Eiffel in Louvre (Fell in Love)

My early years were spent studying at a Notre Dame school in Manila, part of a proud institution with an international legacy.

Funny how, back then, Disney’s Hunchback of Notre Dame was a big thing too.
A school, a story, and a name I thought I’d only ever see on screen.

Years later, life would bring me to Paris.
Seeing it in the flesh.
The real Notre-Dame.

Saw the bell, didn’t see any gargoyles.
What I did see, though, was someone better than Esmeralda... my lovely wife, of course.

Our honeymoon in the most romantic city in the world.
Notre-Dame, Basilique Sacré-Cœur, Musée du Louvre, Moulin Rouge, Arc de Triomphe, and of course, Tour Eiffel — everything felt straight out of a dream.

Dining on a five-course meal while cruising down the Seine River, the city glowing around us like a moving postcard.

Shopping #yolo along Champs-Élysées, where my wife was named after. Regal name for my queen.

Taking selfies at same café where the final letter was read by Emilia Clarke in Before You. 

And while the violins of the street musicians filled the air, I couldn’t help but feel grateful for the woman beside me.

Having the right partner is everything.
Someone who brings out the best in you.
Believes when you doubt.
Dreams with you even when it seems impossible.

She is my world.
And together, we will see the world.

Life partner

Every guy has his crush, his best friend, and his great love.

I’m one of the lucky ones, because they all turned out to be the same person.
Today, I married her.

Nine years. That’s how long it took to get here.
Years of growing up together, chasing dreams, fighting doubts, and choosing each other through it all.

From college hallways to the altar.
From shared snacks in the campus, to shared prayers and promises.

She saw me before the titles, before the confidence, before the success.
She believed in the version of me that didn’t even exist yet.

Whatever I’ve achieved today, she’s a big part of it.
My anchor when things get heavy.
My cheerleader when I forget how far I’ve come.
My calm in every storm.

I know the days ahead may be challenging,
but nothing will ever be that bad, because I have her.

People say marriage changes you. Maybe it does.
But only if you choose right.

Because the person you choose can shape you, lift you higher, ground you deeper, and remind you what really matters.

Today, I didn’t just gain a wife.
I gained a home in human form.

Forever grateful to the woman who completed me.

The person made me believe that love, when real, makes you better in every way.