Time Out, New York

Concrete jungle where dreams are made...if you have the stamina and chutzpah.

One day in 2008 I lay in bed thinking, "What if I never had to work? What if I didn't have to get up everyday to be somewhere?" It was around fall, I was working as a proofreader and copy editor at J.Crew, and the prospect of another cold, bone-piercing winter had long lost its appeal. And, I was simply...tired. From the time I was 20 until I moved to New York at 27 to pursue my publishing dreams, I never stopped working. I never had that year off college co-eds usually take after graduation to "explore and look around," only because I was lucky to have found the perfect job match off the bat, working at Seventeen Magazine when it launched in Manila in 2000. (I did get to go on yearly US vacations though.)

Yet, it's true that we gravitate toward the things that we want and have a hand at making them happen. By December of that year, I'd lost my job and had to quickly pack up my apartment; stashed meaningful and useful items in storage, donated the rest of my belongings to the Salvation Army, and off I was to Denver to recuperate from the whirlwind that was New York Round One.

Fast forward to 2010: I've made three trips back and forth between Manila and Denver; vacationed in beautiful beaches; had a lovely destination wedding (with a beach-side reception); cooked and baked my heart out; blogged and wrote about food and musings on life, love, and career (and got paid for it at times!); spent quality time with family, flying/boating to far-flung places; took on lucrative freelance projects (to help finance the above), and more.

I couldn't have asked for a better sabbatical.

While I agree that a certain amount of stress can be beneficial (studies show that a little of it actually helps you perform better), too much can be detrimental not only to your health, but also to your productivity and morale.

So, if you're feeling the onset of a burnout, I highly recommend taking some time off. True, you may have to cut back on certain things (I've had to give up living in NY full-time to ease the pressure of rent and other expenses) but, in the bigger scheme of life, it's absolutely worth it.

That said, I'm now back in New York, recharged and ready for Round Two. With my freelance plate full, I no longer dread having to work at a new job requiring me to be somewhere everyday—no matter the weather, whatever the season.

Old and New Quotes to Live By

Here's a quote from Lara Parpan, editor-in-chief of Women's Health Philippines:

"Seize the moment. When I run, swim, bike, dance, or even write this blog, it’s a celebration of my body and my mind being intact and functional at this very moment. I cannot ask for more. I am already blessed. I live life fully, right here, right now."

You can read Lara's full blog at Femalenetwork.com, where she wrote a very detailed post about aneurysms ("Why I Dance Like A Madwoman," July 2, 2010), what they are, the best way to spot them, and habits to kick or adopt to help steer clear of them.

Speaking of quotes, I've come across two other meaningful ones from my most recent Long Island weekend:

"Never take no for an answer. Mr. Lewis lost three big deals, but he never lost the game."
—Millenium Membership Awardee Londell Williams at the Reginald F. Lewis Benefit Luncheon held on June 26, 2010.

"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."
—Teddy Roosevelt, quoted by the priest during homily at Sunday mass.

Posting photos from last weekend's spectacular East Hampton (working) getaway very soon. In the meantime, Happy Fourth of July, everyone!

Photo by John Reyes.

Magalove, Part 2

What makes you happy?

The perfect career for me would be something that would allow me to bake, read, write, edit, and travel for a living—all within the balance of sufficient (or even abundant) food, rest, and exercise.

Fortunately, I've been able to live this kind of life for the past year a half. It was nice to spend some personal time doing the things I love and getting paid for it, in modest amounts and otherwise.

However, I've set new goals in life that now require me to get back into working in New York City as a full-time employee. I am simply hoping that whatever the 40 hours or more of work I'll be doing would still allow for the things I enjoy, or preferably, would still be related to the activities mentioned above.

My turn on the Brooklyn Bridge.

In 2008 began an influx of "Magazines are dying, newspapers are closing, everything's moving online..." which was neither good nor empowering for someone who truly loved paper and print media in general (and for someone who had just moved across the miles to land her next editorial job). A friend recently mentioned that the buzz now is that the industry will be a dinosaur in five years: "The magazines are so thin now and the only one to survive all of this is most likely Vogue." And I don't even read Vogue. (Elle and Vanity Fair, I like.)

Magazines will always be my first love.
(Click on the photo for the first Magalove post.)

