Friday, December 30, 2022

๐Ÿฎ๐Ÿฌ๐Ÿฎ๐Ÿฎ ๐—ฌ๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ ๐—ถ๐—ป ๐—ฅ๐—ฒ๐˜ƒ๐—ถ๐—ฒ๐˜„: ๐—ก๐—ฒ๐˜„ ๐—Ÿ๐—ถ๐—ณ๐—ฒ ๐—ถ๐—ป ๐—–๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฎ๐—ฑ๐—ฎ


๐™๐™๐™š ๐™ฎ๐™š๐™–๐™ง 2022 ๐™๐™–๐™จ ๐™—๐™š๐™š๐™ฃ ๐™– ๐™ข๐™š๐™–๐™ฃ๐™ž๐™ฃ๐™œ๐™›๐™ช๐™ก ๐™ก๐™ž๐™›๐™š ๐™˜๐™๐™–๐™ฅ๐™ฉ๐™š๐™ง ๐™›๐™ค๐™ง ๐™ข๐™š. ๐™๐™๐™ž๐™จ ๐™ž๐™จ ๐™ฌ๐™๐™š๐™ฃ ๐™„ ๐™ฉ๐™ง๐™–๐™ซ๐™š๐™ก๐™š๐™™ ๐™ฉ๐™๐™ค๐™ช๐™จ๐™–๐™ฃ๐™™๐™จ ๐™ค๐™› ๐™ข๐™ž๐™ก๐™š๐™จ ๐™–๐™ฌ๐™–๐™ฎ ๐™›๐™ง๐™ค๐™ข ๐™๐™ค๐™ข๐™š ๐™ฉ๐™ค ๐™จ๐™ฉ๐™–๐™ง๐™ฉ ๐™– ๐™ฃ๐™š๐™ฌ ๐™ก๐™ž๐™›๐™š ๐™ž๐™ฃ ๐˜พ๐™–๐™ฃ๐™–๐™™๐™–. 

It's a new beginning for me as a newcomer to a place that offers opportunities for growth and success. As I leave the Philippines, I will have all the good memories, life lessons, and faith that will inspire me to move on to the next chapter. The excitement of exploring a new culture and the challenges of adapting to a different climate are all part of this journey. 

Travel from the Philippines to Canada 

I feel the love and support of my family as I bid farewell. It was an incredible journey, and I am thinking about what lies ahead in my dreams and desires. 

I carried the lessons learned from my parents and cherished those precious moments with them. My family inspires me to strive for the better, keep fighting, and live a good life. 

Even when I'm far away from home, we're always connected, and they are inspired by what I share about my new life. 

Spring has Sprung 

I arrived in Canada in February 2022, in the second half of Winter. Although I haven't experienced heavy snowfall, I still feel cold and am adjusting to the frigid weather. 

The Spring season began in March, with pleasant weather. That's when Cherry blossoms are everywhere, and romantic scenery makes people smile and feel loved. 

It feels good to have visited Victoria, the capital of British Columbia. It was a charming and laid-back city on Vancouver Island, full of history, unique places, and culture. Vancouver Island is just an hour-and-a-half ferry ride away from Vancouver's mainland. 

It was a fantastic trip as we celebrated Holy Week 2022 in Victoria. They have the mildest weather in British Columbia, so people enjoy strolling around while enjoying the scenic views. 

Spring reminds us of a beautiful new beginning. It's like a restart button after things become chaotic. This season, we travel more, explore places, taste various cuisines, and enjoy events. 

Summer Season in the Sun 

Summer is the time to be outdoors. The weather is temperate, and it's the best time for camping in the mountains, woods, and creeks. 

Summer can be sweltering, but it doesn't stop us from traveling to places for adventure and new experiences. 

It can be warm to hot just before the summer officially begins, so we can already feel the summer vibe. We traveled about five hours to Logan Lake, located Northeast of Vancouver. That's the most extended land travel I experienced in British Columbia. We had a great weekend camping and the best road trip ever. 

I celebrated my birthday in the summer on the Sunshine Coast, and it was a memorable experience to travel to the coastal towns with magnificent views. 

We had a creekside camping, a beach walk, a harbor stroll, and an excellent ferry ride. 

The summer season makes the lawn dry for several months of drought, but some farms can be so green, like the Richmond Country Farms, where we enjoyed the Sunflower Festival. 

Sunset is late during the summer, as the night starts between 9 and 10 p.m., and dawn is as early as 4:30 a.m. That means we may have shorter sleep and more Netflix time. 

Fall in Love 

The Fall season is magical as the leaves turn to different colors like yellow, red, orange, and brown. It makes the surroundings golden when the leaves do not fall from the trees. And when it falls to the ground, it's just incredible and lovely. 

During the fall season, farmers harvest their produce, so farms are busy with festivals and activities. I enjoyed the pumpkin patch experience, the pumpkin soup, and the pumpkin pie. 

During the fall, we celebrate Thanksgiving for the blessings and graces we received and the bountiful harvest the farmers shared with everyone. 

