Category Archives: Big, Fun and Scary Things

On Trying to Be Fitter

Okay, I think it’s just about time I blog about this (plus I admit there’s a certain excitement in blogging when you have a shiny new theme).

I used to go to Gold’s Gym early 2007, because my office friends went there and we had a company discount. It was okay at first, and I enjoyed going there, but I didn’t last. Mostly because there’s no one to go with, plus my schedule has been always hard to deal with that I eventually let go of the membership. I’ve always been trying to lose weight since…well, since junior year in college, probably, but I never had enough discipline to stick to any of the weight loss programs that I have heard/read/watched.

I tried, really. I got myself a copy of Hip Hop Abs but was too conscious to do it whenever there’s someone at home. I tried boxing, bought gloves, but was too lazy to go and always used my money for boxing for other things. I’m not sporty, and I can only control my diet so much…so yes, I tried almost everything, but nothing really worked.

There’s only one thing left to do, and it’s to sign up for the gym and be motivated by the fact that my gym fees get charged in my card every month.

And what do you know, it worked.

So I’ve been a member of Fitness First for almost two months, much thanks to Toni who convinced me to go (after making our gym days hell for me haha).  It’s one of the biggest non-gadget investment I have ever made (and believe me, it is), and right now I’m wondering why it took me this long to actually invest (oh wait, I know, budget. :P). Seriously, though, I’m actually glad I invested on this.

My initial weigh-in results were kind of scary — how bad were my results? Okay, not exactly bad, but you know, there’s a lot of things that I need to do to get back to my ideal weight. I knew it was going to be hard work. I just didn’t know how hard…but again, nothing worth having ever comes easy, right? (Thanks, Ginger Foutley)

I wish I could say I’ve lost like so much pounds already that it’s almost a miracle. I’ve lost about 5lbs for the past four weeks, which according to my friends, is just all right. I’ve started being mindful of the things I eat, like eating every four hours, portion control and eating more veggies, too. I’ve started to like the feeling of sweating it out, and I love getting my dose of endorphins. :D Yes, I’ve been feeling healthier, too.

Again: why did I wait so long to do this?

Oh yeah, budget.

I’m not saying that it’s the only way to lose weight and be healthier, of course. It’s just the way that is working for me, and for others it could be totally different. I still wish I can get into any sport (which…I’d say impossible, but who knows)…but I’ll take it one step at a time. :)

And honestly? I’ve never felt better physically. :D Save for the muscle pains, of course. ;)

First Work Week of 2009

The first work week is over — yay. Just as how I used to feel back when I was in school, the first week always felt like it lasted forever. It wasn’t bad, really, just tiring, and it takes some time for me to get my bearings especially with other things that I have set out to do this year. I know it’s bound to get busier, but I just need to take it one day at a time. Deep breaths. Heh. I swear, I have to stop thinking about my to-do list so I won’t get stressed. :P

Oh, but a little Big, Fun and Scary Things to do for 2009 update first:

  • Wordplay‘s still ongoing and I just finished writing #9. I end up using my NaNoWriMo 2008 characters so much, which is good because I get to see them in other situations. It’s also bad because I can’t seem to get them out of the situations I’ve put them in back when I was still writing the novel. Hm.
  • I finished reading my second (e)book for the year, That Summer by Sarah Dessen. I’d review all the ebooks I read, but I’d really rather review them when I have the actual book in my hand, which I am planning to buy, especially if it’s Sarah Dessen. 48 more books to go!
  • I’ll be off to Batangas on January 24, so yay! It’s not really a new location to travel to, but I haven’t been to the resort. :P Haha this should be fun. I want to schedule s trip somewhere up North this year though, other than Baguio. Maybe Ilocos? :)
  • Cors and I checked out the boxing gym near the office and the price is pretty good. We just have to figure out a boxing schedule. :) I’ve been watching what I am eating and although it’s not really a diet, I’m eating less rice in the day, more fiber in the morning and generally less sweets. Now I need to get moving — literally — if I want to shed some of these flabs off so I won’t have to wear corsets when I need to have a figure. :P
  • And finally, I’ve been discussing stuff with my dad and I’m seriously thinking of getting an MBA. It’s funny how I am thinking about that now, especially since I did not want to have anything to do with business related courses back in college, but now I’m actually thinking about it. I think that it would really be interesting and useful and fun, especially if I plan to stay longer where I am (and actually get to climb the corporate ladder…erm haha I never thought I’d say that heh). But let’s see. :)
  • I’ll be meeting up with an old friend in a couple of weeks and I can’t wait. Must plan stuff with other friends too, and visit the alma mater to see the new faces of YFC. :D
  • Oh and finally, for the past week, I’ve been at work as early as eight in the morning and the latest I’ve been at work was last Wednesday when I had a meeting. I get restless when I stay longer than 8 hours already, plus I’ve managed to go home with the sun still out for the past week. Miracle. Haha, I hope I can keep this up. :)

