You're My Favorite Destination | Valentine's Day 2014

Last year, I made Markus a super geeky Valentine's day card about time travel. For this year's card, I wracked my brain for something awesome. I started a few and they were awful. I was about to give up when a burst of inspiration hit me. As you know, Markus and I love to travel and have been to so many amazing places. I have to warn you, I'm about to get a bit mushy and cheesy. So if you cannot handle that sort of thing, just skip on ahead or admire my handiwork.

Markus and I have lived in South Korea. We explored the ruins of Angkor Wat in Cambodia. We walked the streets of Kyoto as a geisha and samurai. We've ridden emaciated horses to the top of Taal, an extinct volcano in the Philippines. We've walked the halls of Pemberley in England. We've traveled to so many places and experienced so many wonderful things together, but when it comes down to it, my favorite place in all the world is wherever Markus is. I know you're all cringing now, but it's the truth. We could be in the crappiest place, which has happened, but it's still worthwhile because Markus is with me. My life is so much better because of him and I can't wait to spend the rest of our years going on adventures and traveling to faraway lands.

Ten Years

As of today, Markus and I have been together for ten years. I'll never forget the first time I saw him. I was 17 years old and I was at PhilFest, an annual festival that celebrates Filipino culture. I was sitting in a friends booth and spent my time people watching. I was looking around and all of a sudden this boy came into view. I don't know if it's my memory or if this really happened, but I swear time slowed. He didn't look like anyone else. All the other Filipino boys tended to look the same and this one, he was special. I could just tell. I remember thinking, "Dang, he's one handsome boy."  Little did I know that moment would change the rest of my life. That moment was only the beginning and the rest of the journey has been the greatest adventure of my life.

So, here's to ten more years of adventure and love. I can't imagine my life without this boy. He's truly the greatest thing that has ever happened to me and I'm so thankful for him!

*Photos taken on our Fifth Wedding Anniversary by my extremely talented best friend, Ashley Sellers. 

How We Met | His Version

This is the story of how Markus and I met, told from his perspective. One day, I will make my own version. I never knew his side of the story. I'm the one that always tells the story, so it was nice to finally hear his side of the story.

I love this boy. He's so amazing. Check out his other vlogs and website! He's so talented and so funny and I'm honestly his biggest fan.

Valentine's Day Card 2013

When I have the time, I like to create personalized cards for every occasion. Markus is the master of personalized cards. He's an illustrator, so his cards are always amazing. One Valentine's Day, he showed our love conquering Londy Town. On my 27th birthday, he illustrated what the world would be like if I "got my way". It was a wonderful world indeed. One of my favorite cards was the Tardis he made for me, it was even more special because there was a video that accompanied it. I always try to be clever with the cards I make for him. I might not be a great artist, but I think I get the job done. 

It should come as no surprise that Markus and I are big geeks. We spend a lot of our date nights at home watching Doctor Who or marathoning 80s movies. It's with this shared passion that I found inspiration for this year's Valentine's Day card. I definitely went for a time traveling theme and showcased three of our favorite things, Doctor Who, Back to the Future and Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure.  

Dear readers, I hope all of you have a wonderful Valentine's Day with your loved ones and remember, "Be excellent to each other!"

A Classy Birthday Celebration

My birthday this year, I have to admit, was a really classy affair. Markus really outdid himself and I'm so thankful for him. As I've gotten older, I've realized that my birthdays have become more and more subdued. This year, Markus and I planned a very low key but exciting day.

The night before, Markus gave me a few presents to open. He created this personalized memo pad. He knows how much I love pandas and that I always say that they're my best friend. I'm also going through a bit of a fox phase, so that's why he drew a gentleman fox balloon. On the back, he drew a persimmon machine. Since moving to Korea, all I can do is eat these things. They are so delicious and have been one of my favorite fruits since I was a kid. I love that Markus always creates these little personalized gifts for me. They mean so much more than purchased gifts.