But, it's 2010 and magazines are still around. My newspaper column still comes out. Most of the publications I'd contributed to or worked in—with the exception of one or two—are still churning out pages month by month; with its editors working as hard as ever. As for the 'new media' thing, I've logged on a considerable amount of time setting up shop online, so I'm not too worried about that. In fact, I've enjoyed many writing and editing projects this past year, and, ironically, the assignments, except for one luxury hotel brand, that have earned me substantial amounts from working off-site and online were actually funded by parent companies whose main business and revenue stream come from—gasp—magazines!

So, whether or not it's true that the print industry would be extinct in X number of years, I'd very much like to be around when the curtain finally falls. In the meantime, the (glossy) show must go on, and I'm only happy to be part of the working cast.

Courtesy of Harper's BAZAAR and American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME).

HK by the way

At the Hong Kong airport last week, the first thing that came to mind was "I want to buy a [Canon] G11 camera." But, with a pending green card renewal that would set me back at least $800, plus, new expenses relating to my next NY move, a new gadget is definitely out of the question.

For those who know me, I'm not big on big-ticket items and fancy electronics. While my purchases seem to be done out of impulse—as in the case of my Nokia phone and Acer netbook—the splurges usually 'pay' for themselves in the form of the number of years I use them (very much like that famous fashion equation when justifying a purchase). I still have the same phone mentioned above bought back in 2007, and the only reason I bought a netbook was because a new battery for my seven-year-old iBook cost half of the price of my new computer. And, I needed something more portable for the new 'mobile' lifestyle I'd aimed for at the start of my freelance career.

Going back to the subject of cameras, I still have my trusty, sturdy, Sony Cybershot, now five years old! It fits the palm of my hand and still takes beautiful pictures (like the one above and most on this blog). It only occurred to me to upgrade when I saw how the newly-launched cameras featured ridiculously amazing and precise Auto settings, as seen in the G11, or my friends Frances and Vince's Olympus E-PL1. Oh well, for now, a new camera will have to wait.

Anyway, here are some thoughts on my recent layover in HK:

1) It's huge!

Other big airports are the way they are because they accommodate larger locales, but for a small country, this one had plenty of space. I flew out on a Monday and it felt like a VIP, as if the terminals were cleared for me to walk in peace! Anna Wintour alone on the elevator immediately came to mind.

One can do cartwheels in here.

2) So many stylish women!

I noticed a handful young ladies in heels, while the older women were in custom pantsuits and spring jackets in lovely prints. I spotted one in a black knit (or lace?) bolero paired with pearls. Good thing I've made it a personal policy to be dressed at the airport, ever since I started flying regularly almost a decade ago. (For the first two years, I always wore comfy sweatpants and trainers on long-haul flights. One time, I decided to experiment by wearing a tailored jacket and pointy kitten-heels—and I noticed everyone became nicer!)

3) It has a cute food court.

By 'cute' I mean it has substantial offerings in the form of hefty bowls of noodle soup, freshly-baked cookies and muffins, and the sort of things I like to eat and tote along when traveling. Anyhow, for more on food, visit my other blog, AllMySugar.com, where I've just written about finally making buttercream frosting. I'm in a baking frenzy! But more on that on my next blog post.

Oh, Lovely Beach Weekend

See that pristine stretch of sand? That's where we went.

I'd recently posted a message on my cousin Jacque's Facebook page after seeing a beautiful photo she uploaded from a trip to Camiguin Island a week before. I said how much I would want to get to go to the beach one last time before summer was over, at least in this part of the world. (I'm actually headed for my second summer next week, when I head back to the U.S. Yay!)

She asked if I still had time to visit the family out of town and within minutes, I booked myself and my husband Cebu Pacific tickets online. I actually only had enough money for the one-way trip, and I figured, I would buy the tickets for going back later in the week. Jacque, being naturally quick and efficient, scheduled the boat that would take us to another island (secret!) about an hour from where they live. Talk about fun and relaxing!

Here are some photos from our trip.

The kids on the net (at the side of the boat) en route to the island.

My husband, snorkeling in clear waters.

Enjoying a dip in flippers.

Good clean fun in the sun.

Sunning myself on the boat.

A stopover in the middle of the ocean.