I think that pretty much sums it up for now. :) Now it’s Friday, but I’m feeling sleepy already, and we have a wedding to go to tomorrow. Happy weekend everyone!

Oh, Saturday

So it was a lazy Saturday for me, which kind of made up for the fact that I was out almost all day yesterday. I still feel like I wasted this day a lot, but then again, who knows when I’ll be able to have a relaxing (not to mention very chilly) Saturday holiday again?

Anyway. What have I been doing since yesterday?

  • Worked on wordplay entries. I knew writing a piece for 365 days is crazy and difficult, but the first day felt like pulling teeth. The next two days were easier, but I have a feeling it’s only because I was doing it at an earlier time. I wonder how it’d be once I get back to work. I’m thinking I should set some rules on this, like how many excuses I am allowed to have, and how many misses…I don’t want to feel like I’m cheating myself though. So it won’t be 365 pieces anymore. Hm. Let’s see how long I can hold out. :p Oh, and if anything, I have no idea what to write about tomorrow.
  • Watched Baler with Happy yesterday. :) It’s a loooong movie, but it’s pretty good. I’m no movie expert, but I enjoyed it. I still prefer romantic comedies and animation, though. I got to watch Bolt that night when I got home, so that’s 2 movies out of the 25 I told myself I’d watch this year. I want to watch Dayo.
  • Again, yesterday was a day out with my parents and Happy. My parents and I heard mass at Megamall (love their Atrium!), then ate at Eat and Go (I might write a review sometime, if I feel like it haha) and then shopped. I love shopping with my parents, I get so many free stuff. Then Happy and I watched a movie, ate at Yogurbud, talked about Chuck ♥ and dinner at Amici. Great day. :)
  • Today, I stayed home and watched The 4400 all day. I’m on Season 3 already, and it’s starting to get really interesting. I just have to stop spoiling myself with Wikipedia entries. :P

Tomorrow’s the last day of vacation, and somehow I still don’t feel like going to work on Monday. I know everyone’s saying the same thing on Plurk, so I really echo your sympathies. Heh. I found it really weird that last year I was looking forward to going to work, and now I just want to stay at home and be on vacation, even if I’d end up watching TV and reading most of the time. Maybe it’s because I feel the incoming stress? Bleh. Think positively.

Tomorrow there’s a high school reunion (which I heard that there might be some fishy stuff that might happen, hmm) and I’m planning to go, provided my other friends go too. Hm, now I think I might have something for wordplay tomorrow. :P

Hm. And I want to go to Tagaytay before this chilly weather disappears.

Anyway, it’s getting late and I should start sleeping already if I want to change my body clock. Haha. One more episode of The 4400 before I sleep. :D Enjoy the last day of vacation everyone!

Big, Fun and Scary Things to do for 2009

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! I spent the first day of 2008 in Ortigas, where we watched Manila being covered in smoke from all the fireworks as 12 midnight approached. My parents and I headed to the condo’s roof top to watch the fireworks at midnight and the people who were with us were singing Auld Lang Syne as we stood in the slight drizzle.

Yes, that’s me trying to be descriptive. I suck, I know.

Anyway, as with what I did last year and as with what I posted yesterday, it’s time again to set goals and resolutions for 2009! I’m naming this one the Big, Fun and Scary Things to do for 2009. I’m using this post to make it official because this year I intend to join the worldwide challenge (click that link to know more!) that Chris Baty, NaNoWriMo founder started two years ago. Nothing like having an entire group of people doing the same thing to motivate me to actually do these things. :P

