This Timeless Thursday, let me take you to a time five years ago, when all 8 of us best friends are still together at the same town and at the same country, travelling together on a beautiful southern island here in our island nation. If you have been a frequent on my blog, you'll remember my post about my best friends. You can read more about us here in Timeless Thursdays 4.
They have been my classmates since Kindergarten up until High School - R-Jay, Judy, Myrcel, Lea, Dianne, Ivy and Faith - at first you might think we all chose each other but just to think, we really had no say about us being friends because it was time and fate that let us stay together in the same classroom! But, kidding aside, we all love (and hate) each other so much, especially even now that we are all on our 30's. Yikes, I was the last of us 8 that turned 30 just a couple of weeks ago.
Faith, Lea, Dianne, RJay, Myrcel, Ivy, Steve, Judy
All eight of us went on a long and amazing journey together across the heart of Mindanao island, the second largest island in the country which is also the name of the region or islands tat includes all other smaller islands around it. Our first stop was the island province of Camiguin where the people are friendly, views are magical and beaches are phenomenal!
Just about a five to ten minute boat ride from the island's coast is White Island which is a sandbar lined up just across the Island born of Fire. It was truly a beautiful morning that day as we were the very first ones on that stretch of white sand in the middle of pristine blue waters. Here are some of our pictures taken at the Sandbar.
We were first at the island, no person to take our photo, glad my friend Rjay brought his GoPro
This post is part of Skywatch Friday
Ok where do we look?
Hey! What phone should we look into this time?
26 Years of Friendship (80% of our lives)
Roommates
Praying we'll travel again someday
I asked them to wear something white so we can have good pictures but it turned out to be more than good! We can surely use these pictures to bring back millions of memories not just of this trip but the happiness and joy of our friendship that started since we all knew how to read and write.
I will forever be grateful to God for giving me these wonderful siblings. People who I will surely take with me until my final days.
Do you have best/long-time friends too? Where and when did you meet them?
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I would love to welcome and invite everyone to join this new Linky that I thought of starting - Timeless Thursdays. (Bear with me for any short-comings, this is my first link ever)
Timeless Thursdays is open for anyone who wishes to share old photos or old thoughts that you would like to share as beautiful memories with everyone. This can be from yesterday, a year ago, or something from your grandma's treasure chest.
This runs every Thursday at 12 am (Manila/Perth Time) until Monday the same time (12 am)
...a happy bunch!
ReplyDeletehappy and crazy Tom hahaha Thank you so much and Happy Thursday!
DeleteWhat a glorious time you had! And I love the photos -- they're spectacular and I know you had such fun being together. I think friendships just happen -- you're right, you don't always choose. Sometimes it is chosen.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful words I have to thank you Jeanie :) You are right, Though we may be apart, the strength and the love of our friendship always keeps me going and the hopes that someday soon we can all get together and be complete :)
DeleteI love hearing about you and your friends...I still have friends from 1st grade...we did not go to kindergarten. We don't 'see' each other but we keep in contact.
ReplyDeleteOh that is what's most important, to keep in touch whether face to face or through chat, or just as we do in blogging :) Cheers to us having long time friends :)
DeleteDearest Stevenson,
ReplyDeleteThose memories from times traveling together are precious for holding on to!
A happy bunch.
Hugs,
Mariette
That is very true Mariette! Even if this was half a decade ago, it makes us feel together whenever we look at these photos :)
Delete💞
DeleteWhat wonderful memories. Friends are so precious :)
ReplyDeleteAmen to that Margaret! I always pray for them no matter where they may be :)
DeleteSuch beautiful, fun, crazy photos, a joy to see, dear Stevenson! Yes, I can imagine the memories will cheer you up your whole lifetime - and I hope you can repeat it soon!
ReplyDeleteWhatever "soon" might be. We will not be able to visit our Perth friends anytime soon, Australia is closed. Years ago I met some people I went to school with. My Mum/Bro had to point it out, dunno what they did with their lives, they look 10+ years older than me. So, there is crazyness, too! ;-)
(A bit) kidding. My best friend is a friend of ... BOOM: 43 years!!! It´s my Brother. And we´re good at hating, too! ;-) Well, and Ingo, certainly!
It really was a great idea with the white clothes! Great pictures!
Oh dear Iris! That is so sweet of you! Your brother is very very lucky to have a cool big sister and a best friend like you! Just like me, it's my cousin/sister, who is actually part of that 8 as well. We grew up together! Her mom and my dad are siblings and since we are almost the same age we grew up to be the bestest friends. A lot of hate before but no more in the past ten years I think (except when we travel we have moments of catfighjting when we cant find our way to places HAHA)
DeleteI hope you can also visit your Perth friends as well, Wishing this pandemic will be over soon! And who knows I can also visit a dear friend in Braunschwieg :)
Well, Stevenson, if I´m exactly cool I have no idea ;-) Yes, as kids there was a lot of fighting, all well now, the joy of adulthood!
DeleteYes, it would be really great to welcome you here some day!
