I Just Turned 21! Happy Birthday To Me🎂

I just turned 21 the other day, and life felt new again, with all these versions of who I was, have become, and will be. Most of my birthdays are just simple ones but memorable, and I always hope to celebrate them this way. This year, I celebrated it still simply, but in a more joyous and memorable way, for I celebrated it with this man with whom I am sharing my life and with my family that was complete and made me feel worthy of loving. I was just a little toddler before, and suddenly now I'm 21. The world has become quite different for me every year, but I keep on navigating this life wholeheartedly because I always believe there is so much more worthy to chase than disowning it. Also, I really owe my past selves a favor, and as I grow up, I keep on thinking about how to heal them. Maybe, by just staying and living in the present and turning 21, I can make them proud of me.

I spent the day in our house with my family, who cooked food for my birthday and prepared everything so I could enjoy my day. It was dinner when we ate together, complete, and they surprised me with a birthday cake and sang in my room. They were quite busy since it was a weekday, but they managed to go home and celebrate my birthday just like in the good old years. At dinner, I left the house because I had to travel to a resort in Tambongon, Cebu, where my boyfriend was waiting for us to have dinner, me as the celebrant and him as my boyfriend. It was in San Remigio Beach Club Resort that I saw myself rushing to the front desk, hoping to see my boyfriend as soon as possible after two hours of him waiting. He is patient, and he was preparing something I didn't expect that night.

I went to the resort's restaurant to place our orders, and it was just an hour before closing time. It was 8 in the evening, and their closing time is 9 o'clock in the evening. I ordered grilled pork belly, a pitcher of iced tea, Hawaiian pizza, camaron rebosao, chop suey, and a platter of rice for our dinner. Just enough food for the both of us since we were not that hungry by that time, knowing we were excited about the night we would spend together in our reserved room in the resort. We had planned many things to do on my birthday, and it made us feel full. Weird, isn't it?

Patiently waiting and nervous that we would lose time as closing time was fast approaching, I suddenly heard my boyfriend's voice singing a birthday song, his hands full with a candle-lighted dessert, a flower bouquet, and a gift in a box containing photocards and an audio tape of his message. The staff in the restaurant also sang with him, and I was surprised by his surprise. I thought he didn't have something for me, considering he wanted us to save money for our future, but still he made a way to make my day memorable. He had already planned this before our savings, and I was very happy to see him singing a birthday song, holding gifts he gave to me with intention and contentment.

Then a blackout occurred while we were happily eating our food. It was completely dark, but then I figured out it was something I would remember forever. I took my phone and turned on my flashlight so we could continue eating dinner, and it was more romantic than having light. I will remember that part of my birthday forever.

We went to our room after the blackout since we ran out of time and the resort's staff needed to close their restaurant. We brought our food with us and continued eating in our room, and the staff helped us bring the food there. We booked a simple, standard room for one night in the resort so we could have our time together while celebrating my birthday.

We slept for two hours after celebrating my birthday and woke up early in the morning to do our plans, such as swimming at the pool, taking a walk to the beach, and doing a specific activity, which was making flower bracelets and rings together because the world didn't end when we chose to love each other despite discrimination and inequality.

This is how our morning looked after turning 21, and mornings like this, although messy, are something I value the most—the kind of mess I want to see every day, for it means love as mess and we will figure it out every day.

We went to the pool after eating breakfast and enjoyed our time since we were the only ones around the resort at that time because it was a weekday, which meant little to no visitors or tourists. My boyfriend and I went to the water as soon as we finished putting our clothes on the benches and taking some photos for memory dump. You can see in our photos how much we enjoyed our time together and how happy I was to celebrate another year in this world.

A stay in a resort wouldn't be complete without a walk to the coast and feeling the fresh breeze of San Remigio town. I saw the remaining part of northern Cebu, and it was stunning to see the mountain ranges and remote provinces here in our town. I then hoped I could go there for hiking and camping because I heard some news that this part of the island has good hiking trails and uncrowded tourist destinations. The sea water was blue, and the surrounding areas contained many trees, as if nature was meeting that day. The weather was just so perfect, and we slept for minutes on the bench set on the sand because the weather and wind were so perfect to sleep in.

When we left the resort, we stayed on the Lapyahan beaches for a while to watch the sunset. We couldn't stay a little longer in the resort because it was past 12, our checkout time, and we needed to go out to this place while tricycles were nearby. The sunset and the sea in Lapyahan of San Remigio were majestic, and we couldn't help being in awe of its beauty. We took as many photos as we could, and let me share with you the normal, golden day of Lapyahan sa San Remigio.

In case you missed my post about San Remigio Beach Club Sports Leisure, here is what you should know about it through my previous blogs:

Let's see what their resort's website tells interested tourists and visitors:

San Remigio Beach Club opened in May 2002. In our almost two decades of operation, the 5.5-hectare resort has offered its guests a different day, every day. With the town’s famous longest coastline in the province on one side and the bucolic countryside on the other, the resort gives a glimpse of local life and an authentic Cebuano experience. We have both a pool and a private sandy beach, perfect for couples, families, and friends. Our dining options source fresh and quality products in this town combined with an international culinary touch, and every meal promises something exciting or the chance to revisit familiar favorites.