  • Write a piece of fiction everyday for 2009. I figured at the end of 2008 that I really missed writing, and I felt that I can only be better at writing if I practice. So to help me with that, I have started wordplay, my writing blog for this purpose. It’s proving to be a difficult challenge already — I’ve been trying to write my first piece in the past hour and it feels like pulling teeth. T_T
  • Lose at least 3 inches and/or 20 pounds. Ah yes, the weight loss goal. I figure to support this, I’ve got to be more drastic: I’ll be writing down what I eat everyday in my planner, and will be really serious with my boxing/exercise. Cors! Game?
  • Finish my 2008 Novel. I really want to do this, I swear. This is one novel that I knew I should finish. And besides, I promised Julie. Now if only I can finish that outline…
  • 100 Nanowrimo winners for our region in 2009! Last year, I wanted to increase the participation of the region. This year I want to get 100 winners for the region. :D We can do this, right?
  • Read 50 books in 2009. I managed to reach 44 last year, and I think I would have been able to reach 50 if I didn’t stop reading in the middle of the year. This year, I swear I’ll get that number. I also added a twist to this goal: 25 books should be books I’ve never read before, and 5 should be classics. :D
  • Watch 25 movies in 2009. I’m not much of a movie watcher, so most of the time I feel left out when people talk about movies. This year, let’s try to change that. :D Fireproof movie seems interesting; I wonder if this will be shown here.
  • Travel. This is a given. :P I’m eying Baguio this February (the last time I’ve been there was when I was 12!), another beach place in the summer and hopefully Hong Kong within the year. :)
  • Bake a double layer cake and/or apple pie. Self-explanatory. :D
  • Drive by myself. Again, for the nth time. I swear, I should do that this year.
  • Submit a written work somewhere. I’m not so sure how I’d do this, but I’m going to try. I hope this gives me courage to enroll in writing classes. And speaking of…
  • Enroll in some classes — either writing or anything web related or even something entirely new.
  • Prepare for graduate school application. I’m seriously considering going back to school (see previous bullet), so I’m going to start scouting this year. I can start by the next school year, God willing, but if not, I can start preparing this year.

My dad told me yesterday that these were goals and not New Year’s Resolutions, but I told him having goals seem easier and I can form my resolutions around them. But just for kicks (and for old time’s sake), here are my 2009 resolutions (which might be the resolution of other people too haha):

  • Pray more. 2008 was a rollercoaster for my spiritual life and I know 2009 will e the same, but still, I’d like to revive my prayer life again. I just have to keep on trying no matter how hard it is. This includes the first Wednesday and Friday masses and confession.
  • Go to work early and leave work early. I was known as the office girl last year because of all my commitments at work. This year though, I’m going to cut back on that. I enjoyed them, yes, but this year, I’m putting myself first. I’m going to stop going to work at 10 and start going to work at 8, so I can go home at 5 and have enough time to work on my other goals and to-do’s outside of work. I need to start taking care of myself again, you know. I will only stay at work for more than 8 hours if I absolutely have to, otherwise, I’m out of there.
  • Take care of myself more. This is quite ambiguous, but I figured I’d have to start taking care of myself because…well, I need to. Which means, more time for myself, my family and the things I love to do. Yes, this involves pampering and shopping. :P
  • Be healthier. This supports my second bullet up there. I swear, I’ll do better this time.
  • Keep in touch/get back in touch with old friends. I’ve mentioned this a lot of times: I suck at keeping in touch. This year I’m going to try (yet again) to catch up with old friends (so friends, let’s go out!).
  • Better time management. With all these commitments and, I’ve definitely learned that I need to manage my time more wisely!

I think that’s it? Goal-setting has always inspired me, and I find it really fun (yet intimidating) to do. But I love the feeling of being new, regardless of how much I accomplished last year. The important thing is that we try, no matter how many times we fail. After all, He makes all things new. :)

Happy 2009 everyone! May this year bring more blessings and make all of us the persons we want to be. :) *cheers*

2008 Goals – Looking Back

Okay, so it turns out I have enough time to do one more post, and I guess it’s more appropriate to do this now before the year actually ends and then make a post on the new goals tomorrow.

To be honest, I didn’t feel like doing this because I know most of the goals here are miserable failures. However, I realized that I won’t be able to be at peace with this year and my 2009 goals if I don’t close this one, so, regardless of the results, here’s the assessment of my 2008 goals, posted January 1, 2008.