That is so nice of you Iris, thank you so much for the friendship, it's like we are not half way accross the earth :)
DeleteWhite clothes made you guys look stunning. To me, it looks like a band making an album cover photo shoot. I can't remember having friends that last that long, except my high school friends that I am still quite close until today. I wonder whetehe you used to have some romance with one of them, Steve lol
ReplyDeleteThank you so much my friend Cipu! I love the band cover comment hahaha Oh High School friends are the best! We are also high school friends plus more of our other classmates who we are still close with :) Oh! HAHA None of them, we are all brothers and sisters :)
DeleteNice photos, nice memories, that beach is extraordinary, white sand and that emerald green that gives a heavenly tone.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations friend.
Regards.
Oh thank you very much my friend José Antonio! It was a magical place indeed, especially on that early sunrise :)
DeleteAmazing photos and memories. You all look so happy :-D
ReplyDeleteThank you Ananka! It really was a very good morning when we were there! It was also the first part of the trip so we all still had energy HAHA
DeleteThese are great shots and certainly more special because you are with people you've known all your life.
ReplyDeleteI have life long friends too. Like you, we were classmates since kindergarten to high school. Two are still in the Philippines, one in South Africa, one in Italy, and one in Canada. We "try" to meet once a year, but alas, not this year.
Oh Kayni! I am so so so happy to hear that you also have such friends from Kinder to High School! Being on different parts of the world, I am sure you guys are very happy whenever you all reunite!
DeleteHello, wonderful and fun photos. The beach scenes/water views are my favorite, just beautiful.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your day, have a great weekend ahead!
Oh thank you so much Eileen! I really miss the beach :(
DeleteBeautiful photos, and so wonderful to have friendships that have lasted so long. Hold on to them tight!
ReplyDeleteI sure will my friend, thank you so much and happy you like the photos :)
DeleteIt looks like you and your friends were having fun!!
ReplyDeleteWe really did Alan :) It was an amazing memory for all of us!
DeleteCool shots.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jim :)
Deletelovely place, great memories and super photos, specially 2nd and last.
ReplyDeleteGreat Choices Klara! I really love the last one too!
DeleteGreat shots, great memories. All dressed in white, looks like you all were on a mission to have some serious fun. :) Treasure those friendships, not evenyone experiences that, it's priceless!
ReplyDeleteHappy weekend, my friend and be safe.
Oh thank you very much my friend Bill! Love it, it was a serious mission hahaha to bring the island down with our noise HAHAHA Well we were so happy to have it to ourselves for the first fifteen minutes before the next boat came :)
DeleteHappy weekend to you too my friend Bill!
You are a good looking group! I think it would be great to be friends with people that long, I did have a friend I hung out with a little in high school (we were bad girls and smoked in the second floor bathroom) that I remembered from Kindergarten and we hung out a lot in college, going to discos and such, lol.
ReplyDeleteI had to look up that beach and it sounds like it's one of the best in the Philippines.
Does the Go Pro have a timer then? It took some great shots!
I have to tell you, I was stressed out cuz of my mother's caregiver and her usual shite tonight, but I thought, "Let me visit Stevenson, he cheers me up." And you did. I'm so glad I met you.
Dearest Jeanna! That is so cool! It's always fun to have a little bad deeds done with a friend and it makes the friendship a little more stronger hahaha I hope your friend is doing well too :)
DeleteYou are right, it's one of the best! The sand is not as fine as Boracay but the view is amazing! Yes, it does have a timer on the GoPro App :)
Awwwww dear Jeanna that is very sweet of you to say! I am truly touched and am thankful that on my little ways in blogging I can make a friend like you a little happy and cheered :) Oh and so am I! So blessed to have met a great lady all the way in the US :)
Ahhh.....the memories all eight of you will have and share later in life. Happy first day of summer.
ReplyDeleteHappy Summer to you too :) Our Summer is about to end soon here in the Philippines, glad it is because it was a very tough one! 40-50C days are hard to bear!
DeleteSending you warm hugs and happiness!
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing that you have been friends for so long! The strength of friendship is amazing. I am still friends with my friend from primary school. I also have a great relationship with a friend from college who moved to the USA. Fortunately, there are messengers like Skype and we can talk to each other regularly. You took beautiful pictures! A really amazing place :)
Oh you are right dear Rodzina! I can;t imagine our friendship without such apps to be as colorful as it is now. I know we will still be friends without it but it's a great aid to bring us closer and more updated to each other despite the distance. Oh thank you so much Rodzina! My friends assisted me in taking those :)
DeleteLovey memories of time with your good friends ... and in such a beautiful place.
ReplyDeleteThat is very true dear Sallie! Moments we will forever remember for sure :)
DeleteMcuhas Gracias mi amigo! Nosotros feliz y alegre en los momentos :)
ReplyDeleteIn today's world it seems that not only friends but families are scattered about. We had planned a family reunion to celebrate our 60th wedding anniversary. We treated our children and grandchildren with plane tickets, but the date was pushed back twice now we have reservations for mid-September and I fear we will fail to get together again. I need to set my calendar to Manila time-- I think I calculated the wrong way and missed the deadline! Will try again-- maybe Wednesday New York time.
ReplyDeleteOh that is very sad my friend Kenneth. Please don't lose hope, I know that the reunion will still happen soon and those plane tickets will not go to waste. Me and my Dad were also supposed to celebrate our birthdays in Thailand last month but yes, flights got rebooked to next year.
DeleteOh that is so nice of you my friend. Yup. Timeless Thursdays are open in Eastern (US) Time at 12 noon until Tuesday 12 noon :)