Hey~! Have I told you already that I love October? A lot of things happened this month, so here's another blog post!

A few months ago my good friend Maddie invited me to cosplay with her in Fantasy Quest. I've never attended this event before, and seeing that it'll be held at Fernwood Gardens (which I've been to early this year for another good friend's wedding) I just had to say yes! 

Since I'm pretty lazy the good thing about this is that I didn't have to worry about my costume - I just had to research my character and see what makes her tick, simple enough. I think this was my first (and only) cosplay of the year so it meant a lot to me to be invited.

I bumped into a lot of old friends while we roamed around the venue, too. I haven't been going to conventions lately so seeing them again in an event was pretty fun.

The social recluse in me was sounding the alarm in my head as soon as the place got a little too cramped, but I made it through the end in one piece. Jed picked me up afterwards and we had dinner somewhere a lot quieter. (I will always prefer quiet dinners with him, especially after the chaos of cosplaying the whole day.)

There was a tad bit of reluctance on my part when Maddie asked me to cosplay with her, mostly because I know I've gained a lot of weight since the last time I donned a costume. The sigh of relief I let out when I found out Yuki's costume fit me just fine was enough to put my point across. Welp, here's to losing 30 - 40 lbs. of fat in the coming months!

But being back in the scene reminded me why I started this hobby in the first place - you won't find this exhilaration and camaraderie anywhere else! I guess once I'm in a better state of mind I'll slowly ease myself back into the hobby. Fingers crossed.

Despite what other people (read: killjoys) say, Halloween will always be my favorite time of the year for many reasons; it falls on my birth month, for one. The cosplayer side of me will always be gung-ho for any costume-making merriment, and it's also the only time of the year I can dress up as whatever or whoever without the usual judgment and stigma that comes with my hobby. 

It's the best time for me to let my creative juices flow - and boy did it ever this year. 

As is customary for my company to hold a Halloween competition, this year they put up a new theme and deadline. With everyone's spirits dipping because of some recent changes we didn't know how badly we needed this distraction. Plus as the reigning champion from last year we all wanted to make sure that we're not leaving without our mark!

Did we win? Of course~! I'm very proud to be part of this team - each one did their part and gave it their very best. All the effort was worth it!

While it's now a bittersweet memory for most of us, we're happy to have left one last milestone in our time in Microsourcing. Plus next year all the other accounts have very big shoes to fill, lol. Now onwards to new adventures!

Figured it was a good time to go for one last out-of-town trip before the year ended even though it's still October just to get the past month's taste out of our mouths. Things had been happening so fast lately, and whether we knew it or not we desperately needed a breather before we start tearing our hair out of our heads.

Lately I've developed a penchant for searching for white beaches online during my spare time in the office and I came across this resort while checking out Trip Advisor. The lovely reviews piqued my interest so I decided to convince my partner into booking a stay. It didn't take much on my end because one look at the stunning pictures was enough for him to have us file our leaves and prepare for the trip!

Jed was the one that coordinated with the reservations team, leaving me to take care of planning our itinerary and travel route. He sent them first an inquiry email and promptly received a response where they let us know that the cottage we were looking to book had been taken already, but in lieu of that offered us their newer accommodations to try out. We were quite happy that they were so considerate and opted to take their offer to stay in their Tree House. We booked a 3-day-2-night stay and paid via bank deposit, and they provided us with a receipt via email to present to the reception on the day of our booking.

How we got there:

Remember to bring plenty of water to drink during the trip, especially if you're traveling during summertime. Enjoy the tricycle ride going to Stilts - the road to the resort is so picture-perfect!

Naturally I went ham on the pictures:

The main beach. This area is where the tourists and hotel guests frequent, and where most of the beach activities take place.  This is also where you'll find their famous stilts cottages. Near the shore you'll find a hut where you can rent kayaks, boats, swimming and snorkeling gear, and more.

Wading in the water. This is the beach that's nearest to our Treehouse. You can see that it's a little less-maintained but still pristine. They decided to preserve the seaweed in this part, and you can find lots of starfish and other creatures that bury themselves in the sand. Naturally I freaked out.

Other side of the second beach. Lots of big rocks over on that side. The maintenance staff actually discourages you from walking across the rocks as it could get dangerous.

The eponymous stilts cottages. These cottages are built for multiple guests, and their biggest can fit up to 25 people. They all look well-built and meticulously maintained, and each cottage has a ladder that gives its guests direct access to the beach. The area at the bottom and near the cottages are rife with seaweed. The growth isn't thick enough to concern you, but make sure you still wear proper gear for safety.

The blushing line of Calatagan. There's a spot near their restaurant where you can sit and catch the full, unobstructed view of the sunset while enjoying your dinner. They also have benches and love seats scattered across their main beach if you'd like a more secluded and romantic setting.

Second day in the resort. Still so beautiful.

The swimming pool was quaint and adequately-sized. The best part about it, however, is that it's heated so you can enjoy the pool at night without your teeth chattering! Jed and I enjoyed a lovely night swim before calling it a night. It's so relaxing!

The welcome sign greeting you to paradise. Walk down this pathway and you'll reach the hotel lobby and the pool. All around the resort you'll find adages and quotes that add to the resort's charm. I think it's a really cute and personal touch.

The entire time were were there we couldn't think of anything else other than how beautiful the resort was, and how everything was so well-maintained. The staff were well-trained and very friendly, and gave us all that we needed - whether we asked for it or not. This place took our worries away and allowed us to focus on each other as a couple, and for that alone we made a promise to come back.

I also regret not taking pictures of the food they had to offer. Most of their dishes are for sharing, and all very delicious and affordable. Their selection of drinks and cocktails also had us very satisfied; I had one damn good Sidecar!

At the end of your stay they will ask you to fill up a guestbook and tell them about your experience, and honestly I think the whole guestbook isn't enough for me to write down just how much we loved the place.

We sincerely had no words. Impeccable service from the staff - from the email reservations team down to the lovely maintenance people. 10/10, we will be back very soon.

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Stilts Calatagan Beach Resort
Please visit their website for more info, reservations, and inquiries.
You may also contact them on these numbers:

0917-5863343 / 0917-5237777
0917-5807653 / 0908-8662254
0925-8226654

Send them an email at stilts.sales@gmail.com or sales@stiltscalataganbeachresort.net
Or fill out their contact form.