  • Go to Sydney for World Youth Day 2008. – I don’t want to call this a miserable failure, because even if I didn’t get to go to WYD 2008, I still learned a lot from the experience of preparing for this. I did come thisclose, so that’s good enough I guess. Australia will still be there (although no WYD), and I have more than enough time to prepare for WYD 2011 in Madrid. :D Here’s to hoping my WYD dream comes true.
  • And speaking of traveling…visit at least two other places in the Philippines. – I didn’t get to visit new places, but I did get to go on outings: Subic (Hot Air Balloon Festival), Laiya, Batangas (company outing), Laguna (team pool party) and Cebu.
  • Drive on my own. Naaaah. I drove a bit during January, and all the driving I did after was to bring the car out of the garage. *headdesk*
  • Lose at least 20 lbs and/or 3 inches. Naaaah on this too. I think I managed to stay within what I currently weigh/my current pant size, so that’s something. I will try better next year.
  • Learn how to jumprope. Again, naaaah. I have a jumprope, but after six jumps, I need to stop because I was out of breath! I think the length of my rope is making it hard for me. :| Practice practice!
  • Finish my 2006 NaNoWriMo novel. I made a start on version 2, but I stopped. I have an outline waiting, but the 2008 novel got me more interested. ^^;
  • Establish the PinoyWrimo community and bring attendance to events to at least 20 people. This is probably the goal that really surpassed its expectations. There was 100% increase in attendance in almost all events. The Kick-Off was surprisingly well-attended, as well as one of the write-ins, and we had two TGIO’s which was attended by most of the active people. I love my Wrimos. :)
  • Read at least 50 books in one year, and review at least half of it. I might reach up to 46 this year (see list of books here), but it’s okay. It’s probably the most I read in a year. I finished my review goal though (will post a list soon).
  • Reward myself with new clothes/shoes every month. I think I only managed to do this like…five out of 12 months?
  • Revive Godchicks. Still nothing on the website. Limbo.
  • Start my own blog hosting/hosting business. I started something, but it was more for students who know me. Heh. I still want to host people, but maybe I need a better plan for this. (Oh and if you need hosting, yes, do email me because I am hosting).
  • Bake any one of the following: apple pie, double-layered cake or cheesecake. I have conquered the cheesecake! Next year I’m going to do both the double layer cake and apple pie (not necessarily mixed together ;) ), especially now that we have 9″ spring form pans now. :D Which reminds me, I owe my boys and a girl a cheesecake when we get back to work.
  • Try/learn something new. This is so general! But the main new thing I could think of for 2008 was IBM Club and all the activities, joining the Townhall committee for work, buying my own camera with my own card, watch musicals, traveling with my own money…there’s so many! This is definitely the year of new things. :)
  • Give time for Gawad Kalinga. I…didn’t get to do this either. :( I did get involved in other charities come the end of the year. I want to do more though.
  • Renew my prayer time and grow in my faith. I honestly feel like I didn’t get to do this either. I’m happy I got to confess again, but I know my prayer time is still not as regular as it was before, and I know there’s so much more room to grow. This is why I’m going back to basics in 2009, because I feel like with all my busyness in doing everything that I want to try and trying to be extraordinary, I think I may have lost my way somewhere. So I can’t really measure this one, but I just know there’s still more refining to do.
  • Document everything. Well, I didn’t get to document everything, but I think I managed to take more photos of events this year than last year’s. :) Maybe this year I can start doing a photo essay or something like that.

And so there it is. I don’t know how to assess it, really, since these things are mostly subjective, but I guess this just means 2008 was truly an eventful year. It would’ve been stellar if I managed to do everything, but then…what challenge would that leave for next year?

And yes, I will definitely do this again for 2009. Are you with me? :)

The (Temporary) End of the Australian Dream

I guess I better spit it out now because I totally (and purposefully) forget about this.

I’m not going to Australia for World Youth Day 2008.

I know. Surprising, after having this (not so active) blog, and the posts about me registering as a pilgrim and me saying I’d push through even if I know I’d be totally wiped out from all the expenses because I know the experience will be worth it. It still pains me to really accept that my more than a year-long dream of going to Australia for this event is not going to push through. But I’ve got to face and stick to my decision, no matter how painful and regretful I feel, because I believe it’s the right thing to do now.

The main reason why I am not going anymore is that my visa arrived just three days ago. Interesting, right? Especially since my scheduled departure is on the 13th. And because my visa did not arrive on time, I wasn’t able to book any flights. Sure, I had some reserved, but since the visa isn’t here yet, I couldn’t pay for them. And time was running out.

