#Also... I don't think I'll be able to do the throwbacks pals.

[theirloveisgross]

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[fashournalist]

I tried sharing directly from Google photos and turns out, it shows the order in reverse 😄

So here's how my HPAIR Harvard 2016 unfolded!

As I blogged recently, I got my tickets 11 hours before my flight. Whew!! It almost didn't happen, but it did. God granted my wish to fly for free. My conference fee was waived already after being one of the top three ambassadors, and I had free accommodation as well. I just needed the flight. Thank you Lord Jesus for doing the impossible!! I had a photo with the flight attendant and Captain Buenaventura as well :) Actually, they even brought me to the cockpit of the plane!! I guess I'll share that in the coming days. I can only share ten photos at a time on tumblr hehe (unless it's a full blog post in itself...which, I usually procrastinate :( )

After accepting PAL's tickets, I had to go back to LB to fix my pink suitcase (the same suitcase I brought to Harvard two years earlier, during my first HPAIR) imagine the cramming!!! I only had 11 hours to travel back to LB, pack my things, then head to NAIA. Sigh, it feels surreal.

I couldn't help but hear Himala by Rivermaya in my head as I was processing what's happening. Remember in my previous blog? I was walking in Taft Avenue on January 31, without knowing how I'll get flights yet, and then I stopped outside Mang Inasal because I heard that song. Then I sighed, uttered a prayer and looked up—and I saw an airplane right that very moment! I took that as God's confirmation that He's got me, and He's going to get me that flight. I just have to believe and take action. I thank God for giving me this audacious faith.

Eleven days later, with tickets in my hand, I just found out that my connecting flight is Vancouver. Yayy! It was my first time step in Canada (only at the airport though haha, see sixth and seventh photos). In 2014, my Cathay flight's stopover was Hong Kong so it's good to land on a different country this time.

Though, what I loved about HK stopover was, it meant the flight to the US would be longer. I think I had a 16-hour flight. I love long flights (and long bus rides), especially when I'm at the window seat :D I get to have an alone time watching movies or listening to music 30,000 feet up in the air. It's a time to reflect. Sigh, I remember staring at the stars and I feel like I'm floating, that I'm one with the sky, that the stars are beside me and I could grab them.

I remember saying, this all feels like a movie with all the plot twists that are hard to believe...except, they were happening to me. It's not a movie. This. Is. Real.

Another hiccup was, guys, I only had less than 50 dollars for my pocket money!!! And I would be staying there for 10 days. Yes.

It was taking a leap of faith literally every step of the way.

My parents planned to send me money from the funds they'd be raising when I get there (it was all impromptu since I just got the flight) but spoiler alert: I wasn't able to get the money because I couldn't find any near Western Union outlets near Harvard. When I found one in New York (a week later) well, they said I should have withdrawn it in Massachusetts!! A kind stranger even fought the WU employee for me haha but as frustrating as it is, rules are rules.

So there, another plot twist was, even though I discovered my pocket money wasn't enough to get me from New York to Boston, a guy from my flight was actually going to Harvard, too. He approached me and said he's also going to HPAIR. So we went together. And at the ticketing office, boom. I had to eat all my pride because I had no choice. I don't like debts but I also don't like to be stuck there or, ask six strangers for one dollar each to complete my fare. Luckily, he let me borrow a few dollars. When we reached Boston South Station, we needed another ticket. Wew. I owed him a total of $11. I swear everytime I saw him I felt like I was seeing the number 11 on his forehead. I wanted to pay right away, but I couldn't get my money. Fast forward, I was able to pay him when I got back to the Philippines.

So there, just a few tales from the onset of this adventure haha!! Told you there were so many plot twists 🤣 And I tell you, there are more to come in the next throwbacks haha.

On music: if the 2014 flight made me fall in love with About Time's soundtrack, 2016's flight let me discover Max Richter's Sleep album!! Looking at the stars while listening to Dream 3, Patterns, Aria, Solo, Path 5 was magical.

Lord, thank You for Your unmerited favor. I didn't deserve any of these blessings, but You made them happen.

These coming days I'm going to have so many memories of HPAIR, and I'm here for all of it. I'll do my best to share photos (I haven't posted a lot of pictures from this event in the past five years as my Intagram posts were very selective) So there, let's have a trip down memory lane this week :)