Boracay for My Birthday

 When Josh and I first started "being travelers" in 2010, it took a while for me to get into the groove. To do all of the traveling we wanted meant we had to do it cheap. There was no driving with comfy Best Western pit stops until acquired destination. Being in Asia, we've taken trains, buses, boats, tuk-tuks, and pedicabs.  The hostels we've stayed at have cost the price of a movie ticket but often included less than cuddly critters. The long journeys we've taken to see a random something or other took way too much energy than it's worth (ahem, terracotta warriors).

I wasn't so easy going in the beginning. Poor Josh got his share of evil glares and complaints from me as we found ourselves in unfavorable situations. But, I got better. Seeing cockroaches crawl across restaurant walls don't bother me. Squat toilets ain't no big thang.

Fast forward 5 years to a life in China with a baby. We HAVE to change things up a little now, right?
In general, here's how traveling with a baby is different than traveling without a baby:

- Our spending budget for food/rooms has increased (so we can afford the finer things in life, like air conditioning and a private bathroom)

-Our sightseeing itinerary has decreased (let's try to see one famous landmark this trip, k?)

January 28th was the big one. I turned THIRTY! And, my dearest love arranged a wonderful vacation for us. I had two requirements: 1. Out of China. 2. Beach

Our flight from Shanghai to Manila was supposed to leave at 12:30am on Friday, Jan 23... however, we quickly realized that Cebu Pacific Airlines does not have a reputation for being on time. Josh and I took turns lying on the empty chairs at the gate while Danny had the time of his life running around the wide open spaces. By 3:30 am, we were finally taking off. Tropical Paradise, here we come!

I'm sorry that I have no Travel Channel style report for you on the cultural attractions and customs of the Philippines. Instead I have lots of adorable pictures of my son at the beach.

We didn't go sightseeing, we didn't really explore the local cuisine, we didn't do any fun water activities like scuba diving.  We didn't do much at all besides relax and play. It was perfect.

I know my perception of the Filipino people is limited; but by everyone we encountered, I think they are so lovely! It was so surprising when we would walk out to the beach each morning, nearly everyone we passed said "Good Morning." Such a refreshing change from life in China, whew!

Every time we walked by this restaurant the waitresses would run out to play with Danny. We ended up eating there several times because they had "free childcare"

Our trip was very simple. The big event was Danny experiencing the beach and the ocean for the first time, which was priceless. We all had our turn at a stomach bug, so it was a good thing that we didn't have a rigid sightseeing schedule to stick to. On my actual birthday, I enjoyed a nice lobster dinner with my handsome fellas. I really cannot express enough how much I enjoyed our simple little island trip. It was such nice break from the sometimes completely overwhelming city life. It was small, it was quiet, it was happy. It was paradise with the two I love most!