travel with me but I was lucky I found several opportunities while traveling alone. I met Draco Malfoy while in Japan. I got free accommodations and free tours in exchange of blogging on my travel blog. I was able to enhance my skills along the way. I learned new skills like scuba diving and freediving. I had share this from my previous article that I was a victim of physical abuse caused by my brother. I felt so unlucky experiencing that but with all the troubles he caused me, I must say that he never experience all the lucky things I have experienced. He can never achieve what I have achieved when I was younger. In the previous years, I felt so unlucky for being single for a long time. My siblings have their own boyfriend and girlfriend. But I felt so lucky for having my own money and freedom. My heart was at peace while single. I may not be lucky for being not in a relationship for a long time. But I am so lucky that I met my husband while traveling. We met at the right time and at the right place. I met my husband when I was 29, got pregnant when I was 30, gave birth at 31, got 2 kids at 33. What's the point? Well, my luck didn't land on my lap that easy. It is just that I need to find my own luck. You need to do something. When you feel like you are unlucky for staying with a wrong guy in a relationship, the decision is up to you. Get out of the relationship and stay lucky being single or continue the toxic relationship and stay unlucky. Our choice has its own consequence.

@itravelRox 18 May 2022

My first dental appointment here in France The last time I went to see a dentist in the Philippines was in 2018. When I got pregnant in 2019, I started having trouble with my gums. I could feel the sensitivity and bleeding of my gums. I was thinking that I actually had problem with my teeth. I always brush my teeth. I floss everyday. I gargle using a mouthwash or Listerine. Still, the sensitivity never go away. Until I see the dentist yesterday. Yesterday was my first time to see a dentist here in France. After having 2 kids in less than 2 years, I finally have my dental check up. It is part of my health care benefits here so I need to grab the opportunity. What is my experience here in France? Well, it was actually quick. I think the teeth cleaning took only less than 20 minutes. I remember well in the Philippines that the dentist always has an assistant. Example: The assistant prepares the tissue to be put around your neck in case you need to wipe out your saliva. The assistant prepares water when you need to gargle. The assistant prepares the toothpaste and other tools that were all sanitised. In short, the assistant is visible when the dentist starts to clean your teeth. Here in France, well, with my yesterday's experience, the dentist handles everything. He never needed a helping hand. He gave me a tissue but he never let me take a pause to SPIT. He used a little vacuum in the mouth so my mouth remains dry. The vacuum took out the saliva from my mouth. His job was very quick. He removed the tartar or that yellow stains from my teeth. He put fluoride in the end. That's it, it was so quick. The dentist finds my teeth nice so I don't have any big problem with my teeth. In the end, he let me spit in the sink with a glass of water. There was a little blood stuck in my throat. I checked the mirror as well. My teeth feels better. After the cleaning session, I went to the reception to see his assistant. The assistant asked for my social security and assurance medical number. It took more time to process than the actual cleaning. Later, she resolved it. I was free to go. Yes, it's free so I don't need to pay anything. At night, I brush my teeth before I go to sleep. To my surprise, the sensitivity is now gone. I feel confident now. I just told my husband the comparison between my experience in the Philippines and France. Especially, the vacuum part. Hahaha! I like how quick and efficient the dentist is.

@itravelRox 18 May 2022

Enjoying the health care benefits here in France I have free healthcare benefits here in France: * giving birth to 2 kids * dental care * eye check up and will get my eye glasses soon Meanwhile, personal care services are very expensive: * haircut for 40 euro * manicure and pedicure are expensive * getting a massage is also expensive When I was young and single, I was able to take advantage of our affordable personal care services in the PH: * haircut was 50 pesos * manicure and pedi were 50 pesos each * massage was 250 pesos But health care is expensive: dental cleaning was about 600 pesos getting your own prescribed eyeglasses was expensive, I chose the best giving birth in the PH is sure expensive when you are a CS mom To realise, I deserved the personal care services that I spent when I was in the Philippines. I had the money to spend. I worked a lot and I suffered abuse from a family member. My ex didn't pay me back the money he owed me. I deserved to travel. I deserved to pamper myself. You know, mental health is expensive. You have to see a psychiatrist or you need psychological help to help you understand what is going on. You need to take medicines if needed. I suffered anxiety and insomnia before. Instead of seeing a psychologist, I decided to travel and cut off toxicity. When being alone means selfishness to other people, being alone is something to save myself and my sanity. When no family members or relatives can help me with my personal dilemma, I realized not to depend help from them at all. It is only me who can help myself but I am thankful to my friends who are there to listen to me and supported me when I had some financial crisis. To have kids in the Philippines is for sure expensive since giving birth is not free. Nowadays, several women are having CS because of the difficulty to give birth naturally. My husband and I are having a discussion. We saw a documentary here which a French presenter who went to the Philippines and showed Manila. She went to a maternity hospital in Manila where in one big room or hospital ward, there were a lot of new mothers with their new born babies. It was a horror for my husband to see such. He couldn't imagine to see me in a hospital ward overcrowded with other patients. He said that I am so lucky that our kids are born here in France. I was so well-pampered in the hospital. I had my own private room. The midwives took care of me. I felt like I was in a hotel having a vacation. Even though I was alone all the time but I never felt so lonely. I just had difficulty with my CS scar but eventually, I recovered. I am so thankful to my husband for doing his best to fly me to France from the Philippines. I am so lucky that he is actually taking care of us. I am so lucky that I belong to a good family now.

