7 Years of Blogging - From Journeys To Island

Today this blog turns "Seven". Lucky Seven if I may add because I never thought that this blog will last this long. I mean, back in the infancy stage of this blog, there were only few photo-travel bloggers around that having a travel-blog back then was already an accomplishment by itself.

But now, everyone who has a camera (even on a phone) and has gone to a couple of places outside Manila who blogs about his experience on-line is already a photo-travel blogger. Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining, more definitely is merrier and it up to us (old bloggers ugh) to keep pace and try to improve the contents of our blog.

I said I never thought this blog will last this long because it is hard maintaining a travel blog while keeping a full-time lawyering job. But since traveling and photography are passions, I will always find a way to sneak them in my schedule and try my best to share even half of them thru pictures and stories on-line.

Seven. Jaworski's number. (Yes, I was once a die-hard Ginebra fan in the 90s). It is also considered one of the luckiest number - seventh heaven, seven wonders, seven seas, seven chakras to name a few. It is trivial number too with the themes of the games revolving around it. And speaking of trivia coupled with other random things, here are seven trivial things I want to share with you:

1. We are SEVEN in the family. My parents, three boys and two girls.

2. I was born in the SEVENtees.

3. I took my oath as a lawyer in Year Two Thousand SEVEN (2007).

4. My family name has SEVEN letters.

5. My height is Five Foot SEVEN Inches and my weight is SEVENty-two kilos.

6. The region where I came from (Central Luzon) has SEVEN provinces.

7. I never took kindergarten or preparatory classes as a kid. I enrolled straight to Grade 1 in Elemetary School and I was SEVEN years old back then.

Now, on to wish lists and favorites:

1. 7 Favorite Male Travel Bloggers - Ferdz, Dong Ho, Oggie, Allan, Erick, Ron Cruz and Edcel.

2. 7 Favorite Female Travel Bloggers - Chyng, Gay, Gael, Monette, Doi, Sheng and Mica.

3. 7 Favorite Places I Have Been To - Calaguas, Port Barton, Adams, Bantayan Island, Boracay, Lake Sebu and Basilan.

4. 7 Places on My Bucket List - Batanes, Siargao, Guimaras, Coron, Sorsogon, Tawi-tawi and Biri Island. 5. 7 Things I lost on a trip - DSLR, Iphone, Nokia Cellphone, Wide Angle Lens, Prime Lens, 70-300 Lens, Lonely Planet Book.

6. 7 Traveling Dreams - to climb Mount Everest, to see the pyramids of Egypt, to surf in Hawaii, to roam around New York, to stay in African Safari, to witness Brazil's Mardi Gras, to get lost in an old Japanese village.

7. 7 valuable lessons I learned from traveling - (a) respect differences, (b) smile but learn to say no, (c) flexibility, things may not go according to plan , (d) immerse in their culture, (e) bring money and basic essentials, (f) research, research and more research (g) leave a favorable impression.

And finally, there is no better way to celebrate this blog's 7th year than indulging in lunch buffet at SEVEN Corners in Crowne Plaza:

Believe me, I tried to down seven plates of sumptuous meals but I can no longer go on after the fourth plate with a well-done beef steak, pan-fried hungarian sausage and mashed potato on it. 7 Corners offers different international cuisine but their steak is the star of the feast. It is located in Ortigas just beside Robinson's Mall and a walking distance from Galleria Corporate Center where I work.

Finally, let me thank everyone who has visited this blog in the last seven years and may you continue visiting and reading this blog for seven more years... and another seven years after that.

Ciao everyone and I think I'll pass seven 7-11 stores on my way home for good measure haha :)