My other amazing presents were these amazing socks with mustaches, bow ties, top hats and astronauts. He also bought me this beautiful leather purse. I've been dying for a classic brown purse and this one is perfect. It's a beautiful tan color and big enough to fit all of my stuff in.

When I woke up, Markus made a delicious pancake breakfast. Then we went to Seomyeon for a mini-shopping spree. Almost everything I'm wearing in these pictures is a birthday present from Markus. Korea has great fashion and clothes. My closet is literally overflowing with clothes. It's one of the things I'm going to miss the most when we leave.

We both decided that on the day of my birthday we would go to Haedong Yonggungsa or as I affectionately like to call it, the water temple. This was definitely the best temple I've ever seen in Korea, because a lot of the temples tend to look the same. They have the same color scheme and structure, but this temple was breathtaking. It's right on the shoreline and the surrounding areas are just as beautiful. I'm glad that we saved this for my birthday because it was a nice way to stay in Busan but still see something new.

After Yonggungsa, Markus treated me to a yummy dinner at one of the nicest places I've been to in Busan, Taps and Tapas. It's more of a bar/bistro than restaurant and is located in Haeundae. I've been to a lot of bars in Busan, but none of them had the same feeling as Taps and Tapas. It was very stylish and chic. It felt a bit like a bar back home. The decor was really sophisticated and they had a full menu of cocktails and mixed drinks. The food was surprisingly delicious. Usually, when we go to a "western style" restaurant, there are still touches of Korean cuisine. Everything at Taps and Tapas tasted very good, not completely authentic, but still very good. Markus and I are already planning when we can go again.

When we finished dinner, we headed back home and ended the evening with kimbap, Moscato and chocolate cake. It was a long day, but it was a great day. I spent it with the most important person in my life, doing the things I wanted to do and feeling loved and cherished. I couldn't have asked for a better day.

Chatsworth House | Derbyshire, England 3 of 5

The gardens of Chatsworth House were more than I thought possible and just kept going. When you thought you had seen it all, there was more.  After seeing the typical English garden, there was an area of looming trees, rock formations and exotic flowers. It was like an expedition to another part of the world. It's amazing that someone could own such an elegant home, perfect manicured gardens and a vast forested area. The English nobility really live a charmed life. 

It's like having my own Mr. Darcy. Maybe, I live a charmed life as well. 

Chatsworth House 1 of 5, Chatsworth House 2 of 5

Chatsworth House | Derbyshire, England 1 of 5

If you know me, you know that I'm a huge fan of Pride and Prejudice. It's one of my favorite novels. I love almost every adaptation of the story. I've seen them all, even Bride and Prejudice, which is a gem by the way. You can't go wrong with a Bollywood version of my beloved P&P. 

My favorite version of Pride and Prejudice is Joe Wright's 2005 version starring Kiera Knightly and Matthew Mcfadyen. The BBC adaptation with Colin Firth is amazing, but Wright's version has the best cinematography. Sometimes, I re-watch this version just to look at all the pretty landscapes and beautiful estates. 

When we were preparing for our trip to England, I wanted to visit some of the iconic places from the movie. Many of them were out of the way and impossible to get to without a car. The one I wanted to see the most was Chatsworth House. In the film it's Pemberley, Mr. Darcy's home. Ever since I read the novel as a young girl, I've always dreamed of walking the halls of Pemberley. 

This year, we made that dream come true. On our seventh wedding anniversary, Markus and I visited Chatsworth House and it was everything I thought it would be. That day, I felt just like Elizabeth Bennet. I walked the halls of a beautiful home with my own, Mr. Darcy.

Chatsworth House 2 of 5, Chatsworth House 3 of 5

Wedding Anniversary Photo Shoot

This past August, Markus and I have been married for seven wonderful and glorious years. We've been fortunate to have done a few photo shoots before, but we've never actually had one in Korea. We were able to book a shoot with Aaron and Jill. They're a newly married couple that will be moving back home to the states soon. They're hoping to start a photography business and needed a few guinea pigs. Markus and I were quick to oblige. I think the photos came out quite well and I'm so thankful to Aaron and Jill for helping us commemorate such a special occasion.