@itravelRox 14 May 2022

NEVER AGAIN with an abuser REAL TALK! When I was in Myanmar, a Buddhist monk gave me this advice. When you suffered abuse from an abuser, you need to CUT OFF THE TOXICITY. NEVER AGAIN WITH AN ABUSER. But when you're a Christian, you need to forgive and forget. Give a second chance sa may history of abuse daw. Hahaha! I posted this on Facebook regarding ABUSE. I, myself, was a victim of physical abuse by a brother. I went to VAWC Police to report the incident. But the police woman told me that it was just "away ng magkakapatid" or "sibling rivalry" which is not really a big deal in the Philippines because it is common. I have photos of my bruises that I've been keeping. It happened in 2012. The police preferred to see me in blood before they take any action. So, reporting to the police was just a waste. In a first world country, a sibling rivalry is considered as domestic violence between siblings. So they have laws about it but not in the Philippines. I started working at home in 2010. Since then, I started to experience anxiety at home as I'd heard my parents quarelling about money. I gave money to my mother but not to my father. My brother never received a single centavo from me. I broke up with my ex of 6 years because of our toxic relationship. He abused me financially and never paid back the money he owed from me. In 2017, I moved out of the house because of the repetitive toxicity. After my father died in 2015, he was getting worse. He acted like he was the boss. He didn't have a job. He is the youngest. I am the eldest, I was the only one earning at that time. I had a feeling that he was actually a drug addict. I lost my Xbox 360 and my Samsung DVD player. For sure, he stole and sold it for his drugs. But I had no proof. When my mother was dying in my arms in 2019, he confessed with the help of his pastor that he was using drugs. I wanted to scream at him but I couldn't as to pay respect for my mom. But deep inside, I was in rage. The more toxicity he caused to my mother since I left home. Nothing had changed. I thought their lives would get better without me. In 2018, my sister and my brother were fighting in front of my ill mother with knives each on their hands. My mother just had her surgery with her failing body. I was living in Palawan for 2 years. I enjoyed my freedom with less money. I had a good sleep when I was staying at hostels, at a friend's place, and until I found a cheap rental place to live. My mother called me just to gave me disappointing updates about my brother. I'd keep on telling her before that she should have kicked him out of the house for our safety, for my mom's safety that she was getting older. Before my mom died in my arms, she regretted the most for not listening to me. She suffered a lot for not listening to me. And it really broke my heart several times when I recall the scene. I already blocked him on Facebook as I want him out of my life. Now that I am here in France, he got the chance to disturb me again back in July 2021 with the accomplice of a cousin. Well, my cousin wanted to sell me a property. To make the story short, he wanted that I would send a downpayment as his electricity would be cut off in a few days. No signed documents like deed of sale and others. My brother acted like a lawyer. When I found out the truth about the property, of course, I got mad. That time I was just giving birth to my second baby. Until now, he is still spreading lies about me to our relatives. The relatives still believe in him, no matter what. NEVER AGAIN WITH AN ABUSER. Be it with a family member, a relative or the person you're in a relationship with. CUT OFF THE TOXICITY AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. SET YOUR BOUNDARIES.

@itravelRox 8 May 2022

Happy Mother's Day to me, an appreciation post to my husband I woke up today at 3pm with the kids. My husband woke up earlier. He cleaned the house, washed the clothes and the dishes. Lastly, he turned on the music in full blast. Hahaha! Happy Mother’s Day to me. I can’t be a happy mother without the loving and handsome father of my beautiful and adorable kids. My husband is such a hands-on father to our kids. From changing diapers, to bathing them, to changing clothes. He cooks our food and prepares baby food when they were 6 months. He brings them to doctor appointments. He does all the home chores when I can’t do all. Technically, I just gave birth to two kids (in 2 years) and breastfeed them. In fact, these two tasks are very exhausting already. How much more if those other tasks will be added to my daily routine? Stressful. I’m thankful to my husband for giving me a convenient life as a mother. Thank you for fulfilling your promise to my mother, that is to take care of me. As usual, ge kilig na pod akong matres. Hahaha! I am writing this appreciation post to my husband on Facebook because I don't post about him there. He prefers to stay away from Facebook. He doesn't like I post photos of him there. Every time I find handsome photos of him, I am tempted to publish it but I always ask his permission. Well, some Mariteses on Facebook in the Philippines are thinking that I am currently having a postpartum depression just because I was having a debate with them in terms of politics. They took all my political comments very personally so they attacked me personally. Saying I am living a sad life here in France. LOL I am very much well-pampered by my husband here although he complains I am very slow to do all the house chores. I accepted the fact that I am slow. But when I try to be fast, I get exhausted so easily. It is mother's day but I don't want to post that it is all about me. To be honest, I can't do everything as a mother if without my husband. When your husband makes you happy, you become a happy wife. You become a happy mother and a happy father to your kids. My own mother is already in heaven. She gave birth to three kids and I am the eldest. I don't know how my mother sacrificed everything when she was alive despite of the constant fights they had with my father. Unfortunately, her story was just different compared to mine. I am sure that my mother is happy of my situation here in France as my husband fulfilled his promise to her. I can't forget the day they had a video call. My mother said thank you to Fred but he never heard her. My mom lost her voice and eyesight already. She had difficulty to speak but she heard Fred. It was difficult to see my mother who was dying. To my mother, even though she is physically gone, she still appears in my dreams once in a while. I miss you very much mama!

@itravelRox 7 May 2022

When adults are telling you to shut up, to stay silent, not to complain Adults nowadays are telling other people or the young generation to shut up, to keep silent, not to question, not to complain, not to speak up because they're telling you that you have no right to be such... Examples below: 1. Telling your kids not to complain about real world problems because they are not at the right age to understand everything. 2. Telling a fellow citizen not to complain about your country's election just because he or she is not a registered voter and not even a taxpayer. 3. A passenger complains about the traffic but other people are telling him not to complain because he doesn't know how to drive and doesn't have a driver's license. Seriously, are we teaching this bad mindset to other people? Babies complain through crying as it is their way of communicating that something is not right. Something is not okay. Toddlers or young kids show fear, frustration, agitation when they feel the person they are seeing is not safe. Kids throw tantrums to their parents or caretakers when they don't know how to express their feelings. As an adult myself, I won't teach my kids to shut up and stay silent. As long as any person has the means to communicate, to question, to complain... He or she has the right to do so as he is still ALIVE. The only ones who can't complain are the dead people. They remain to stay silent forever. I posted this on Facebook just few days ago because it is so disappointing that even though it is now 2022, adults tell you to stay silent. Just because the old people from the past never complained. I can't help how some people have this kind of mindset. Not sure if this is just a Filipino thing. As they say, always respect the elders and never talk back. When I was 18 years old, I started to find a job while studying. I was very determined to have at least a college education. When you're a girl, it is easy for us to get fooled by some people. When you're a girl, you are also expected to be submissive. When you're a strong independent woman, trust me, some Filipinos are not impressed by that. And if you are a person who speaks up your mind, you are a threat. I am writing this because this is my story. I have told my husband how some people in the Philippines prefer to silence me like I have no right to complain or to question. My husband knows I have a strong personality and I am very outspoken. When we argue, there is no way he can shut me up. But when I am tired to argue, expect me not to talk to him for 3 days. Silent treatment. My husband let me have the freedom to complain if I dislike something. When I complained about him drinking and smoking everyday, he stopped for the sake of our kids. I am not trying to overpower my husband as he is the man in the family, he should lead our way. But it is good that he don't want to silence me. I am free to speak what's on my mind.