Winter Wonderland 

It's the season when winter storms can cause chaos in the city. Traveling may be challenging when the road is slushy, and there are several snow days. 

I experienced the first significant snowstorm of this year on November 29, when I was stranded on the road for almost 2 hours and suffered from shivering. 

During winter, the days become shorter, and the nights become longer. It can be dark as early as 4 p.m. and very cold when the temperatures hit below freezing. 

We live in the Pacific Northwest region of Canada, British Columbia, which has the mildest temperature in the country. It's not as harsh and frigid as Canada's central and eastern sides. So we're blessed with a favorable climate all year round. 

Winter season is fun when we experience snow activities in mountain resorts. We visited Mount Seymour in North Vancouver a week before Christmas Day and enjoyed activities like toboggan and tubing. There's no reason to be stuck at home when we can still enjoy the snow until it lasts. 

Four Seasons in Canada 

I've experienced Canada's four seasons: Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall. Each season has its unique beauty and charm, from the serene snowfall of Winter to the vibrant colors of Fall. It's hard to pick the most beautiful season when each one brings its own wonders. 

We have made it this year, 2022. We have traveled great distances in British Columbia and had a meaningful journey. We discovered places, explored local cultures, and enjoyed the food, the wine, and the music. 

We have made it this year, 2022. We have traveled great distances in British Columbia and had a meaningful journey. We discovered places, explored local cultures, and enjoyed the food, the wine, and the music. None of this would have been possible without the unwavering support of my family and friends, for which I am truly grateful. Their encouragement and understanding have been a constant source of strength for me. 

There are so many things to enjoy and experience, so we eagerly look forward to more travel in 2023. Life is a journey on the road. It gives a new perspective on something. 

Once in a while, we need to unwind, recharge, and rejuvenate, and this is made possible through traveling, exploring places, and experiencing new things. I'm excited to share these experiences with you, my dear readers, and make you feel part of my journey. 

This year is also about developing new skills as I venture into YouTube vlogging. The prospect of sharing my experiences more dynamically is not just fascinating, but also thrilling. I've been a blogger since 2011, but I need to upgrade my skills to integrate the world of vlogs into creating meaningful travel journals. I've named my YouTube channel, Del Make it Happen, as a reflection of my goals and aspirations.

The year 2022 has been a roller coaster of emotions. I've learned many things in Canada and hope to continue living my best life while achieving my most cherished hopes and dreams. 

©️ 2022 Del Cusay 

Related Posts: 

๐Ÿ‘‰ 2021 Year in Review: Reunited in Love 

๐Ÿ‘‰ 2020 Year in Review: Overcoming Great Odds 

๐Ÿ‘‰ 2019 Year in Review: The Greatest Love

Sunday, December 25, 2022

Christmas in Our Hearts 2022: ๐— ๐˜† ๐—™๐—ถ๐—ฟ๐˜€๐˜ ๐—–๐—ต๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐˜€๐˜๐—บ๐—ฎ๐˜€ ๐—ถ๐—ป ๐—–๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฎ๐—ฑ๐—ฎ

๐˜พ๐™๐™ง๐™ž๐™จ๐™ฉ๐™ข๐™–๐™จ ๐™ž๐™จ ๐™ฉ๐™๐™š ๐™ข๐™ค๐™จ๐™ฉ ๐™ฌ๐™ค๐™ฃ๐™™๐™š๐™ง๐™›๐™ช๐™ก ๐™ฉ๐™ž๐™ข๐™š ๐™ค๐™› ๐™ฉ๐™๐™š ๐™ฎ๐™š๐™–๐™ง. ๐™„๐™ฉ'๐™จ ๐™›๐™ช๐™ฃ ๐™–๐™ฃ๐™™ ๐™š๐™ญ๐™˜๐™ž๐™ฉ๐™ž๐™ฃ๐™œ. ๐™ƒ๐™ค๐™ฌ๐™š๐™ซ๐™š๐™ง, ๐™˜๐™š๐™ก๐™š๐™—๐™ง๐™–๐™ฉ๐™ž๐™ฃ๐™œ ๐™ž๐™ฉ ๐™›๐™–๐™ง ๐™–๐™ฌ๐™–๐™ฎ ๐™›๐™ง๐™ค๐™ข ๐™๐™ค๐™ข๐™š ๐™ž๐™จ ๐™– ๐™™๐™ž๐™›๐™›๐™š๐™ง๐™š๐™ฃ๐™ฉ ๐™š๐™ญ๐™ฅ๐™š๐™ง๐™ž๐™š๐™ฃ๐™˜๐™š. ๐™„๐™ฉ'๐™จ ๐™– ๐™ฌ๐™๐™ž๐™ฉ๐™š ๐™ฌ๐™š๐™ฉ ๐™–๐™ฃ๐™™ ๐™™๐™–๐™ง๐™  ๐˜พ๐™๐™ง๐™ž๐™จ๐™ฉ๐™ข๐™–๐™จ ๐™ž๐™ฃ ๐˜พ๐™–๐™ฃ๐™–๐™™๐™–. 

