Courtside, live

As a stereotypical Filipino boy,

basketball found me early.

On dusty courts.

On improvised rings.

On borrowed shoes.

On afternoons that felt endless.

We were glued to the TV.

Watching Kobe Bryant’s fadeaway.

Shaquille O'Neal’s dominance.

Peja Stojaković’s smooth jumper.

Allen Iverson’s fearless drives.

When the game ended,

I grabbed my controller

and opened 2K.

I played as Kobe.

Led the Los Angeles Lakers.

Hit buzzer-beaters

that echoed through our living room.

It wasn’t just a game.

It was rehearsal.

Practice for a dream

I didn’t know how to reach yet,

but refused to let go of.

Years later,

I finally walked into

Staples Center.

A place that once felt

impossibly far away

and impossibly expensive.

The same court I grew up watching.

The same floor

where legends became memories.

Only this time,

I wasn’t watching from a screen.

I was there.

And it wasn’t Kobe anymore.

It was LeBron James

leading the Lakers.

New era.

Same heartbeat.

When the lights dimmed

and the crowd roared,

I felt every version of myself

in that moment.

The kid waking up early in Manila.

The teenager holding a controller.

The man finally living the dream.

All in one seat.

All at once.

That’s when it hit me:

Dreams don’t chase you.

You move toward them.

Step by step.

Sacrifice by sacrifice.

Decision by decision.

So grind.

Get that visa.

Book that ticket.

Take the risk.

Live the story

you’ve only seen on screen.

Because dreams aren’t meant

to stay dreams.

They’re meant to be felt.

Courtside.

In real life.

Forever to go

“If you want to reach a faraway place faster, bring a friend.”

At first, I thought it was only about travel.

About long roads feeling shorter when conversations stretch.

About hours dissolving into stories, laughter, and quiet moments.

About forgetting the clock because you are too busy being present.

You stop counting the miles.

You stop watching the time.

You just move forward.

And before you know it, you have arrived.

It makes sense, doesn’t it?

Think about it.

How weekends disappear when you are with people you love.

How conversations suddenly last until midnight.

How “just one more story” turns into hours.

How old photos feel like they were taken yesterday.

How songs can pull you back to another version of yourself.

How places hold memories you did not know you were keeping.

Time moves differently around the things that matter.

Days blur.

Months blend.

Seasons change quietly.

You look back and wonder,

“Was it really that long ago?”

And maybe that is why

I did not notice how fast this past year went.

It was lunch dates and long talks.

Plans and compromises.

Small surprises.

Quiet celebrations.

Moments I made sure to remember,

even while living them.

Because I am a romantic like that.

I noticed the milestones.

I felt the weight of the promises.

I treasured the days.

And still,

somehow,

time slipped by gently.

Time really does fly.

Especially

when you are walking with your partner in life.

That's one year down for us..

Out of season

We weren’t supposed to see snow today.

The forecast said clear skies.

The plan said spring.

We boarded a 2.5-hour bus from Shibuya to Kawaguchiko.

Light trenchies on,

camera ready,

and heart set on cherry blossoms

and sunlight.

Instead,

we met winter’s last surprise.

The first flakes came without warning.

A whisper against the window, a blur outside the glass.

People gasped.

Phones lifted.

Strangers shared the same disbelief.

By the time we reached the lake,
the world had changed color.

The pinks of the sakura were fading under soft white.

It was like stepping into a dream
that refused to follow the season’s script.

I remember standing by the water.

No gloves.

No plan.

Just awe.

The cold stung my fingers,
but I couldn’t bring myself to hide them.

Snow was falling gently,
like the sky was exhaling.

Behind the mist, Mount Fuji stood in silence.

Steady and timeless.

Unbothered by the irony of snow falling over blossoms.

I took photos but none could capture it.

The lens kept fogging up.

Maybe it was meant to be that way.

Some moments aren’t meant to be framed.

Moments you don’t plan but somehow need.

Life’s interruptions.

We went to chase spring, but winter found us first.

And in that mismatch, I learned something about grace.

The kind that arrives unannounced, unbothered by your plans.

Not all storms are bad.

Some are reminders

to pause and let the snow fall,

to feel something unexpected.

Because when life starts to feel predictable,

you’ll remember that once..

In Japan,
snow fell on your cherry blossoms.

And it was still nice.

No more "someday"

As kids, we sang about bridges falling down

long before we knew where they were.

Now here I am,

walking the streets of London

for real,

with my own fair lady beside me.

Dialing inside the red phone booths

near Westminster Abbey.

Crossing Abbey Road Crossing

like The Beatles

and mildly annoying traffic.

Channeling Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts

in Notting Hill.