Why didn’t the visa arrive on time? I passed my application papers to our group last May and was expecting to get them back the following week. But the next week they’re still not with me, and the following week and the following…until I finally heard that they were on hold because of some missing papers that I’m not supposed to pass because someone is supposed to take care of it. And then, I heard it was passed again and I got another message that the application form I used was the old one, so I had to sign again. And so I did. I thought I wouldn’t be approved anymore because I know the validity of my certificate of employment is only for a month. The week went on without any news, and I told myself that if July comes in and there’s no news yet, I would not be going regardless of what the results of my visa application is.

Well hello. Visa approved. I learned this the day after I finally made my decision not to go. :|

Continue reading The (Temporary) End of the Australian Dream

Corporate Peace Corps

I’ve already heard about this around two to three weeks ago, but I only got to blog about this now (see how self-centered I can be? Ack):

IBM creates its own Peace Corps
By Lawrence Casiraya
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 08:34:00 05/03/2008

MANILA, Philippines — IBM is sending 600 of its employees to emerging countries over the next three years to do volunteer work involving IT.

IBM said the first 100 employees will be sent this year to six countries — Romania, Turkey, Vietnam, Ghana, Tanzania and the Philippines — to work on projects “that intersect economic development and IT.”

“It’s a corporate version of the Peace Corps,” said James Velasquez, country general manager for IBM Philippines, referring to the tech giant’s Corporate Service Corps initiative.

Thomas Veloso from the local IBM office was selected and will join nine more IBMers from the United States, Japan, China, India and the United Kindom as a team assigned to go to Tanzania in Africa.

More than 5,000 IBM employees worldwide applied for the program but only 100 were selected for this year.

In the Philippines, the IBM team will be based in Cagayan de Oro and Davao City in the South.

The team will create management information systems to track progress of loan and grant beneficiaries from the Philippine Development Assistance Program, according to IBM.

IBM is working with three non-governmental organizations from the US, Canada and Australia. These NGOs identify projects and local organizations the IBM teams can work with.

This is one of the coolest things I’ve heard at work ever. :) I love how the company is getting their people involved in helping. That’s why we were encouraged at work to go and volunteer for corporate social responsibility events, because it really has an effect. Thomas (Tom) Veloso used to be the GK-IBM head, and all his efforts are paying off with this amazing opportunity presented to him. :)

I’d love to have the same opportunity. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I’d love if I would be granted one too, plus size clothing and all (um…right. What did I just write?). Maybe someday, I hope? :) Granted, I’d have to work doubly harder to get this, but it’s a good goal, right? :)

Maybe someday. In the meantime, let me finish all my deliverables. Heh.

WYD 2008: Finances vs. Experience

[Cross posted from Mission: Sydney]

I know I haven’t been updating as much, and I’m sorry. I’ve been busy with job related stuff that I keep on forgetting that I owe this blog A LOT of updates.

So my last post, almost a month ago, was about me registering as a pilgrim for WYD 2008FINALLY. After long long wait and doubts, I finally got off my lazy bum and registered. :) It felt exciting and all, but after a few days, the excitement wore off and I suddenly wondered if I should still push through. I suddenly realized I had so much stuff to do — fix my visa, fix my airfare, buy winter clothes and save, save, save! I suddenly had doubts if I could pull it off financially. Do I have enough money? Can I pay for everything? I know my parents are there and all, and I could ask them for some help, but I’m already working; I want to finance this on my own, as much as possible.

And if I do manage to get enough finances…how about when I return? I’d be losing almost a year of my savings…can’t I just continue saving and go to Australia (or other places) another time?

But…this is World Youth Day. This is a chance of a lifetime. The next WYD might be too far and even more expensive for me to go.

See, I’m talking to myself.

But anyway, I know my savings might be gone after this trip, and it’s only for a week. And when I get back, salary’s like three weeks to go. How the heck will I survive, especially with my bills? :| Going to Australia isn’t as cheap as horse supplements, you know.

That’s worse case scenario of course. I know I won’t blow off all my money, and probably for airfare I can use my trusty Lizzie or Sylvia the credit card to save me some of the immediate cash out when I buy the ticket. Plus I’ll be saving more because I know my accommodation and food are paid for with my registration. But I still can’t help but think if I want to postpone this for another time.

