Glass half-empty or half-full?

Today is the 1st Sunday of Advent. For us, Catholics, it's the 1st Sunday for preparation to Christmas Day for the arrival of the ONE! And boy, does time do fly super fast! Aside from it being the official start of the Christmas season, Dodong has already spent half of his vacation already. Happy! Sad!

Okay I maybe in the half-empty and not the half-full mode since he still has another week to go. Of course, being my planner self, I have started preparations. Sadly.

How exactly have I been preparing for his return to the desert?

Prayers for Profitable and FUN Projects

I don't mind being busy because I do need it once he gets back to the daily grind in the hot desert sands of Dubai. But in the subheading, I typed fun as FUN. I guess it is a prerequisite for me so that I don't need much more emotional drama. The LDR actually adds a lot more to the drama already. I don't need more of that at work. Hehehehe.

Of course, I need the projects to definitely be VERY PROFITABLE. Dodong, who seemingly (please note seemingly) has caboodles and oodles of cash, will not be here to support me in my eating sprees. Hehehe.

I'd like to think I am still the independent woman that I am. At least financially

Prayers for Emotional Strength

Ohh lala! I am definitely praying for this. Especially since the next homecoming date is still indefinite. I don't know when exactly will Dodong be coming home. It could be another 6-8 months, maybe even more. I just have to be ready.

LDRs are fun and really, really challenging. It's a test of faith, trust and love for and in each other (Am I making sense?). I am praying for readiness for another roller coaster ride of love.

Prayers for Support

One of the major realizations this year perhaps is I don't want to be alone. When Dodong returns to the desert, I know I will be one less extremely important person…at least physically. I do pray for the support of my family and friends through the next months that he would be away.

How do you prepare for his return to his corner of the world?

Love the distance,

Inday I. Nagintay

Homecoming = Love

Dodong’s flight arrived at 1030PM. His family picked him up from the airport, which is usually the case. I always waited for my knight in shining dusty desert armor from home (which was only a mere 5minutes away from his).

I had a bit of stuff lined up that evening to keep me busy instead of staring into space and counting down every second: I had a class at AIM (I am currently — for the Nth time — taking Anton Diaz’s Maven Secrets class for Internet Marketing and Professional Blogging) and a spontaneous powwow with my girls from my PSI Heroic class. So I got home a bit later than planned.

After the packed evening, I waited for Dodong, high emotional and very, very anxious. And then he called. He was in front of our house.

FINALLY FINALLY! He home for real after exactly 7 months and 18 days. Little did I know it was perhaps the most dramatic homecoming for us.

Here are the 5 defining moments of his homecoming…

First look

I opened our gate to see Dodong standing there with a bag of Dubai pasalubong for my family. The first look was actually just a blur as I rushed to hug him…

First hug

It felt like the longest hug ever. We were just holding each other for like 10 minutes. My emotional floodgates just burst with tears of joy and disbelief. I felt that everything was just surreal…

First exchange of words

Then Dodong uttered the first words: “Is this for real?” I tightened my embrace to make his feel the reality of the moment. I then said: “Yes baby, this is real.”

First hand hold

I wiped the tears streaming down my cheeks and then stared into his eyes. We took both of our hands and interlocked our fingers, not wanting to let go at all.

First Kiss

Oh wow! How to describe it…I am at a loss for words. For one, it felt as if I didn’t know how to kiss at all. Hahahaha! I did not have any practice for 7 months and 18 days. It was just wonderful! Utter bliss! It was the sweetest kiss that I’ve had in the 7 years and 5 months that we’ve been together.

I am definitely in heaven right now. Thank you Lord (and Emirates!) for Dodong’s safe flight home. I am eternally grateful for him being with me now.

Do you share the same experience when he comes home?

Love the distance,

Inday I. Nagintay

Guys, better start praying when it's that time of the month!

One thing about being a woman that I super hate is having MONTHLY emotional outbursts because of this natural phenomenon called the Pre-Menstrual Syndrome. More popularly (or infamously) known as PMS.

Why do I say PMS is infamous? I’ll explain to you why…

I’m sure all the ladies understand what I am talking about. But for the guys out there, who obviously do not go through this natural phenomenon this is what PMS feels like: It’s being on a MEGA DOSE of emotion steroids. On top of the unnatural physical manifestations like the jackhammers ramming on your temples, the bottomless insatiable appetites, the body bending stomach AND boob cramps, the list goes on…This monthly overdose of hormones just takes us ladies on a CRAZY roller coaster ride.

Because of this, I’ve been having an emotional spat with Dodong for the past week. Ever since, I feel that he has been neglecting me because he has not been answering my daily email journals for the past 10 days and not having the time to properly chat with me. I’ve had crying fits in the middle of the day, feeling all ignored and unimportant. I’ve had spontaneous bouts of loneliness even if I’m swamped with things to do…important things to do at that.

So last night AND this morning, I was having another hissy fit. Barraging Dodong with a heavy artillery of feeling after feeling after feeling after feeling…

“I make an effort to make my daily journals even if I’m tired and busy…”

“How come you have time to play Mafia Wars on Facebook?”

“Maybe I’m not as important to you.”

“I’ve been begging you to give me attention for the past days.”

“I won’t make any more journals until you reply to ALL my entries.”

“I’m tired…”

“I REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY miss you…”

Too much heavy drama for a little guy’s heart right?

But the funny thing was, after my very ugly whole evening and early morning emotional attack (and almost emotional blackmail!), Dodong manages to say these 3 lines:

“I miss you too.

I love you.

Nothing changes.”

DAMN. Even if I practically did a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde back there, he still loves me.

All guys need to do is to simply say the right things (that he still loves you anyway) and the mega charged PMS emotions just disappear…like magic.

How can you just not melt right? SIGH.

Love the distance,

Inday I. Nagintay

P.S. I just checked my inbox and FINALLY saw 10 days worth of replies to my daily journals. Happy!