I feel much better now. (Well, actually I felt better the day after the last post...) I realize I can bounce back to my old self more quickly nowadays. I guess my ex can still make an impact to my emotions but that impact is pretty short-lived now. And I think it will go shorter and shorter as times go... til I don't feel anything that is associated with him. It can happen and it will happen.

I really appreciate all of you who visit my blog.

Thank you! :)

I flipped through the sketchbook... and then I found a page where I wrote a detailed itinerary of things we could do if my ex comes to visit me. I had a plan of things we could do and places we could go from morning til night during his visit. There are a lot of things on that page. I could feel how excited I was and how much I wanted to share with him...

Needless to say, my tears started to come down when I was reading it. After more than a year, something like this still gets the best of me. I was happy and was so sure (even from my last post) that I was over the whole thing, and a sudden discovery of things like this still hits me like a ton of bricks. It still hurts. I bet he has already thrown away all the things I bought him or made for him and I don't expect him to keep any of them anyways.

I tore out the page from the sketchbook. At first, I wanted to put it into the box where I keep all his things to me (which is not a big box. HA!)...locked away... but then I decided to rip the page apart. If he could have such an easy time getting over me and our relationship, I don't need another thing to make it tougher for myself to get over him.

I know I am on the way to recovery... so please don't pull me back suddenly... like today.

Frankly, I don't want to. And I don't think I will have the heart to. Having been on the recipient end of the breakup was bad enough... I don't want the next person to feel the same damage as I went through. It wasn't right and it wasn't fair. And I didn't want to retaliate my ex neither. No point, not necessary. He didn't cheat, he just didn't want to continue with me. I don't need to carry this "grudge" towards the next relationship. And I currently do not hold any grudge against my ex neither. Because he is meaning less and less to me, I don't even see the point of retaliation.

Nonetheless, I feel like I will be more cautious in meeting guys now. No wonder people always tell me I will become less-trusting and more jaded in my next relationship if I was once severely hurt. I think that is the aftermath of a post-breakup trauma.

But think on the bright side, I think I'm over my ex! (What do you guys think?)

My good friend, J, and her now-hubby, P, met and fell in love in the most "meant-to-be" way. They met during a work internship exchange program from school and they happened to work in a company half-way around the world from where they live (She was from Canada and he was from Spain... but their work internship program was in Japan). It is so meant to be... falling in love with another person who is from the opposite side of the world.... and just so happened to work in the same company in a total foreign country!! After the internship, they had to go back to where they lived in order to finish their degree. They then started their 3-year long distance relationship. All the while, they were flying back and forth... sometimes, he flew to Canada... and sometimes, she flew to Spain. Sometimes they met halfway.... in Japan. They said they basically used up their savings in order to see each other. After a few years, they decided they should settle down in one place... and they chose London, where both got job offers and rent a little place together.

After 7 years, they finally decided to tie the knot. I couldn't have happier. They are very cute together. They have their fights but it never sticks. They are also one of my fave couples who makes me believe long distance relationship CAN work. (I still believe LDR will work.... as long as the other person is willing to work together. Again, nothing would have mattered if the other person doesn't even want to put in any effort.)

Met up with them in London made me feel that I really miss the feeling of having someone holding me close and hold my hand while walking, and making stupid jokes and laughing mindlessly. I envy them and I am truly happy that they found each other.

I always go "awww~~" whenever I see this Tiffany commercial. Although I don't believe in "true love" as much as before (THANK MY EX), you ought to believe you are in the presence of love when you get marry... (or how else you are going to get marry, right?)

This melts me everytime. It oozes HAPPINESS and LOVE.

And I need some of that. QUICK.

But let's face it, how can you go travel when you have no "moolah"?? Oh well, we ought to work for it....

Anyways, this trip has been hectic and exhausting but it was such a fun one where I learn and see a lot. I originally was hoping to see Paris and London but to my surprise, I find myself enjoying much much more when I was in Italy. Perhaps I got some rude treatments when I was in Paris, and London turns out to be very familiar... as if I have lived there before (?!?!), I love Italy. People are humorous and they are comparatively more friendly than Parisians. I can't say it enough but people in Milan are just gorgeous. Even the people walking on the streets exude this casual Italian chic which I can't find anything similar in other countries. Milan really surprised me. In a good way, of course. I have been wanting to go back for another visit since I come back!!

Here is a little taste of Italy:

So this is the first half of the trip. Hope you guys enjoy. Arrivederci!!

Just want to say BONJOUR/CIAO, if you are reading this! I have been back for almost a week but I have been so busy at work trying to catch up (even though I have been monitoring my work emails this whole time). And that's not it, 2 of my best girl friends are having major love problems so I have been listening as a love counsellor at night. I am a little sick right now (having too much fun, I guess... or also known as cold/flu) but I have never felt so carefree. A little trip to Europe wiped everything away. It's a good feeling.

Europe fascinated the bejeezus out of me. I love all the sights... I was fortunate enough to visit my long time fave place, Le Chateau de Versailles. (Mind you, I watched "Marie Antoinette" at least 10 times!) I really didn't want to leave because it was just breath-taking. I have a thing for Milan right now.... I thought I would love Paris but I was wrong~ Milan is THE place I want to go again.

Anyways, I will be back blogging when I clear out some of the work piling in my agenda.

Until then, SALUTE!

I'm off to do my version of Eat.Pray.Love. I know I'm going to do the eating... a lot. I know I'm going to do the praying... (hello, Vatican City and Trevi Fountain!). Now, Love... hmm... maybe not the focus of this trip.