@itravelRox 3 May 2022

Who says taking care of 2 kids is difficult? Who would have thought that having 2 kids really bring joy to our lives? At first, we only wanted one but my husband and I never really made any family planning as we were not protected while doing the deed. But it was quite surprising that I was fertile and got pregnant right away for the second time. But we have to be honest that as first time parents, we were struggling. My husband was struggling as a first time father. Our first few months were difficult. We argue, I suffer. He never understood that I was having postpartum depression and it was not easy. It wasn't easy for me as I lost my mother before I got pregnant with Alexandre. After giving birth to Alexandre, I miss her so much that I felt I was so alone. I had no one to talked to or no one to asked to about motherhood. I've been crying many times that it took me time to accept the fact that she is already gone. I was so in denial. While Alexandre is getting older, we felt like we were getting better not until I got pregnant with Elise. It was like I have to start all over again. And this time, I never thought I would experience depression. I got shingles. Fred and Alexandre got the chickenpox from my shingles. It was another challenging pregnancy experience for us. I suffered on my pregnancy with Elise. With Alexandre, not that much as I was able to travel and do freedive while pregnant. My lifestyle was active in my first pregnancy. When I was on labor with Elise, I went to the shower to prepare for the hospital. I was in pain and crying already. I prayed to God, to my parents, especially to my mother, please no suffering for me after giving birth. I would accept all the pain while on labor. I was talking to my mom to please take care of me in the hospital. That I hope she would look after me while I was alone all the time in the room. While I was in the hospital, Fred needed to be home to look after Alexandre. Fred came to visit me in the hospital and spent 2 hours with me. It was pandemic so most of the time I had to be alone. The midwives were taking care of us. Alexandre is growing so Fred is taking care of him. I am happy that my husband is very hands on with Alexandre from giving food, milk, bathing him, changing diapers and clothes. He got a boy, I got a girl. When Elise arrive in our lives, I am not crying much anymore. I have accepted the fact that my mother is gone. But I believe that she was with me all the time when I was in the hospital. Her presence was there, just looking after me, taking care of me and Elise. I need to be a happier mom for Alexandre and Elise. I used to think a lot of my mother when it was just Alexandre because I felt so alone. When I need to take care of Elise, I also need to show Alexandre that I am fine and I can handle myself and the kids. I need to be a smiling mom with a genuine smile. When Alexandre sees me happy and laughing, he does the same. So I have to show to Elise that I am a happy mom. I have to show her my smile so that she can smile as well. I always talk to my mother every now and then. I always think of her all the time, as well. I miss her so much that it makes me teary eyed a little. Every time these two are in the same bed with me, I feel so lucky when these two laugh together. Ah, those tiny voices are so cute. It makes me giggle. It is also funny when they laugh when I laugh. When they see their mom happy, they are both happy as well. When they have a tantrum at the same time, yes, it is so difficult that I also wanted to cry with them while crying and screaming. Later on, I also learned to cry with them as a joke. I just laugh after. I am hoping and praying that my kids will love us, their parents, and love each other, as siblings. I hope they can be best friends as well.

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@itravelRox 1 May 2022

My kids are growing, time is so quick! I can't believe that within the span of 2 years, I've got 2 kids already. Elise just turned 10 months old during the last day of April. Alexandre is now exactly 27 months old. Alexandre was made in Bali, Indonesia during our second meet up of my husband when we were just new in the relationship. Elise was made in Spain during our first trip as a family of 3. We learned we were pregnant with Alexandre when we were in El Nido, Palawan. With Elise, we learned it here in France after a week of my birthday. Both pregnancies were both Cesarean delivery. With Alexandre, the labor took more than 12 hours. I suffered a lot. With Elise, it was about 7 hours. I recovered quickly with Elise but not with Alexandre. Alexandre was 10 months old when we learned we were pregnant with Elise. It was difficult for me and I felt bad for Alexandre. He was a very clingy baby and breastfeed a lot. I was in pain for my boobs as teeth started to grow already. We started to give him milk in a bottle. I let Alexandre know that there is another baby coming. I let him kiss my tummy. At 13 months, he needed to sleep away from me and sleep in the same bed with his father. He was getting heavy and I had difficulty taking care of him while I had my big tummy. I had trouble getting sleep already and suffered a lot in my second pregnancy. I really miss him so much being cuddly and clingy with me. I miss him when he was so small. To be honest, I'm still surprised now that he is taller. He is actually more than half of my height already. Well, I'm a petite mama, about 4'11" so it is expected that my kids will be taller than me. My husband is 6 feet tall. Elise has 4 teeth already, 2 up and 2 down. So, yeah, I am in pain already and I always scream when she bites it. We are starting to give her milk in a bottle. It's funny that she is trying to hold the bottle and drink. I see them both enjoying their milk. When Elise was little, Alexandre was more clingy to his father. He stopped being clingy to me feeling like I rejected him or he got jealous. When I was recovering, I make sure to give bath to Alexandre because that is the only time I can bond and get close to him. To let him know that I still care for him. I always talk to him my feelings and how I miss him. I even said sorry to him many times that I cried. Before, he learned to kiss me on my cheeks. Then, he stopped kissing me and moved away from me. I was hurt. I cried. We have guests right now, so 4 of us are sleeping in the same room. He starts being clingy with me and kissing me. He is happy to see me in the same bed. Yes, I still miss him so badly. I tell him that I am so proud he is a big boy now. I am proud that he tries to take care of Elise. He tells me when Elise starts to cry. He truly cares for his sister. I can't wait when Elise learns to walk. That means I need to chase 2 toddlers in the next few months. Hahaha! Hhh

@itravelRox 28 April 2022

I just collected my 8th batch of $10 for the month of April. Too bad, I didn't make it to $100 as we have guests for more than 2 weeks. For the last 2 articles that I published, thanks Readers for your comments. I really appreciate it. Will comment once I am not busy. I always clean the house everyday. Hehehe!

