Writing has given me solace growing up. Stacks of notebooks that were my journals filled the bedroom that I shared with my sisters.  They guided me, giving sense to the intense feelings I was experiencing at a young age, whilst facing a challenging childhood.   I kept them all in there within the pages of my diaries (most of which I have already discarded) while revealing these struggles only to a few, for fear of being judged, misunderstood before I could truly understand them all myself. 

A friend asked me how I'm able to accomplish my tasks every day working from home.  Of course, I can't speak for everyone. Each one has their own way of getting things done. Besides, my workload now cannot be compared with how it was back in the Middle East.  My old ex-pat self would have scoffed at the present me, "Pfff..what work are you talking about ?"   

I feel life is a tad slower in the Philippines. Stressful as it may seem but a "bahala na" attitude still lingers in the air everywhere I go. It's both good and bad. It depends on how we take it.  I suppose, we spend more time stuck in traffic jams or waiting in a queue for a ride home and I couldn't help thinking, this is actually causing more stress than the actual work in the office. Much as we can complain about it, it is in fact beyond our control until we decide to pack our bags and go somewhere else. 

Hello everyone!

This is a journey that I have started sometime ago.  

The Challenge of Positivity's goal is to practice letting go of Ego, to nurture kindness, to harness gratitude, all of which combined leads to happiness, joy, and peace.  

The whole practice is fueled by love. Love for the self, love for others and love for the Divine and all of His Creation. 

I hope you find it as relaxing as I did. It made me want to go to the nearest beach.

Have a great week everyone!

Love & light,

Arni

I just dropped the family at the airport and was wondering about the non-stop sentimental songs. "Oh! It's Valentine's Day today."  I completely forgot. I thought about my deceased father. Valentine's Day was his birthday. Somehow during the drive, my pensive mind led me to think about fairy tales.  

I don't remember who read fairy tales to me when I was younger. Though Disney had their fair share of interpreting these romantic stories while growing up, I was more drawn by the places and wild adventures that happened in these stories. They made me see what's out there, beyond the world I was accustomed to. The stories of Arabian Nights, for instance made me want to discover the Arabian desert. (Fully unaware that I will be living in the Middle East one day).

I read an article once about how fairy tales and their symbolism reveal a hidden part of ourselves, like dreams.  How the story that most appeal to us can somehow be reflected in our life journey. The story that fascinated me the most when I was a child was-  The Princess and the Pea   by Hans Christian Andersen. I'm sure you've heard of this story. I didn't know whether it was the piles of mattresses on top of each other, but the story had always been with me. Then it struck me.  Decisions I've made in my life was that of someone who had been trying to prove her worth and her identity. 

I'm quoting a passage from an article -Learning About Ourselves Through Fairy Tales: Their Psychological Value  by Meredith B. Mitchell :

"To be attracted to or repelled by a fairy tale indicates that the story contains something that resonates with an unconscious process in the reader or listener, for one cannot be attracted or repelled unless one recognizes something that is personally meaningful. Recognition indicates the possibility of a healing awareness through discovery of processes imaged in the stories."

Le jour de St. Valentine is upon us. Rouge is everywhere. In Travel Gourmande, a romantic getaway would be the most ideal gift. But for those planning a staycation, here are a few ideas for the home.

Do you celebrate Valentine's Day?

What have you planned?

Holiday greetings from the tropical islands! 

 I wish you all a memorable Christmas with family, friends and loved ones. 

XOXO,

Arni

There is so much to be thankful for this year. 

Family, friends, food, shelter, good health, new beginnings and love.

Take a moment, smile, inhaling every good and challenging blessings. 

I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving! 

XOXO,

Arni 

P.S.  I was captivated by the golden silhouette of the trees before sunset during a walk in the woods in La Vendee, France.

When I don't have access to canvas, I paint on my face.  Though nowadays, when I discovered the BB Cream, thanks to Elle Sees,  I use less liquid foundation and more oil-free moisturizer with SPF 20.  Check out her blog for many beauty tips.   Today's post is mostly my travel essentials for a leisurely trip.  I' m starting to narrow down what I have to pack for an upcoming trip.  Much as I would like to carry everything in my organized makeup tray,  I always travel light, so I'd have to break it down to essentials. 

I'm grateful for all the comments you leave everyday. I read through each of these messages and they always make me happy.  I will, however, make some changes henceforth. I hope you do understand if I don't reply to each comments on the comment form. My main reason is that I'm unable to manage it.   I have also realized that my comment replies may not even be seen,  as some may forget to check them back.  Instead, I'll return the visit and leave you a message on your blog or by email.   If you would like to reach me or for questions, please feel free to send me an email  arniderivera@gmail.com.

Thank you for reading Travel Gourmande.

Have a great weekend!

XOXO,

Arni

Such a beautiful day!  I'm heading to the beach today. One of my goals this year is to seize the moment and appreciate the present.  Living in Dubai means a 20-minute drive to the nearest beach.   When was the last time I have been to this one?  I honestly can't remember.   It's such a shame that we have the beach within our reach and we never go.  Well it's never too late.

Catching up with things we love to do this weekend in the middle of errands is just the right amount of dose of love we need,  giving ourselves a pat on the back after a tiring week.  Books + Coffee + Dark Chocolate porridge.    

Getting Lost in a Good Book - To those living in the UAE (Sharjah, Ajman, Dubai),  I've recently discovered  Readers Paradise, a book rental club that delivers book of your choice to your door step.  In this way, you can save money by renting up to 8 books which is equivalent to a price of 1 book. There are also books that you can purchase from them, signed by the authors.  I can't wait to try.

I came across this lovely plant in the mountains.  Still carrying and spreading the Hunger Games fever , I convinced my mother-in-law to read the french version of the series. Now, my husband  is very much glued to it. We spent our days hiking in the forests talking about Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark.   

I find this quote very inspiring to start the week...

via Quote Book

Have a wonderful Sunday!

Wow, that has been a while.  Do you sometimes experience some weird occurrences breaking into a pattern?  Everytime I start an exercise plan, something always happen to me afterwards.  Either I'd sprain an ankle or get really really sick, or suddenly get assigned to a business trip that would prevent me from sticking to it.  Anyway, maybe it's just a mindset I need to reset.   

I seriously asked my doctor when I fell terribly ill last Monday if it was my first run that led me to a really high fever but it wasn't. While I was in bed terribly sick, I'd stare up at the ceiling and think, "Oh, the blog.."   I kept myself completely away from the internet and strictly followed doc's orders after he prescribed a complete bed rest for several days.  In a nutshell,  I'm still recovering and waiting for hopefully some positive news on the results.  For now, I'm keeping the run on hold until I get back to normal. 

I want to share with you inspiring travel images.

source

source

I was inspired by this quiz post from Chuck and Dee from Blogthings.  It was a nice short break from the strenuous last day of the week.  As we say, life is a journey anyway so I was curious to answer this quiz -- How Do You Travel Through Life?

How Do You Travel Through Life?

Blogthings: We Have a Quiz for Almost Everything


What about you?