Cheap Thrills

view from the top




afternoon sun



I have two confessions to make.



I enjoyed being called an 'uptown girl' (Although I've only heard it from one person and he really doesn't know me well enough to realize I'm all jologs really.) But I like cheap thrills. I don't know if that's a negative phrase, or what, but I like finding joy and pleasure derived from free or even cheap things.



Like the one we had this weekend. It's a long weekend and therefore, I manhandled my family to come with Liza and I to Tagaytay, if only for a day. I want us to have a picnic and finally make use of our old picnic basket that we bought a long time ago that has never been to a picnic.



Armed only with the picnic basket, adobo, rice, fish, some snacks, and Scattergories and Taboo, I drove us to Picnic Grove. A lot of people littered the park and we couldn't find us a nice table with a view. Finally, we stumbled upon an empty hut, located at the top and with a clear view of the lake.



It was an afternoon of simple fun, leisurely talks and friendly atmosphere (as friendly as my family can get...hehe), as we played Scattergories (where I won twice, my sis three times and my mom a lot of times...Liza, well, she claimed she's still sleepy and not at her top form), and Taboo (my sis and mom won). I looked around me and I can see kids running around, parents enjoying themselves, and couples lounging and taking in the cool Tagaytay breeze. And I thought to myself, we can enjoy ourselves without spending 15 grand for Boracay, or Puerto Gallera, and with my family, no less.



A lot of people my age would scoff or cringe at the idea of a vacation with family. An ideal vacation is a trip to Boracay or Palawan with a group of friends. Liza and I planned to have a picnic with our classmates, but really, my family is more reliable than any of my classmates would ever be. What's more, with a group of friends, you have to get along splendidly or else you ruin everyone's vacation. You have to be what others think you are, or else, you become weird, and solitary and still ruining everyone's vacation. With family, you can be your own dastardly self and they'll still be family. You can't ruin their vacation, because they won't mind you whining, being loud or eating all of the food in one seating. They're family.



So yes, I enjoyed the time with my family.



It's as carefree, loud, and free as I could get. And that's what makes the difference.