@itravelRox 28 April 2022

Are you in a good place or are you in a better place? The listening and reading comprehension of Filipinos nowadays are very alarming. There was a viral video of Vice President Leni Robredo greeting a celebrity, Kim Chiu, where she said, "I know you're in a good place now." Some Filipinos went crazy and ridiculed the VP for being dumb and laughed at the celebrity for being dead or something. And I asked myself, "Is there something wrong what the VP said to the celebrity?" The answer is no. The BASHERS were like, "in a good place" is something you tell to a dead person. WRONG! IT'S A NO. The BASHERS also added that "in a good place" means heaven because of a Netflix movie called The Good Place. WRONG! STILL A NO. How to use "in a good place" in a sentence? I'm happy, I'm in a good place. I'm living in a farm. I see chickens, horses, donkeys, sheep, and cows everyday. I live a happy life. In a good place means you are in a happy state of life. Which I can also say I am really happy where I am right now. Mentally, physically I am happy. I am not struggling right now. I am alive and living a good life wherever I am on earth. How to comfort someone whose loved one just died using "in a better place?" My condolences. I am sorry for your loss. Your mother is now in a better place. Her suffering has already ended. Has anyone ever been to HEAVEN? Nobody knows where heaven is and nobody knows what heaven looks like. But when a loved one just died, we are wishing that he or she will be sent to heaven. Where a person will experience the afterlife without suffering, no envy, no jealousy, no hunger, just happiness forever. When you're a Christian and you believe in heaven, then, it is your choice of belief that heaven really exist. This is your truth. But if you don't believe in heaven, you can say you haven't seen it and you've never been, therefore, heaven is not true. How can you describe "in a good place?" You can describe it wherever and whatever you want. A good place can be a heaven, a paradise, a playground, a kitchen with abundant food, an entertaining place, and etc. Whatever or wherever that makes you feel good and makes you feel happy, you can actually say, I am in a good place. Is there a difference between "in a good place" and "in a better place?" No. There is no difference at all. They are just actually the same to whomever you want to say such. The celebration of life and death Being dead or being alive, there is a thing called a celebration of life and death. When you wish to someone to be in a better place, who just died, you are actually saying to wish them to have a HAPPY AFTERLIFE IN HEAVEN. When you wish to someone to be in a good place, who is alive and well, you are actually saying to wish them to have a HAPPY LIFE ON EARTH. Why do you say "in a better place" to someone who just died? Well, we are assuming that he or she lived a good life on earth before he or she got sick or something. To be in a better place means better than earth, and we call it heaven. Are the phrases "in a good place" and "in a better place" exclusive for the dead? No, there is no such rule that telling these phrases are for the dead. It is a BIG NO.

@itravelRox 26 April 2022

Why is it important to clarify your statements? People nowadays love to comment or argue on social media. And there are some people that will use your words against you. Some people may quote you of what you have said and twist your words as if you've said something wrong. That's why fake news is very evident. They can easily splice videos, edit some words you said, and create a different story. Some people may accuse you of something. They will take your words and they have a different interpretation of what you said in a statement. And their interpretation is what they believe in. There were some people accused me for victim-blaming a person. I asked them to show me a proof that I said a statement that I actually victim-blamed the person. I got the screenshot. The screenshot is about me asking questions. Asking a question is not a statement. So, I corrected the person who accused me that telling a statement and asking a question are two different things. Here are some examples but not related to my situation. Belle is stealing. This is a statement. That means what you say is true and there is evidence. Is Belle stealing something? This is a question. You are not sure or you don't have any idea if she actually stole something. I have a feeling that Belle stole my comb. This is a statement. This is also an assumption. But I have no evidence that Bella stole something from me. I just have a feeling or a haunch. I need to investigate if my feeling is correct. Maybe Belle stole my comb. This is a statement. This is also an assumption. Adding 'maybe' to a sentence means I am not sure if she actually stole something from me. I have no evidence. Is there a problem with reading comprehension? I really want to tell those people that they have a problem with their reading comprehension. I clarified and explain to them that what they have told me is not true. The other person was saying that I said many statements that are actually wrong. So I told her to show me these statements that I said something bad to the victim that results me actually victim-blaming a person. But again, there is none. "Some people expects something in return. The girl was told by a guy that he has a million contract." The two sentences above are something I said in a comment. And other people have a different interpretation that I said it's the girl was expecting something in return just because a guy told her he has a million contract. Let me single this out... Some people expects something in return. This is a first statement pertaining to some people expecting something in return. There is no way I was referring to a girl. So I'm talking in general. The girl was told by a guy he has a million contract. This is another statement and this time I am talking about the girl. This is a fact. Two sentences. Two statements. Two different people. Although the girl was told by a guy he has a million contract, I don't have any evidence that she is expecting something in return. So, the other people I was arguing with were seeing this angle that I victim-blamed the girl. When in fact, I said nothing. And I never made any assumptions that the girl is expecting. They combined the two sentences as if I was talking about one person. The comments were written in Tagalog. But there was a time I wanted to translate my statements in English just to clarify with them my statements and their own interpretation of my statements are just very different. You know, just to prove them wrong. Anyway, the administrator turned off the comments because they got tired typing of their comments. And possible or maybe they got annoyed with me. I type very fast and I actually enjoy typing my opinions. When a person starts to argue, I love to clarify everything and ask questions more. You know, questions like... Are you sure I said something like this? Is there any proof that I victim - blamed the person? Will you please show me a proof that I said something bad to the other person? Seriously, I want to give them a pizza whoever can show me a proof I victim-blamed the girl. Anyway, this is actually a long story. My original post never talked about the girl.

