Hello, amazing Hive friends!
It feels incredible to be back writing a blog after my brief hiatus. I must say, I've missed sharing stories with all of you. Remember that one blog post where I recounted my time working at a radio station? It was like living in my dreamjob.
Well, hold on tight because I have an exciting update to share! Just recently, I had the most amazing reunion with the best radio team in the world. Stijn & Viv plus the rest of the Radyo Bakdaw Family.
Now, let me take you back to 2013, the year when we were all brought together for a special project—a project that holds a special place in our lives. Stijn, with his unwavering passion and expertise, took on the role as our project director for the emergency response radio station - 92.9 FM Radyo Bakdaw.
It was an initiative born out of the urgent need to provide aid and support to the victims of Typhoon Haiyan, which devastated the Philippines during that time. And there was Viv, a brilliant and super smart scholar, dedicating her doctoral thesis to studying communication response in humanitarian crises.
As days turned into weeks and weeks into months, our shared journey became a tapestry of memorable moments, challenges, and triumphs. Little did we know that amidst the chaos and intensity of our work, a silent spark was quietly igniting between Stijn and Viv.
Love found its way into their lives, intertwining their destinies in the most beautiful of ways. As the project drew to a close, they realized that their connection went beyond the professional realm. And so, a few years after the dust settled, they walked down the aisle, vowing to spend the rest of their lives together. ❤️
They travelled all around the world working from one humanitarian crisis after another and fast forward to the present, and the stars aligned once again and Viv was overseeing Red Cross in South East Asia and was reporting for office in the Philippines for a couple of months. Stijn and Viv decided it was time to commemorate the very place where their love story first bloomed—Guiuan.
To celebrate their journey and reminisce about the time they first met in Guiuan, they decided to organize a mini-reunion for our whole team. Stijn insisted that we played pivotal roles in the beginning of their relationship. If it weren't for Radyo Bakdaw, they might never have crossed paths and discovered the love of their lives.
Initially, I wasn't sure if I could join the reunion due to work commitments. But Stijn's persistence knew no bounds. He orchestrated a peer pressure campaign to get me on board, and guess what? Luck was on our side! My vacation leave was approved, and I hopped on a plane, eagerly heading to Tacloban City to meet them. The three of us—Stijn, Vivian, and myself—embarked on an exciting journey to Guiuan.
During the three-hour drive, we caught up on countless stories. Stijn's talkative nature was as vivid as ever, reminding me of the good old days. I genuinely missed these amazing people.
We made a few stops along the way to capture breathtaking photos. It was incredible to witness how different the scenery was compared to their last visit. The once bare trees now stood tall, filled with lush green leaves. They couldn't help but marvel at the beauty of Samar.
The following day, we reunited with the rest of the Radyo Bakdaw Team. Oh, the joy of being in the company of my "ates" and "kuyas" once again!
We shared stories of our past experiences and caught up on our current lives. However, the highlight of the night was undoubtedly Stijn and Viv's storytelling session. We were all captivated as they recounted their journey, from how it all began to the magical proposal and their beautiful wedding.
Laughter and tears filled the air as we reminisced, and we ended the night by toasting with a few drinks while flipping through the pictures from our project in 2013. It was an incredibly nostalgic experience, and I'm so grateful to have had this precious time with them.
As fate would have it, Stijn and Viv are still in the Philippines for work, and they've promised to come back to Guiuan soon. Who knows, maybe we'll even plan a visit to Manila to see them. The possibilities are endless!
That's it for today's story, my friends. I hope you enjoyed sharing in my joyous reunion and that it inspires you to reach out and reconnect with some cherished old friends of your own.
Until next time, keep spreading love and creating beautiful memories!
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All photos were taken and edited by me unless stated otherwise. Images may have been shared to my social media accounts prior posting to the blog.