I started blogging in 2008. That means I’ve been hitting “Publish” for 17 years now. That's more than half of my life.Back then, I wasn’t writing as Bean in Transit. I was blogging under a very different banner. I was that rebellious Cebuana teen, roaming roads, chasing waterfalls, and scribbling wild travel stories under the name Laagan nga Bata. I explored Cebu first, before I started exploring everywhere else.
Then came the shift. When I rebranded this blog, my goal changed. It wasn’t just go and see; it was go and do with intention. I wanted this travel blog to carry a message of intentional travel, mindful footsteps, and gentle curiosity.
Some people asked, “Why let go of Laagan nga Bata?” After all, that name carried me through the local blogging community for years. But I realized: I was no longer that unfiltered kid. Now I’m just a little bean, moving, learning, pausing, stepping into places, knowing that wherever my foot lands, I have an impact in that space.
A few years ago, I backpacked through South Cotabato for 30 days, and while walking the trails, I learned a T’boli word: kemdol. It means move forward. Since then, it has become my mantra: to press on, to move forward, to enjoy the things along the way.
And now, here we are. I’ve been told that I’ve made it to the Top 3 finalists for the Best Cebu Blogs Awards 2025 (BCBA) in the Best Cebu Travel Blog category. To be nominated feels like a big circle closing and opening all at once.
This isn’t my first time under the BCBA spotlight. But every time feels just as meaningful. I was incredibly honored to receive the Best Creative Writing in a Blog Award back in 2017 and the Founder’s Choice Award in 2021.
But to be back here, years later, as a finalist once again, it’s humbling. And it’s a reminder of why I kept blogging through all the noise and quiet seasons. Even if I don’t win, just being here, recognized and remembered, is already something I hold close to my heart. It’s a quiet affirmation that the stories I’ve shared over the years have found their way to someone, somehow. And honestly, that’s more than enough.
The Best Cebu Blogs Awards is a yearly awarding ceremony exclusive to Cebu-based bloggers - a pioneering body that recognizes homegrown creators who continue to write, document, inspire, and share from the heart. It’s a celebration of Cebuano voices in the blogging world, recognizing that we have stories here in the Visayas that matter, that resonate, and that stand proudly alongside content from anywhere else in the world. BCBA honors the best of Cebu-based blogs and bloggers, and reminds us that our little corners of the internet can have just as much impact.
Being a part of this community is something I don’t take for granted. And none of this would be possible without the amazing sponsors and partners supporting this event.
A special thank you to our Venue Sponsor and Co-Presenter:
Waterfront Cebu City Hotel & Casino.
Gold Sponsors:
Megaworld Corporation, Bank of the Philippine Islands, Cebu Pacific Air, PLDT Home, Home Credit PH, 2GO, MAYA Philippines.
Silver Sponsors:
Robinsons Supermarket, Grab PH, Mi Philippines
Official Designer:
Official Photographer:
Blogger Partners:
Cebu Bloggers Society Incorporated, Memowriter Writing Services
Partners:
Cebu Fitness Blog, FaceCebu.Net
So yes, turns out, this travel blog is still going places. And it’s not just about destination pins on a map anymore. Not just across islands and borders, but through seasons of growth, healing, and rediscovery.
I started this blog because writing stories is my passion in life. Storytelling keeps me alive. It’s the quiet compass that has guided me through restless teenage adventures, uncertain mid-twenties detours, and now, more intentional journeys.
And it’s because of storytelling — this deep, personal love for words and wonder — that I’ve found myself here again.
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