@itravelRox 19 April 2022

How Travel Changed My Life? Although my first airplane ride happened when I was 24 in 2012 to Manila, it became a habit to fly out of the Philippines at least one country a year when I got my passport in 2013. Somehow, a painful and traumatic health threat forced me to travel more, and it happened in 2014. https://www.itravelrox.com/2017/01/08/24-experienced-first-airplane-ride-manila/ https://www.itravelrox.com/2016/04/26/how-a-painful-and-traumatic-health-threat-forced-me-to-travel-more/ There was something wrong with my body. My right breast to be exact so I went to see a doctor for a check-up and recommended seeing a specialist. The breast surgeon told me to undergo a biopsy as soon as possible – the breast lump removal. In my mind, I was too young for this, and I got paranoid when the surgeon told me it will lead to cancer if not removed right away. I was in the middle of my surgery when the anesthesia lost its effect. That was when the female doctor was cutting a blood vein on my right breast. I cried that I was in pain and she told me that she injected enough anesthesia into me. The feeling was horrible, and I felt like I was going to die. The sense of dying sounds exaggerating but who wants to feel pain while under surgery? She injected another bottle of anesthesia into my breast area, and I got overdosed. For me, it was torture. I wasn’t able to work for how many days, and the throbbing pain made me crazy and wasn’t able to sleep from crying. I’ve never been hospitalized before that. I promised myself that if this pain subsides, I will travel more for my recovery. You only live once so I should enjoy my life. I am thankful to the stranger who paid for my surgery. https://www.itravelrox.com/2016/05/16/a-stranger-paid-for-my-surgery-to-pursue-my-love-of-travel-to-hong-kong/ Travel Made Me a Spontaneous Person After a few weeks after my surgery, I got a tempting invitation for a one-way ticket to Palawan. I grabbed the opportunity as I badly needed to recover somewhere. I had no idea how many days should I be there but several things happened in Palawan. A little romance was part of it with a traveler I just met there, but I told myself not to fall as it was temporary. I learned to go with the flow and not expect anything as I was during my recovery period. I don’t want another heartbreak. Also, thanks to my friend for that one-way ticket. Travel Made Me Value More of my Health I have experienced several stressful events in my life. First, a six-year relationship ended in 2013. Second, the surgery happened in 2014. Third, the unexpected death of my father in 2015 while I was on my first ever five-country solo trip. I started working at home in 2009 and became the breadwinner in the family. Being an emotional person, I easily get distracted by negative feelings around me, and it affects my whole being – my health and sanity. I am thankful that my clients were understanding of my situations in the past as I am always honest if there is something wrong with me at the moment. https://www.itravelrox.com/2016/08/07/how-prepared-solo-travel-5-countries-2015/ Travel Made Me an Adventurous Person After my surgery, I was told not to carry heavy stuff for me to recover. I should never do any strenuous activities as I need to be careful. I bought a 32-liter backpack for that backpacking experience. What happened was I dared myself to do things I’d never done before. From cliff jumping to scuba diving to crazy rollercoaster rides to surfing, and possibly crazy experiences, I will try in the future. https://www.itravelrox.com/2015/08/23/the-canyoneering-adventure-in-alegria-to-badian-in-cebu-philippines/ https://www.itravelrox.com/tag/scuba-diving/ https://www.itravelrox.com/2016/07/14/my-first-ever-10-roller-coaster-ride-experiences-in-japan/ https://www.itravelrox.com/tag/surfing/ I never associated myself with the word adventure as I was a home buddy and only do touristy stuff when I travel out of the country. Then I realized, I should do off-the-beaten-path adventures. Thanks to all my friends who always invite me to try something new. You awaken the spirit animal in me. Travel Made Me Independent With all my solo trips, I experienced being stranded in Moalboal and Malapascua island for lack of money. I was left behind by a bus and an airplane when I was in Japan. Got an unexpected flight to Hong Kong just because Tokyo to Cebu flight was expensive. These travel mishaps lead me to rely on myself and of course, experiment with real-life strategies to survive. Others would say, if all those travel mishaps happened to them, for sure they would cry, but I was able to manage and laugh about it. Somehow, additional good stories to tell. I am thankful for the strangers who have helped me when I was stranded even though I wasn’t able to get their names and the others who became my friends and still keeping in touch with them. All I can say is, don’t be afraid to ask for help from strangers. https://www.itravelrox.com/2016/10/31/moalboal-beach-resort-secluded-yet-lovely-stay/ https://www.itravelrox.com/2015/03/06/how-to-travel-to-malapascua-island-from-cebu-city-plus-kalanggaman-island-trip/ https://www.itravelrox.com/tag/japan/ Travel Made Me a Resilient Person Problems are never-ending as I still have a personal problem I am experiencing now, but I have no choice but to move away to save my health and sanity. I just need to break off the cycle of emotional stress, emotional abuse, or the threat of getting hurt which I’ve been experiencing from several years ago until a few months ago. I’ve experienced being anxious, having nightmares, and having sleepless nights; thus, I wasn’t able to work on my tasks as well. I am so sorry to my family, especially my mom. It’s not your fault, but I hope you understand. I have stated my reasons already. If I’m a person who is easily carried away with my problems in life, for sure, it will lead me to suicide. But I chose to be strong. I am currently in Taipei to learn meditation while enjoying the spring season here with hiking and biking. Somehow, I am able to get a good sleep and currently working in a cafe to catch up on some online work. Originally published at How Travel Changed My Life? https://www.itravelrox.com/2017/04/07/how-travel-changed-my-life/

