Good afternoon and welcome back to VibePinas! Today was a day of absolute extremes—from the deep blue waters of Oslob to the peaceful heights of our mountain home in Ginatilan. We’ve been through a lot lately with the typhoon recovery, so we decided to take a little detour for some adventure before heading back to the "grind" of house repairs.
Our first stop was Oslob, but we weren't there for the whale sharks this time. Instead, I decided to take Jessa out for a kayaking trip. Now, you have to understand, Jessa and deep water are not exactly a match made in heaven. I thought it would be a nice, romantic activity, but for Jessa, it was more like a scene from a thriller movie! As soon as we got a bit away from the shore and she could see the dark blue depths below us, she went into full "dramatic mode." She was clutching the sides of the kayak, eyes wide, convinced that every ripple was a sea monster coming for us. I couldn't help but laugh—I told her to trust her husband, but I think she was more focused on making it back to dry land in one piece!
Despite her fear, the view from the water was incredible. There’s a certain peace you only get when you’re out on the ocean, even if your passenger is currently "sculpting" your arm with her fingernails out of pure terror. We eventually made it back to the beach, and Jessa’s relief was so visible she practically kissed the sand. It’s moments like these that make our vlogs what they are—real, messy, and usually full of Jessa’s hilarious reactions to my "great ideas."
After our ocean adventure, we began the long drive back up to our mountain cabin in Ginatilan. As we climbed higher, the air cooled down, and the landscape shifted from coastal palms to lush, dense mountain greenery. There’s a specific point in the drive where you can see the whole valley stretching out below, and every time I see it, I’m reminded of why we fell in love with this spot.
Coming home to the mountain is always bittersweet right now. On one hand, it’s our sanctuary. On the other hand, the work ahead of us is massive. We spent the afternoon checking on the progress of the house. The roof is holding up, but there’s still so much to do to make it the comfortable family home we envision. Liam was thrilled to be back in his "kingdom," running around and exploring every corner. He’s such a resilient little guy; as long as he has space to move and his parents nearby, he’s happy.
We ended the day on the balcony, watching the mist roll over the hills. We talked a lot about our future—about the balance between our health, our finances, and this dream house. It’s not always easy, and sometimes the weight of the debt and the repairs feels heavy, but then I look at Jessa and Liam, and I know we’re exactly where we need to be. We’re taking it one day at a time, one board at a time, and one laugh at a time.
If you want to see the "unfiltered" footage of Jessa’s kayaking meltdown or the stunning evening views from our Ginatilan retreat, come join us.
Thanks for watching, and I’ll see you in the next one!
