Travelogue by Jay Mark M. Malirong

 Title: The First Trip, Laughter, and Bonding

Last January 2025, the first trip, laughter, and bonding with my aunties, uncles and cousin. The first day of year 2025, which was the best and unforgettable experienced we had for a very long time of waiting to visit different places. We celebrated our first day of year 2025 or the new year in Burias Island Beach Resort, a well-known beach resort located in Glan Sarangani province, because of its natural beauty of the ocean, nice view, clean and clear water, powdered sands, delicious foods, and the people there were welcoming to their guests.

In December 2024, my aunties decided to have a trip/travel in Burias Island Beach Resort because they heard that this resort was nice among other resorts in Glan Sarangani, they wanted to visit there not only because they wanted to experience that but also for us to meet and to have a bonding again, for a very long time of waiting time when the pandemic spreads. Since it was our first trip, we are excited preparing our clothes and other things that important. We left at 9:00 AM in the morning because we are expecting that it wasn't easy for us to get there due to the weather conditions. When we arrived at Gensan, heavy rain began to fall, but despite that challenge, we continued to get there, and we brought smiles when seeing the overlooking overview of the ocean. When we arrived in Glan Sarangani, we felt so badly because the police man in the check point didn't allowed us because there are something happened nearby in Burias Island, we understand them because they don't have any intention but to keep everybody's safe. My cousin discussed to them that we should go there because the money pay for a booking do not want to return by coordinator of the resort or they return it but it just 20% only, that's why the police man allowed us to go but if there is anything else happens to us they are not involved to it, the smile goes back to the faces of us. We continuing to travel, and a thrilled and mixed emotions we felt because along the road has a holes, until we encountered the landslides that the policeman said to us because the road is surrounded by the mountains. We felt so badly again and hopeless but the beach coordinator finds way for us to get there.

We arrived in Burias Island Beach Resort the worry, doubting if we get there due to the weather conditions and if we were satisfied will paid off, because of the beautiful surroundings, clear and clean ocean and the beach coordinator treated us so well. A minutes after, when I and my cousins we're about to swim, we felt the beauty of the environment and we enjoyed the powdered white sands and heavy waves. Then, there was a kid selling sea urchin and I buy 3 pieces, I was so excited to try those sea urchin because I only seen it on social media, my first bite the taste is like a fishy but it's delicious, the second and last bite I felt that I love it. And soon if ever gave me another chance to try, I will try it again because of its taste. Fast forward, it was 10 O'clock in the night where the other were sleeping and I was about to collect sea shells nearby in our cottage since the water starts to goes down, after I go to the bed to sleep.

The next day, when I woke up at 6 O'clock in the morning my eyes starts to blink and blinks seeing the sunrise and the ample environment that I ever dream of to see in the morning, live started to feel it before it disappeared. My mother called me to eat my breakfast made by her. Since I was too hungry I was so happy when I am in the four corner of room my cousins invites me to get sea shells and to visit and look for some species there, even I was tired enough since love to collect sea shells and this is our first vacation together I have nothing to do but to go.

I also experienced riding a boat again and to go to two destinations. The first one is in Pato Buri, which is the best and unforgettable experienced I had because I saw the nice view of the resort, surroundings, and fresh air, but the one thing that amazed me is that SuItan Kudarat was born there according to the people there. And the second destination, we traveled to a floating bamboo cottage, where I experienced witnessing how beautiful the ocean is and the floating bamboo cottage made me realize that the real definition of happiness is seeing family happy and being united. We traveled to those destinations for at least two hours, and we went back to our cottage.

Since we were going home, some were already preparing their belongings, and others were preparing food, while I and my cousins, since we were ready, we were about to take a bath, and after that, we were going to prepare our belongings. Fast forward, after we ate, we took a short video and photos as well to remember those memories and love together.