@itravelRox 17 April 2022

I Wrote 29 Articles in 15 Days here on Read Cash I'm back after two days of rest. I was sick and yesterday, I cleaned the house. My last published article was 2 days ago but I don't have any draft articles after that. Well, I decided to write this. Two days ago was the 15th day and I want to know how many articles I've written for the month of April. And in just 15 days, I wrote 29 articles. Awesome! Congratulations! I need to congratulate myself! It is an achievement. I know, I know, other writers earn more than $5 articles a day but not me. So, I need to grind to beat the March earnings. In 15 days, I earned $70. It was $40 for the first 7 days and $30 from the 8th to the 15th day. Read the first 14 articles here: **First 7 days of experiment and productivity** https://read.cash/@itravelRox/first-7-days-of-experiment-and-productivitiy-2f1e9d4f Here are the rest of the 29 articles: **#15** **I miss getting lost in a new city** https://read.cash/@itravelRox/i-miss-getting-lost-in-a-new-city-507fb7d6 **#16** **First 7 days of experiment and productivity** https://read.cash/@itravelRox/first-7-days-of-experiment-and-productivitiy-2f1e9d4f **#17** **I miss exploring places on my own** https://read.cash/@itravelRox/i-miss-exploring-places-on-my-own-16137d96 **#18** **It's a lazy day, Saturday** https://read.cash/@itravelRox/its-a-lazy-day-saturday-625e244b **#19** **I miss the smell of the airport** https://read.cash/@itravelRox/i-miss-the-smell-of-the-airport-c90040be **#20** **I start a Zumba Sunday** https://read.cash/@itravelRox/i-start-a-zumba-sunday-77942bd3 **#21** **The story of my lost baggage from Taiwan to Cebu** https://read.cash/@itravelRox/the-story-of-my-lost-baggage-from-taiwan-to-cebu-9ff1071b **#22** **Cooking pork adobo on a Sunday** https://read.cash/@itravelRox/cooking-pork-adobo-on-a-sunday-8088f57e **#23** **I miss eating Puto Maya, Ripe Mangoes, Drinking Sikwate and Buko Juice** https://read.cash/@itravelRox/i-miss-eating-puto-maya-ripe-mangoes-drinking-sikwate-and-buko-juice-afe94a53 **#24** **Springtime season: The Cherry Blossoms in Taiwan** https://read.cash/@itravelRox/springtime-season-the-cherry-blossoms-in-taiwan-17f1f351 **#25** **Family day out - Asian restaurant and to the beach** https://read.cash/@itravelRox/family-day-out-asian-restaurant-and-to-the-beach-05a95eab **#26** **I decide to slow down this week** https://read.cash/@itravelRox/i-decide-to-slow-down-this-week-950d5a5b **#27** **Partying at Khao San Road in Bangkok, Thailand** https://read.cash/@itravelRox/partying-at-khao-san-road-in-bangkok-thailand-5a62394a **#28** **We passed by a rapeseed field here in France** https://read.cash/@itravelRox/we-passed-by-a-rapeseed-field-here-in-france-499d8862 **#29** **Is there an improvement with the Philippines Internet Connection?** https://read.cash/@itravelRox/is-there-an-improvement-with-the-philippines-internet-connection-25dbfa7b How much BCH do I have now? I have 0.7 BCH and I am almost near to getting my first 1BCH. That is my ultimate goal that's why I've been grinding and writing two articles a day, as long as I am not busy. Missing two days is such a regret but we have visitors coming. So, I am glad that I was quick to write articles before we are getting busy. Can I still write 2 articles for the rest of the month? I cannot promise. Since it is springtime, we are expecting good days ahead so we might get out of the house and enjoy the sun. We are still thinking about what activities can we do for this season. Can I achieve my first $100 earnings this month? As much as I want to but I think I can't. Unless I write two articles and publish them right away in a day, I think it's possible. But for now, let's see. I am happy with $70 but I think I can earn another $10 next week. You are wondering why am I still sick Well, I think I am having allergies because of the pollen grains. It's springtime so pollens are everywhere. A few days ago, I started my Zumba and my body is in pain. Hahaha! Elise is also teething so the nipple biting is making me sick.

@itravelRox 15 April 2022

I just collected my 7th batch of $10 worth of BCH for this month. That means, I earned $70 in 15 days. And I can't write articles today as I need to clean the house and do several home chores.