Suiting up, Kingsman-style,

along Savile Row.

Shopping through the West End

and Harrods.

High tea at The Savoy.

Pushing the trolley at Platform 9 3/4 at

King's Cross Station.

Watching my wife curtsy

at Buckingham Palace.

And standing at the center of time

in Royal Observatory Greenwich.

Somewhere along the way,

it hit me:

The boy who once taped Big Ben postcards

on his bedroom wall

is standing here now.

No filter.

No brochure.

No “someday.”

Just here.

Sounds exciting?

It is.

But more than that,

it’s a reminder.

If I can do this,

you can too.

Not “next year.”

Not “when things slow down.”

Not “when life is easier.”

Now.

While your knees still cooperate.

While walking all day feels normal.

While jackets still fit the way you want them to.

Before kids, bills, and responsibilities

become permanent calendar entries.

Dreams don’t expire.

But courage does,

if you keep postponing it.

So…

Where to next?

This far already

Walking through streets older than memory,

I felt something shift.

At the Trevi Fountain,

my wife and I tossed a coin.

Not to ask for more.

Just to say thank you.

Through the Roman Forum and Colosseum,

history stopped feeling distant.

It felt close.

Real.

Inside the Pantheon,

I thought about time.

About how many lives had passed through it.

How many dreams had stood where we were standing.

Nearby, we found a small gelateria with more 150 flavors.

Too many to choose from.

Too tempting to ignore.

Then, a stop at Venchi.

More gelato.

More laughter.

More “let’s try one more.”

Walking through Rome

with gelato in hand,

laughing like kids.

Getting lost.

Finding our way back.

Laughing at the wrong turns.

Then came the part

that stayed with me the most.

Vatican City.

Inside St. Peter’s Basilica

and beneath the masterpieces of the Sistine Chapel,

I felt small,

in the best way.

Surrounded by centuries of faith,

prayer,

and devotion.

Looking up at Michelangelo’s work,

standing beneath a dome

that has witnessed generations of believers,

I realized how human hands,

guided by faith,

can create something

that feels close to heaven.

As devout Catholics,

this wasn’t just another stop.

It was a blessing.

We lined up before sunrise.

Queued for hours.

Tired.

Sleepy.

Hopeful.

And it was worth it.

We stood just a few feet away

from Pope Francis.

Few feet away. Few. Single digits.

Close enough to see his smile.

Close enough to feel the moment.

Surreal.

Along the way,

we met fellow Filipinos.

Travelers.

Families.

Dreamers.

A senior citizen cried,

“Puwede na ako mamatay.

Nakapunta na ako sa Vatican.”

Was she exaggerating?

Maybe.

Or maybe she was just in awe.

Because when you come from humble beginnings,

moments like this feel unreal.

Like grace

you never expected.

Rome didn’t feel like a flex.

It felt like grounding.

It wasn’t about being amazed anymore.

It was about being present.

Holding her hand.

Sharing gelato.

Praying together.

Saying thank you.

No pressure.

No performance.

No proving anything.

Just gratitude.

Rome felt like a pause.

A breath.

A reminder that before chasing what’s next,

it’s okay to stand still

and appreciate where you are.

With her.

And somehow,

that made everything

even more meaningful.

Once Impossible

The Eiffel Tower was something you saw in movies,

on postcards,

in textbooks.

Not somewhere you imagined

you’d actually stand one day.

Back then,

in my high school days at Notre-Dame of Manila,

my dreams were simple.

Finish school.

Find stable work.

Build a decent life.

That was already enough.

So standing today

in front of the real

Notre-Dame de Paris,

I couldn’t help but smile.

Not just because of Notre-Dame.

But because of the journey

it took to get here.

And beside me,

my wife.

Our honeymoon

in the most romantic city in the world.

From the hills of

Sacré-Cœur,

to the halls of the

Louvre Museum,

from the lights of

Moulin Rouge,

to the view at the

Arc de Triomphe,

and of course,

the timeless

Eiffel Tower,

Everything felt unreal.

Dining on a cruise along the

Seine River,

the city glowing around us

like a moving postcard.

Walking the

Champs-Élysées,

where my wife was named after.

A queenly name

for my mademoiselle.

Taking selfies at the same café

where the final letter was read by Emilia Clarke from "Me Before You." 

Moments I never imagined

I would get to live.

And yet,

here I was.

Here we were.

A boy from a modest home.

A girl who believed in him.

Standing in a city once thought impossible.

And suddenly,

it all made sense.

Because having the right partner

changes everything.

Someone who believes when you doubt.

Stays when things are uncertain.

Dreams with you

even when the dream feels too big.

She is my world.

And together,

we will keep seeing the world.

One blessing at a time.