Summer always calls for relaxing trips with your closest friends. And this weekend was the beginning of it all!

After a long 6-hour drive from Manila and a short boat ride, we reached this heaven of an island, Magalawa -- located in Palauig, Zambales.

The island is barely developed, but that's what makes it so beautiful. Nature has its way of taking care of itself, that it retains its beauty especially when untouched by human hands.  There weren't many people there and when we arrived, those who were taking care of the island (or those who were residents) just finished building one hut.


It was a much-needed trip after such a stressful year! I went with fellow outgoing officers whom I've had the pleasure of building friendships with this year. This trip was like saying, "We finally did it!"


We decided it would be fun (and cheaper) if we camped out. So for the weekend, we roughed it out with our tents and canned goods, and a little drinking, of course.


Sun. Sand. Water. Frisbee. Skim board. I'm burned and bruised, but I wouldn't trade this weekend for anything! It was a trip that was heavy on memories, but light on the pocket. We didn't even go beyond P700 per person for the whole trip (we did the pool-of-money system)!

Zambales, you are such a beauty! And I'm sure Zambales isn't the only place like this. We are the Philippine islands, so we've got lots of islands to discover and shorelines to walk. Go on, take the step! Make your summer! ;)

PS. If you're wondering about the title, I was trying to play with words by putting "awesome" and "Zambales" together. Haha!