@itravelRox 15 April 2022

Is there an improvement with the Philippines Internet Connection? I've written this blog post in 2017. And I've been ranting about the Philippines' internet connection since 2016. Many times I've been upgrading my telephone bundle internet connection just to get a good surfing experience. I've wasted money. One time, a client bought me an LTE wired connection worth 10,000 Pesos. Philippines Internet Connection is Hopeless As much as I want to travel around the Philippines with my laptop, the only frustration that I have is the internet connection. Both Globe and Smart suck. The reason I prefer traveling to other countries is I can find a place with a faster internet connection. After 5 months of being away from home which I spent my 2 months in Taiwan, I have the best time in the said country full of dumplings and bubble milk tea. https://www.itravelrox.com/2017/06/13/living-independently-moving-out-living-on-your-own/ ***Today's comment: Yes, I've been to many countries. The more I am on Facebook, the more I can read people ranting about the internet connection. From 2017 to 2021, all sentiments are the same.*** Read the article: **Why it is so difficult to find a job in the Philippines?** https://read.cash/@itravelRox/why-it-is-so-difficult-to-find-a-job-in-the-philippines-36b8930b The Philippines is an Expensive Country This is my point of view as a local as I am also traveling in and out. Traveling around is expensive from bus rides to ferry rides and is very inconvenient. Unless you are for adventure and don’t mind work then go for it. But I know several people who travel on the weekends so it’s not a problem for them. I prefer long-term travel. ***Today's comment: When my husband and I were in Palawan in 2019, he told me that everything is so expensive in the Philippines. He told me that Phuket, Thailand is way cheaper. From groceries to motorbike rentals, from a long-term room or house rental to transportation in getting around Thailand.*** Read the article: **Why Thailand is the best place for Digital Nomad?** https://read.cash/@itravelRox/why-thailand-is-the-best-place-for-digital-nomads-78849307#comment-413ca5dc Globe and Smart Give You 800 MB to 1 GB Limit Per Day of Internet Usage As of this writing, I registered my SuperSurf subscription at 8 AM. At 12:44 PM, I received a text message that my data usage has been high so they need to slow down my connection. I am just updating this blog and checking other travel blogs for inspiration. I decided to register another surfing promo which is the GoSurf. ***Today's comment: Based on my experience in Myanmar, Thailand, and Bali (Indonesia), buying a sim card upon arrival is worth the price. I never experienced buying data per GB every now and then. When your apartment or guesthouse has wifi, they actually have a better connection compared to the Philippines.*** LTE Mobile Wi-Fi is for Facebook and Instagram Use Only I found out that I can only use my mobile Wi-Fi for apps such as Facebook, Instagram, and other messaging apps. But I had trouble browsing different websites as it automatically slows down. When I was in Taiwan, I rented iVideo pocket Wi-Fi there and I had no problem as I was able to work on my laptop with a decent internet connection. http://www.ivideo.com.tw/english/ ***Today's comment: Oh, to be honest. I paid 3,000 Pesos for a 30 GB in Palawan with SMART LTE. The mobile connection in the Philippines makes you poorer.*** I Can’t-Do Facebook Live and Instagram Stories With this slowpoke mobile wi-fi connection that I have, I won’t dare myself to do Facebook live videos as it is a waste of time and data. I only did my first live video in Taiwan during a hike to the waterfall and hot spring. ***Today's comment: I won't waste my data in the Philippines using FB and IG live unless I have so much money.*** Broadband Internet Connection is Expensive Before traveling, I’ve been working at home and I even lost a $6 per hour job because I had a hard time uploading high-quality photos. The client was disappointed and he thought I was wasting my time not doing anything. I was connected with Globe Broadband. Decided to cut off the internet connection and switched on to mobile Wi-Fi then it is still the same. I returned to Globe Broadband with a new number but still the same. I’m trapped. I decided to travel. LTE Smart Was Awesome and then Boo! I switched to LTE Smart Prepaid Wi-Fi as they were proud of its LTE connection in Cebu. One time, I experienced an upload/download speed of 20 Mbps. I even blogged about it in my previous blog. When 2014 ended, it became slowpoke. I cannot even stream videos anymore. The Reason Why Filipinos Prefer Working Abroad Admit it but it’s true Filipinos prefer working abroad. To be honest, I attempted to work abroad even though it was not related to my current work. I’ll take a cleaning job if it has good pay. Some People Suggested I Should Use a Co-Working Space What is the purpose of the term ***location independent*** if I spent my commute time to go the city just to use the co-working space? I’d rather spend my commute time to travel in different places and use other free time to explore. In Taiwan, I was able to work in a school library or in a cafe either using their wi-fi or my iVideo pocket wifi. It was easy to get around in Taipei with a bike so the transportation was not a problem. http://www.ivideo.com.tw/english/ https://www.itravelrox.com/2016/11/15/4-days-3-nights-taipei-taiwan-less-us-200/ A Call-Out to Globe and Smart/PLDT News is written by Forbes – How The Philippines Got Asia’s Worst Internet Service. This has been my dilemma for several years. One of the reasons why the Philippines is not a progressive country as it is not helping fellow Filipinos to earn money in their own country. That’s why Filipinos have to leave and find jobs in other countries because income is better there. https://www.forbes.com/sites/ralphjennings/2016/02/23/meet-asias-internet-laggard-the-philippines/#67d82eec3df7 Originally published at **How Can You Be a Digital Nomad in the Philippines when LTE sucks?** https://www.itravelrox.com/2017/07/01/how-can-you-be-a-digital-nomad-if-the-philippines-lte-mobile-wi-fi-sucks/

@itravelRox 15 April 2022

Thanks @iamashrone for the sponsorship renewal. Have a blessed week! Thanks everyone for the support. :) Love you all!

@itravelRox 14 April 2022

I decide to slow down this week First of all, I am happy that I collected the 6th batch worth $10 here on read.cash. That means I have collected $20 since day 8th of this month. But the difference is, I just earned more during the first week which I gained $40. Also, that means my first 7 days of April were very productive. Read the article: **First 7 days of experiment and productivity** https://read.cash/@itravelRox/first-7-days-of-experiment-and-productivitiy-2f1e9d4f My father-in-law will arrive this Sunday and a family friend will arrive as well on the next day. So, I am not sure if I can be as productive as the first 7 days of April. I am not sure if I have the time to write two articles a day or if I can publish one article a day. Everything is not so sure for the rest of April but I am happy to say that in the first two weeks of April, I have beaten my earnings of March letting me earn $50 with 29 articles. Read the article: **My March Articles and Earnings** https://read.cash/@itravelRox/my-march-articles-and-earnings-89763212 Since it is springtime, it is expected that my family and I will get out of the house a lot. That is a good thing as we've been hibernating during the cold months. Read the article: **Springtime season: The Cherry Blossoms in Taiwan** https://read.cash/@itravelRox/springtime-season-the-cherry-blossoms-in-taiwan-a648e40a We started getting busy last Monday since Elise had to see a doctor for a check-up. Most of the time, we go to the beach. Read the article: **Family day out - Asian restaurant and to the beach** https://read.cash/@itravelRox/family-day-out-asian-restaurant-and-to-the-beach-05a95eab I have so many things to write and I have created some titles already for the next article. I just need time to concentrate. The best time for me to write an article is when I am alone. When everyone is sleeping. When no one disturbs me. My ideas are free-flowing. I don't want to expect too much from myself. I also don't want to disappoint myself. But I am happy with my earnings for April as early as two weeks. This will be a great motivation for me and for the next month. And hey, I just started my Zumba routine and my whole body is actually in pain. I hope I can do this every day even though there are guests coming. I also want Alexandre to join me in dancing so that he can release his childhood energy. Also, my husband promised that if we are feeling better, we might go to the waterpark to go swimming. We badly need full-body exercise and swimming is the best exercise for us. My husband and I love to swim since we met in Phuket. It was our everyday routine in a tropical country. Read the articles: **What are your zodiac signs as a couple and how compatible are you? Par...** https://read.cash/@itravelRox/what-are-your-zodiac-signs-as-a-couple-and-how-compatible-are-you-part-1-528510cc **Couple zodiac signs and compatibility part 2** https://read.cash/@itravelRox/couple-zodiac-signs-and-compatibility-part-2-9144e562