BUT THEN…what I’m talking about is just money. I know it’s important, but I know I can never replace the experience I’ll be getting from this entire thing. Cliche as it may sound, this is a once in a lifetime experience. I’ve been praying to go to Australia for two years now; why stop now when it’s practically within reach? Right? And this is like, the biggest Catholic youth event ever, and other people are dying to go. The experience is definitely going to make a HUGE dent on my finances…but I’m pretty sure the ENTIRE experience is worth it. Right? I can earn the money back after, but I can never replace all the learnings that I will be getting from this entire…adventure. Yes, this is an adventure. :)

Soooo…go lang! :) Let’s see where this brings me. :) I pray that God provide me the grace (and finances :D) to go through with this trip. Please pray with me? :)

Tagged by Ganns

I was tagged by Ganns. :)

The rules:
1. Pick up the nearest book.
2. Open to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people and post a comment to Ganns’s blog (he’s the one who tagged me) once you’ve posted your three sentences.

I know the book on my Now Reading list is Pride and Prejudice, but to be honest, I haven’t budged. Ack. I like it, but I can’t seem to settle into it as easily as other books because of the language.

Anyway, I’ve decided to take a break from that, so now I brought another book for the ride to Batangas tomorrow for our beach trip tomorrow: Wicked by Gregory Maguire.

Wicked by Gregory Maguire

So after that loooong introduction, here’s my three sentences:

Damn! Double damn! He couldn’t concentrate.

Well. That’s certainly very…enlightening. Eh.

I’ve taken a break on reading after the last stash of books I got because I was too busy. ^^; But I spotted another book I’d like to have at National Bookstore earlier: The Host by Stephenie Meyer. But I must resist! I know books are not as expensive as a medical id bracelet, but I still have to buy a swimsuit! Plus the moment I buy one, I’d end up buying another bunch. Heh.

But I digress.

I’m tagging the following people:

  1. Sasha at The Parody
  2. Ate Angela at Seasonal Plume
  3. Jeric at Brinknotes
  4. Athena at Aquatique.net
  5. Katia at oh skipping beats

Okay back to work.

OMG and The Day of Action

I dubbed my day yesterday as my OMG (Oh my gosh!) Day, because of the number of things that I found out and talked about which made me feel so overwhelmed. Let’s see…I had about 5 discoveries/talks yesterday that got me thinking, “OMG OMG OMG”. Hence, OMG Day. I was supposed to post this last night, but internet at home is super slow once again. ><

But I shall only write about one of the OMG things yesterday as it’s the most relevant.

As the month of July draws near, I keep on wondering if I should push through with my WYD 2008 dream. Just last Saturday I was thinking that I might not be able to go there anymore because of financial reasons, and I’ve almost accepted it. There’s this “what if” whispering at the back of my mind, and some strands of regret that tells me, I should have tried harder.

And the latter thought sucks, by the way. I hate regretting things. And I feel like if I didn’t even try for this one, I would forever regret it. Or at least, regret it for the rest of the year.

I can’t remember how I got to checking airfares in the Philippine Airlines website yesterday, but I was doing that in the afternoon. I saw all airfares in their website is still out of my budget. Until my friend Marvs told me to check Ultimate Fares. I was ready to accept that the fare would still be expensive, and then Marvs told me of this one straight trip to Sydney via PAL that is around USD 760.

That’s like…PHP 10,000 less than all the fares I saw in the PAL website.

WHOA. OMG OMG OMG!

All of a sudden, the fire of the dream glowed brighter. Nabuhayan ako ng loob! I realized, with quick computation, that I could probably afford it. Most probably, leaning into the more positive side. I found a group of people to go with (yay YFC!). I found a reasonable fare (even if I’m still worried if that disappears). I talked to a friend who works with a travel agency and can give us packages for Sydney.

And suddenly, Sydney seems to be easier to reach!

So today, I finally did what I said I would do way back in February:

I registered as a Pilgrim in the WYD 2008 website.

Aaaahhhh!!! This is it! As what I called it before, this is my DIVE! This is when things start rolling, and I have to roll with it or else I’ll be left behind! I’m excited and scared and worried all at the same time, and this still doesn’t guarantee that I’ll be able to go, but I’m getting there. I still don’t know where to pull all my finances before I get there, but I’m praying things will all fall into place. Of course, I have to do my part as well — like work on my Australian Visa requirements and find more ways to save cash for the trip (donations are welcome, seriously).

I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me. Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of Your heart.

I think I shall call this day The Day of Action. Today and the next few days, that is.

And yes, this means I’ll be updating Mission: Sydney again. :)