Sharing all things about pet-friendly travels and full-time work from home setup

My Next Travel Assignment This July Is In Tuguegarao, Cagayan Valley


If you are given a chance to go around the country for free, would you still think twice? I just blogged about my 4th travel assignment in Dipolog, Zamboanga del Norte just a week ago and here I am almost torn from choosing my next destination.  To my dear readers who have been following my blog, this travel assignment for your information is a secret reviewing task. I have no right to tell even a bit of it because it is totally confidential. All I can say is that this trip is half - work and half - vacation. I get to have a free trip and able to enjoy the best of the place at the same time I am a "spy" hiding as a customer  to evaluate the performance of a certain company's workers and its operations.  This project also eats a substantial amount of time because I have to prepare a total of eight reports and make sure those are valid so this mystery travelling thing is not a joke.

Usually there are options of places around the Philippines I need to choose. For this July, I am so overwhelmed by this once in a lifetime opportunity so I asked my Facebook friends.  



Guess what? As much as I appreciate their inputs, it made my decision literally more difficult because of so many tempting places and things to do all over our country! I just realized that the more I go around the Philippines the less I have been. What I meant is there's too much in our country to explore and I am definitely grabbing this opportunity by all means!

This time I picked Tuguegarao, this is a province in Luzon that I have no idea what it is all about.  As much as possible I want my travel assignments to go on the most exotic and far flung place in the Philippines. Somewhere that the culture is very much different from the usual stuff I find in Manila. That is why the rest of my travel assignments are in Mindanao, which used to be the least that I have visited in the three groups of islands that Philippines is made of.  If you are gonna look at the map of the Philippines, it is like I am coming from down south  to way up north of the country, how cool is that?

So there you go, I am apologizing for not updating you guys a blog post. But do check out once in a week I promise to blog my heart out again. 

In my other travel-related news, here are a roundup of what's going on:

1. Glad that I have finally bought a smartphone. I have to give up a few of my trips in favor of this as I need to be connected at all times online.  I will be blogging about a product review of my new travel smartphone Cherry Mobile Cubix soon. The reason why I had to choose a camera that is into taking pictures is because I take a lot of photos whenever I travel and join blogging events so I cannot think of any brand that is affordable as this according to my budget and own specifications.


2.  Excited to feature more of The Inspiring Traveler  series and just started the ball rolling.  I just love reading stories of random people I meet. Being a blogger and traveler has given a massive opportunity of me knowing a lot of strangers from all walks of life. I tell you, from a  street vendor whom I always ask directions , to a prostitute whom I shared a drink in a random bar sharing how she ended there and almost asking me to accompany her then pay me a small fee to entertain guests, to a number of families who welcomed me in their homes and of course meeting a number of interesting men along the road, I thank them all for coming into my life because of the lessons, inspirations and heartaches I acquired.

This is quite a challenge of inviting as I find some are reluctant to share their travel story for some reasons. I just couldn't understand what is stopping them to shout to the world of a passion they are into? Anyway I respect their decision and at the same time I am just equally happy that whenever one says 'No' another says ''Yes'.

3.  I have so much to blog about but so little time.
I can talk for hours about what will I blog next just that I have also a full - time job.  But I am risking everything because blogging is all I got. This is the top reason of my own source of happiness and fulfillment. I want to put more content in this blog because it meant more traffic and meant more clicks from ads which in turn pays me.

4.  Last week, I also met up with a digital marketing person of a known online shopping store and really very much taken about the possibility of more affiliate marketing money generating ads. So please do not be surprised if in some of my blog posts I have to put at least one banner ad  inside as this blog really needs to be financially maintained. I pray this won't discourage my dear readers ans still stick around. I want to pursue a location independent lifestyle by working online so I can travel more anytime I want. Earning from blogging is my first step. I dream to be a digital nomad soon.

5. The blogging task is getting bigger each day as more and more opportunities are coming my way, I am desperate of getting another hand to help.   I will tell more about this in another post soon. I have even started 2 blogs to generate more online income so I really need help. Of course no matter what, this blog will always be my first love. I will always update this at least once a week and start a community of people whose lives revolve in travelling. I am getting a lot of collaboration from different brands and event invites so I wish I have a clone!

The rainy season, typhoons coming and news about MERS inflicted persons happened in the country almost make me reluctant to travel but still my love for travelling prevails. That is why my photo above is me sipping a coconut in a one of the most beautiful islands in Caramoan, Bicol during summer of 2014. The beaches there are drop-dead gorgeous. How I wish I can show you the pictures I am sure you will drool over!

As usual, thanks for dropping by!

This is Rona, live blogging again. Took me at least an hour for this to figure out what to write without any written rough draft which I usually do before I post.

8 comments

  1. I have only visited these spots with a friend in Tuguegarao City - Callao Caves, Butun Bridge, and Tuguegarao Cathedral. We stayed at Hotel Joselina, 1k/night. I enjoyed eating caramel halo-halo and pancit batil patung. Hope you'd enjoy the place as much as we did! :)

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    1. Wow! Thanks for the suggestions .I am actually looking to know places I will visit there. Will definitely keep this in mind when i get there :)

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  2. Hi Maria

    Sorry, just me again ! A very interesting, informative and even intriguing blog. Thank you for giving a little explanation of the covert purpose of your assignment to Dipolog last week. I have to say say that I read last week’s blog but was left rather wondering exactly why you went ! But now the reason is clear …

    Anyway, I am glad that you did not add to your impressive collection of childhood bicycle-inflicted scars during your stay there.

    Seems like you are incredibly busy, with your full-time job, your travels / undercover work, and your business-development activities – I don’t know how you manage to fit it all in. So thank you again for taking the time to blog. And good luck with the business opportunities.

    Finally, that’s a nice pic from Bicol, and since you mention your new smartphone I’m looking forward to some new pics from Tuguegarao later in the month. Like most people, I certainly envy your list of potential destinations.

    Cheers,

    Your #1 Fan in London.

    (next time, I will respond to your question about which countries I have visited in SE Asia. It is very late here, so I’m off to sleep now)

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    1. Hey there,

      Thank you more for taking the time to comment and read my blog :)

      Yeah I am a busy bee but you know it is quite hard to have this lifestyle. Sometimes the only rest I have is sleeping. I long for the moments back then that I have a whole day just lying in the couch and read a book with a cup of popcorn in hand. I miss living with my family back home rather than live independently.

      I am actually sick while I write this. I spent the whole day and the last night sleeping because I have used my body way too much. I am hoping to get well soon tomorrow. My online work has piled up but I hope to accomplish this some other time. Joining events and travel make me tired always. I just couldn't stop myself going online because I cannot start and end my day without checking my email and blog.

      Yup now working on my Tuguegarao trip. Sure will look forward about the SE countries you visited.

      Wishin a good night sleep :)

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    2. Just a quick note to say sorry to hear that you are unwell, and best wishes for a speedy recovery. :)

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  3. X

    (Sorry, I hope you don't mind .... Just had a couple of glasses of red wine as a nightcap, so probably should not have done that. But now I have .....

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