What's up, guys?! I'm finally back from a month-long pseudo-hiatus! Joke's on me when I realized how fast the days of April went by. It's bizarre to think that just a little over a month ago, Roan was on his way to Manila for a 12-day holiday to help me do all of the things necessary in relation to the Big Move, and now I'm simply enjoying the San Diegan weather as I write this post.
LAST MONTH'S GOAL IN RETROSPECT
I only have a few particular goals for last month that I was sort of lucky to have accomplished altogether. I did get to spend the most of my remaining days in Manila with family and some friends, which turned out to be really helpful. Roan and I made sure that we didn't go out on our own as often as we used to, and just simply devoted our time at home.
We had a quick dinner date with three of my college girlfriends the night after Roan arrived in Manila, and it's kind of bittersweet to think that it'll probably take several years before we could do something like that again now that most of us have moved somewhere else. A final lunch celebration with close family and former colleagues was made possible over a mouthful of seafood dishes and KTV.
On top of a major separation anxiety on the day of our departure was dealing with stressful airport mishaps such as excess baggage and the airport's antiquated system. In the end, we managed to pack all of my and some of Roan's belongings into three large suitcases, a carry-on luggage, and a large travel box. Just when we're about to check our stuff in, we learned that we're a little over 10 kilograms over our allowed baggage weight.
In effect, we had to balance the weight from one case to another by literally opening them up and transferring stuff just so the airlines will only charge us for one excess baggage.Just when we thought that settled everything, we waited for an hour at the check-in counter for an official receipt that was never created. As it turns out, a credit card transaction was unavailable at the time and so did the nearest ATM. The very apologetic ground flight attendant had to escort Roan to the arrival area in order to get cash for payment instead. All that left us with only 40 minutes to grab some siopao for lunch before we boarded the plane.
Stay tuned for more of our (mis)adventures in my future posts! Meanwhile, allow me to thank all of my blogger friends who contributed their work and took over SCATTERBRAIN for the entire month of April. I owe you, guys, big time!
WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
From Across the Web: Vol. 7 by Chester / 5 Books for Your Inner Traveler by Mia / Finding New Inspiration Offline by Valerie / When in Luxembourg by V / How to Shop Like a Big Girl by Jan / Alaska: Myths and Misconceptions by Mar / Exploring San Francisco by Josine
May Goals
Get a driver's license. Would you believe that Roan made me download the California Driver Handbook only a few days since I set foot in America? I didn't start with the document until last Monday, and it reminded me of how much I hated reading from a PDF file.
Anyway, Roan believes that I could ace the exam, but it's also important to get a grip of the law, which is strictly implemented in the whole of United States. Once I finish the handbook, I'll have my test scheduled at DMV.
Familiarize with the neighborhood. Of course, before I can even drive on the freeway or interstate, I need to get around the neighborhood without having to use a GPS or Google Maps. Right now, I'm only familiar with the names, but even so, you can't make me identify the roads yet.
Apply for a bank account. We did try doing this earlier on, but we were advised that we needed two identification cards and at least one of them should have my current home address. (I put securing a driver's license on top of my list for a good reason.) It still makes me uncomfortable that Roan spends for all the things I've been needing since I arrived. If only my credit/debit cards from the Philippines would work here at no additional cost.
Start looking for an apartment. Roan and I have agreed to live with his relatives only for a few weeks until we both find an apartment that meets most, if not all, of our requirements (i.e., proximity to his work and common establishments such as grocery store, bank, etc.). While we're always welcome at the house we currently live in, we still think that it's appropriate to move out especially now that we're starting to live a life of our own.
Get back into our workout routine. Both Roan and I have been slacking off when it comes to fitness, so we agreed to start working on this department again. They made me eat all of the yummy food in my first week in San Diego, so I think I've packed a few more pounds since. We kicked off our new lifestyle by walking/jogging around the neighborhood after his work and going on a 3-mile hike up and down the Broken Hill Trail at Torrey Pines State Reserve (more on that soon) on weekends. Food preparation has been a quite a challenge for me, but things are a lot easier with Roan lending an extra hand.
What are you up to this month?