Family is forever, and yes, they are in the Philippines. I felt a little despondent on my first Christmas in Canada. It was not something I expected or wanted. 

There's no 'Noche Buena' culture here, a tradition in the Philippines where families gather for a festive meal on Christmas Eve. It's quiet, and people prefer to be at home for some reason. 

Is Christ present during our darkest times, when we feel down and don't feel good about ourselves? 

There's more love in the Philippines during Christmas, so we dwell on our home country's most meaningful and memorable moments. 

We feel good and brighten the darkness whenever we reminisce about the good Christmas moments. 

Our family, no matter where they are, is a source of understanding and comfort. Christmas is the most special day of the year when we remember and talk to them. It's a time to share our joys and sorrows, our thoughts and feelings. Our family is our anchor, and their love and support make the distance feel a little less. 

All I want this Christmas is to feel the presence of Christ. His love and the Holy Spirit to guide and lift me. Others may have forgotten and been blinded by their priorities, but we can't follow their path. They always have the choice to make beyond our control. 


I still want to feel the bright side of Christmas, the joy and love that it brings. The ups and downs, the challenges and the loneliness, will always be there, but Christ will be in our hearts, guiding us through. 

In his message this year, the Pope reminded us, "Even in dark times, never lose hope in God's love." It's a powerful reminder that there is always light, even in our darkest hour. This Christmas, let's hold on to this hope and let it guide us through the challenges we face. 

©️ 2022 Del Cusay 

Sunday, December 18, 2022

๐—ฆ๐—ฝ๐—ฒ๐—ฐ๐˜๐—ฎ๐—ฐ๐˜‚๐—น๐—ฎ๐—ฟ ๐—–๐—ต๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐˜€๐˜๐—บ๐—ฎ๐˜€ ๐—Ÿ๐—ถ๐—ด๐—ต๐˜ ๐—™๐—ฒ๐˜€๐˜๐—ถ๐˜ƒ๐—ฎ๐—น ๐—ถ๐—ป ๐—–๐—น๐—ผ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ฑ๐—ฎ๐—น๐—ฒ


๐˜พ๐™๐™ง๐™ž๐™จ๐™ฉ๐™ข๐™–๐™จ ๐™ž๐™จ ๐™–๐™ก๐™ก ๐™–๐™—๐™ค๐™ช๐™ฉ ๐™˜๐™๐™ž๐™ก๐™™๐™ง๐™š๐™ฃ, ๐™–๐™จ ๐™ฉ๐™๐™š๐™ฎ ๐™จ๐™–๐™ฎ. ๐™„ ๐™ง๐™š๐™ข๐™š๐™ข๐™—๐™š๐™ง ๐™ฌ๐™๐™š๐™ฃ ๐™„ ๐™ฌ๐™–๐™จ ๐™– ๐™ ๐™ž๐™™, ๐™„ ๐™–๐™ก๐™ฌ๐™–๐™ฎ๐™จ ๐™ก๐™ค๐™ค๐™  ๐™›๐™ค๐™ง๐™ฌ๐™–๐™ง๐™™ ๐™ฌ๐™ž๐™ฉ๐™ ๐™ข๐™ช๐™˜๐™ ๐™š๐™ญ๐™˜๐™ž๐™ฉ๐™š๐™ข๐™š๐™ฃ๐™ฉ ๐™ฌ๐™๐™š๐™ฃ ๐˜ฟ๐™š๐™˜๐™š๐™ข๐™—๐™š๐™ง ๐™˜๐™ค๐™ข๐™š๐™จ.

Christmas is the most beautiful time of the year. We sing Christmas carols, receive gifts from our loved ones, and eagerly anticipate the magical gifts from Santa Claus. 


Back then, on Christmas Eve in my home country, the Philippines, we celebrated mass together as a family and shared a meal for "Noche Buena." The joyous celebration, the warmth of family, and the shared love made it a truly special time. 

As a grown-up adult, I still find meaning and joy in celebrating Christmas. This year, however, will be a different experience. It will be my first Christmas away from my family in the Philippines, my first Christmas in Canada. 



Here at Lumagica in Surrey, Canada, it brings back wonderful memories of when I was a kid. The fascination with Christmas trees and lights, the joyful spirit of hearing Christmas carols, and the excitement of seeing Santa Claus are joyous celebrations that I'm thrilled to share with you all. 

Lumagica is a magical light festival with a North Pole winter wonderland theme. It aims to attract families and give them a spectacular white Christmas.

Christmas is fun for the whole family, the
adults, and the little ones. But for the grown-ups, there's always that kid in us. We shout for joy; we genuinely enjoy! 




Let this Christmas season bring back that glow in our faces and sparkle in our eyes like a child. Find the magical experience that Christmas brings. Find happiness and joy in our hearts.
 
©️ 2022 Del Cusay