This sharing may be quite late, but anyway, for today I just want to reminisce about one of the memorable events I attended last year. Our year-end party happened during the midweek of December, and honestly, I thought I wouldn’t be able to attend it. Going to out-of-school parties isn’t my thing because aside from it being hard to ask permission (yes, I still ask permission even if I’m already way past legal age) from my parents, also most of them happened outdoors—with sun shining on us.
Unfortunately, ever since I got diagnosed with lupus, staying out under the sun kind of became an off-limit for me. It’s not that I disintegrate when sunlight touches my skin, but what happened is a milder version of that. I get sunburned easily; like, a minute or two under the sun, even with sunblock or sunscreen on, would still make me red like a beet already. So that’s why I learned to enjoy the sea without exposing myself to the sun; however, I know that party would require some exposure.
Fortunately, things became favorable for me because it turned out there’s a cottage there, and we already rented it, so I definitely can stay there. That day started slowly because almost all of us observe Filipino time. Supposedly we were to meet at 7:00 in the morning, but it was almost 10:00 when most of us gathered.
That’s why when most of us arrived, our class mayor immediately initiated the games, which turned out really silly yet fun. I definitely laughed a lot while unwillingly participating in and watching those games. Of course, you can feel some competition in those silly games because who wouldn’t want to win anyway? Our team didn’t win, but still, I’m happy and very much entertained because it’s like we’re kids again, playing senselessly like there’s no tomorrow.
When we finally felt tired and hungry, our class mayor paused our games for us to have our lunch together. It’s definitely one of the reasons why I attend that party because there’ll be a lot of food haha. It’s not that it’s free food because we paid for it, yet the experience of eating with people that became close to you is another addition to the memories I want to make before I graduate from college.
After eating, we decided to have the exchanging gifts. It was just brief, so after that we continue the games, and when all of the prizes were given, the karaoke time then began. Supposedly the cottage we paid for doesn’t have karaoke, and so when we saw the other people doing karaoke—envy kicked in. Filipino as we are, most—if not all—of us enjoyed singing, and so we opted for the cottage with karaoke. We sang our hearts out until most of us got bored and decided to take a dip.
By the way, Guanzon Beach Resort doesn’t only have the beach itself, but it also has a pool, and most of my classmates paid extra for the pool also, and that left us who didn’t opt for the pool to enjoy the beach. I’m definitely thankful that not all of us decided to go to the pool because there’s no way I want to go there because the last time I swam in the pool wasn’t that fortunate. I almost drowned, and the worst part is I still can remember how bad the chlorine-water tasted. It’s so horrible that I still shudder at the thought of that.
So, with my classmate who opted for natural waters, we made our way towards them, but before we swam, we had a short photo op. I’m definitely hesitant to have my pictures taken because I’ve been honestly out of shape since the year I got diagnosed. The steroids I take for medication did really take a toll on my weight, and it’s just recently that those steroids got phased out. Anyway, I gave in to them and they made me strike some poses, and after that, we were free to go.
Of course, just to be sure, I put sunscreen on again even though I’ll be swimming in the shaded area. There aren’t a lot of people since it’s still 2:00 in the afternoon at that time, but yeah there are some people—especially children. When the sun was almost reaching our area, I decided to go out of the waters and return to the cottage. I stayed there for almost an hour listening to my classmate singing and also singing when it’s my turn.
It’s almost 4:00 when I decided to go out to swim again, and that time the water had gone a little bit higher, to the point it was almost on my throat. Since I don’t know how to swim, I stayed in the shallow parts because aside from the rising tide, the waves were also getting stronger. Our stay was just from 7:00 to 5:00, so my second swim only lasted for half an hour because I still needed to clean up and take a quick bath after.
Opposite to how slow our day started, the way it ended seemed so fast. It’s already past 5:00 when we’re finally able to clean up our place, and thankfully, the custodian still wasn’t there to drive us out. As our party ended, I realized how fun it had become and how I wish I could make some more memories like that.
And as for the place—ambiance-wise, Guanzon Beach Resort was definitely an ideal place for parties like we had and also reunions. As a matter of fact, just as we were packing, I saw a group of middle-aged people bringing a tarp that had their batch year, so it's obvious they were up for a reunion. Aside from the beach, I knew a lot of people—unlike me—enjoyed the pool. I saw that there are really exciting slides there, which my classmates are constantly raving about. I badly wanted to try it, but of course I can’t swim, so it’s really a no-no for me.
Anyway, that would be all for now, and I do hope that my sharing somehow caught your interest, and if ever you’re planning to try Guanzon Beach Resort, then you definitely make the most fun out of that place—especially if you can swim!
All of the pictures without a source are mine, and the same goes for the first picture that was edited in Canva.