@itravelRox 13 April 2022

Family day out - Asian restaurant and to the beach Last Monday, we woke up at 10.30 AM because Elise had an appointment at 12 NN with a doctor for her check-up. I went straight to the bathroom and washed my face using the skincare products I bought a month ago. It becomes a habit for me to have this daily routine. I quickly changed clothes. Read the article: **I got my 52 euro skincare products** https://read.cash/@itravelRox/i-got-my-52-euro-skin-care-products-7005bd77 I washed Elise and changed her clothes. My husband did Alexandre and got him new clothes. Then I prepared the baby bags with clothes and diapers for both of them. I also prepared my bag and brought some essentials for me. My phone is fully charged. For 30 minutes, we went to another town in Bourbriac, where the doctor is. We arrived at the right time. Good thing, Elise was perfectly fine. Her height and her weight are good. Asiatique Buffet Restaurant After the baby girl's check-up, my husband promised to bring me to an eat-all-you-can Chinese restaurant. This is in Saint Brieuc at Wafu Restaurant. I never took a lot of photos inside the restaurant. We arrive at about 1 PM and they close at 2.30 PM. I ate a lot of sushi though. The cost of the buffet is 13.50 Euro per person. Here's a plate of my sushi. I even took a second plate. Here is Alexandre's busy drinking water. Elise was sleeping while I took photos of her and Fred was busy taking photos of me eating. After taking a plate of fried nem and fried meat crabs, I decided not to take photos anymore because we were all hungry. For desserts, there was unlimited ice cream. Passed by a cherry blossom tree The last time I saw a cherry blossom tree was in Taiwan. I'm glad to see it again here in France. It was along the street and took some quick photos. Read article: https://read.cash/@itravelRox/springtime-season-the-cherry-blossoms-in-taiwan-a648e40a Passed by a rapeseed field It was amazing to see a field of yellow flowers and it is called the rapeseed flower. In 2021, I've seen this in the field but never got the chance to have photos with it. I was lucky to get out of the car and asked my husband to take photos of me here. It was very quick as we were headed to our next destination. The main goal is to go to the beach Since it was good weather last Monday, Fred told me that we need to go to the beach. We brought some towels so that we could sleep on the beach and brought beach toys as well. Here is Alexandre playing independently with his toys. He also played with other kids and even approach them to play with him. He seldom sees other kids that's why he got excited when there are other kids around. Here is Elise enjoying the green ball. She's very concentrated holding the ball. We stayed for an hour as it was getting cold. The sun was going down. We went back to our car and prepared ourselves to go home. The kids and I fell asleep inside the car. When we arrived home, I washed the kids and put on new clothes. Then I decided to clean the room because Alexandre messed the bed and the floor with bread. Well, I want to write a separate blog about the rapeseed field. :)

+4 more

@itravelRox 13 April 2022

Springtime season: The Cherry Blossoms in Taiwan Now that it's springtime season, I just want to feature the cherry blossoms here on the read.cash blog. Cherry blossoms are commonly known as **sakura** in Japan. It was so familiar that Japanese anime uses a lot of settings and modes with sakura flowers. If you're familiar with Cardcaptor Sakura, the anime, her name is Sakura. It can be a cute name for your baby girl if you're into Japanese names. I've mentioned in my previous blogs that I've been to Taiwan in November and December 2016, 4 days and 5 days each trip. Taiwan is my second favorite country next to Japan. Since Japan is expensive, Taiwan is cheaper and it became my Japan alternative. On my third trip to Taiwan, in April 2017, I stayed for 25 days. That's for another story. Thankful that I extended my trip as I was able to see cherry blossoms or sakura for real. I haven't seen any sakura in Japan as I went there after springtime and during the autumn season. It is also expensive to fly to Japan during springtime. I was fortunate to have a cheap flight to Taiwan, for real. Supposedly, I should stay in Taiwan for 7 days, but I intentionally missed my flight. Hahaha! Then my friend told me that there are cherry blossoms around but not in the city. So I searched for the best cherry blossom viewing in Taiwan. I found out that it's at Yangmingshan National Park. I searched for how to go there. This was written on my travel blog at Taiwan Cherry Blossoms at Yangmingshan National Park 2017 https://www.itravelrox.com/2018/01/04/taiwan-cherry-blossoms-at-yangmingshan-national-park-2017/ *How to get to Yangmingshan National Park?* *From Taipei Main Station, I took the Taipei Metro straight to Beitou MRT station using the red line.* *From the Beitou MRT station exit, you can take the* ***S9 bus*** *to Yangming Park, Yangmingshan bus stop, Headquarters Visitor Center, Yangmingshuwu, and Zhuzihu.* *or from the Beitou MRT station exit, you can take the* ***S230 bus*** *to the Yangmingshan bus stop.* I enjoyed the train ride and bus ride. I was alone. It was calming. I brought a jacket with me when it gets cold. I also brought food and water with me and you can have a little picnic by yourself. I arrived at Yangmingshan Park and I felt so giddy seeing a cherry blossom tree from afar. At the first tree that I saw, I cannot have a close-up view of the flowers. So I walked more upstairs to see what the park has to offer. The more that I walked, I saw the best cherry blossom spot. Here's a video on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/BSfuFA9hkeF/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link I saw a wall that I can climb and I can seat on. So, I stayed in this area. It was just me alone. I enjoyed the cherry blossom all by myself. I spent there about more than an hour. I even did some FB live because I had a pocket wi-fi with me. Later on, a couple saw me where I am at and decided to take photos and videos. Deymn, I lost my privacy. Hahaha! But I was imagining that someday, I could have photos with a boyfriend. Actually, this is a nice place to have a couple photography or engagement photos. Here's a YouTube video: https://youtu.be/dFF8xE6kp1s Originally published at **Taiwan Cherry Blossoms at Yangmingshan National Park 2017** https://www.itravelrox.com/2018/01/04/taiwan-cherry-blossoms-at-yangmingshan-national-park-2017/

@itravelRox 12 April 2022

Before I can move on to write a new article, let me just have a Zumba to wiggle those extra fats I gained from an eat all you can Chinese restaurant here in France. Hahaha!