Blog - Page 70 of 94 - ––Jona of Backpacking with a Book

May 1, 2016

West New Guinean Liberation Monument, Jakarta

Why We Chose Jakarta as Our Entry Point

I come from a country that prides itself for having more than 7 107 islands, which has now increased to 7 407 after a mapping agency discovered four hundred islands more. It has been my quest to visit all 81 provinces in the Philippines before traveling abroad; but it was a tough task to comply, especially I preferred staying in one place longer to have a glimpse of how locals live. As of now, it is the extreme, the northernmost and southernmost parts of the Philippines that deem themselves elusive. BACKPACKING MALAYSIA | A week-long trip around Malaysia | Budget […]

May 6, 2016

MONEY TALK | Can You Really Save by Cooking for Yourself?

Some people at work were somewhat surprised to learn that I do not only do something domestic but I actually love doing them; say handwashing clothes (no, it is not a primitive way, just a matter of preference), interior designing my little place, and cooking. Once you start wearing the label feminist (or an independent woman who loves traveling), for some, it is like an instant dismissal of anything domestic. Truth be told, I hate the laborious and boring dish-washing. But most domestic responsibilities are rather meditative and creative, something I need when writing becomes toxic. I need something that […]

May 7, 2016

KAI: How Is It to Wear Your Passion?

For years, I have been planning to come up with my own clothing brand that echoes my varied albeit related passions in life: coffee, writing, reading, cats, gardening, and traveling. Recent travel news affirms that traveling and cats can actually go together. I gushed out about t-shirts with quotes from geniuses like Virginia Woolf, Oliver Sacks, Orhan Pamuk, JM Coetzee, Toni Morrison, Albert Einstein, Stephen Hawking, what-have-you in the world of sciences and arts. Of course, nobody would buy these t-shirts, okay maybe a select few of whimsical humans. But a shirt on coffee, cats, and traveling, a good number […]

May 8, 2016

Virginia Beach: Where the Ocean Is Your Soundtrack

Virginia Beach is the place where Chesapeake Bay greets and kisses the Atlantic Ocean. It is the city that makes you believe you live an island life: slow and stress-free. You get up in the morning with the ocean breeze breathing life into your being. A life by the coast is a fool-proof remedy to having a balance in everything. Start your accommodation search with these five boutique hotels among the affordable hotels in Virginia Beach. Photo by Mary Pat Collins via trover.com La Quinta Inn & Suites Virginia Beach: For Ocean Seekers and Business Travelers