5 Philippines

[AUGUST 25, 2015]

This trip was my surprise.

His photography skills were getting recognized and a lot of opportunities were knocking on his door. The opportunities he got overwhlemed him so much and it stressed him out a little bit. I thought that we could go relax, even just a few days. He said yes and he was really happy.

He was checking on the photos he shot and organizing them when I hugged him from behind.

"You feeling okay?" I asked softly.

"A bit," he laughed softly and I can feel the tiredness in his voice, "But I'll be fine don't worry."

"You look really tired for weeks now,"

"It only means that I'm doing great, right? The more calls I get, the more work I get which means they like my work, right?" There goes the tired laugh again.

"You should take a few days off."

He was quiet for a moment. And after a while, he spoke.

"Yeah, maybe I should." He sighed and his voice sounded so tired.

I showed him the plane ticket I got. He broke off from the hug and looked at the ticket closely.

"What? When did you get this?"

"Yesterday," I replied shortly.

"What? Why?"

"Well, I noticed that you looked tired for the past few weeks and I thought that maybe we could have some short vacation?"

He sighed and had a smile on his face. He then hugged me and repeatedly said thanks. He couldn't stop giving me kisses everywhere and a smile never left off his face. I noticed the change in his actions after telling him about the trip. He was smiling and was able to work in a better mindset.

This was our first beach trip as a couple.

Yes, we've been to beaches before, but only to breath fresh air, not to have a swim. Some times we were invited for a vacation by our friends. I joined other activities like island hopping but I never joined them in swimming. I never really swam becuase I really don't know how to. Though this trip has a disadvantage to me, I wanted to try something new. I wanted to calm down his nerves. I wanted him to breath fresh air after being locked up from the loads of work. I wanted him to relax. And the beach was a great place for it.

This trip excited him so much. Though I was a bit worried, he assured me that I'll be fine. He said that he'll teach me how.

The moment we arrived at the beautiful beach of El Nido Palawan, he ran like a little kid and played with the waves a little bit. He was so happy and so relaxed.

After settling in a room and fixing our things, we took a look around for a bit before deciding to have a swim in the afternoon. We ran and chase each other near the ocean and watched as the locals and visitors have a ride in a kayak. We tasted the food that the people offered and they were delicious! I found online that there's a beautiful view at the Taraw Peak cliff and it will be wonderful if you can go there and hour before sunrise or sunset. We signed up for an island hopping package and we were able to explore the beautiful caves of Palawan. When the island hopping ended, it was just the right time to hike at Taraw cliff. It took us quite some time to reach the top, but we were just on time to see the sunset. Peter was hugging me from behind while we watch the beautiful view.

"Thank you for this. I'm so lucky to have you." He softly whispered to me.

I held his arms tighter and planted a small kiss on it. We stayed like that until the tour guide told us that we already needed to go.

When the night fell, we decided to have a walk after eating dinner. The cold breeze coming from the sea sent chills down my spine. We passed by a bar and the loud music from it was very inviting. After a moment, we found ourselves enjoying the drinks and music among the crowd.

The next day, we got up early and had a swim early. Just as promised, he taught me how to swim. I almost drowned at that time, but he quickly pulled me up.

I was catching my breath. I felt so scared that time. I kept trying to remember the breathing exercises that I was always doing. My mind went blank. And then, I saw him. He was laughing at me.

"How dare you laugh at me?! Why did you let go?" I punched him quite hard.

"I'm sorry, I really am. I did not let go of you, for your information, you slipped. Aren't you gonna thank me that I pulled you quickly?"

"Yeah, whatever." He noticed the seriousness in my face and he stopped laughing. He hugged me as a reply and I hugged him back. Slowly, I can feel that my feet are leaving the surface of the water. We were getting further, and I started panicking. I wanted to get away from him.

But suddenly, I felt his arms tightened around my waist and he kept on whispering softly, "Trust me, love, trust me. Trust me."

I hugged him tighter and trusted him and eventually, I calmed down. We stayed like that for a few more minutes just watching the sun.

It was such a beautiful sight. The calming waves against our skin, the fresh air brushing against our faces, and the sunrays feeding our eyes with beauty.

I wished at that moment that time could stop so we can stay like that forever. I wanted to just stay in the hold of his arms, my safe haven.