#hiking for health

[wanderlandjournal]

blue hour in the alps

[chickenoptyrx]

....I just wanted to draw gators :T at this point these 2 are more 'a representation of my last 2 brain cells' then they are actual characters 😅

[saydesole]

Disconnect 📵

[worldbuildingwanderlust]

You are never lost

If you never focus on

The destination

[mitzi-moo]

My favourite views are between those brown fluffy ears 🏞️

[0nelinerwordplay]

Koinobori こいのぼり -

Tsuetate Onsen 杖立温泉

Tucked away in the remote northern reaches of Kumamoto, Tsuetate Onsen Resort, often referred to as ‘Kyushu’s Secret Haven,’ boasts a rich history spanning 1,800 years. Although its once vibrant atmosphere has mellowed with time, Tsuetate remains an enchanting destination. Visitors are drawn not only by the allure of its bygone splendor and the nostalgic ambiance of the Showa era but also by the enduring appeal of its hot springs. These thermal waters are celebrated for their beneficial health effects, adding to the unique charm of this historical retreat.

[joshleyson]

a deeper well.

On this exact day 5 years ago, I was in this same location ensconced by the towering mountains with an overlooking view of a calm, seemingly waveless ocean in the pre-summer blistering heat in San Antonio, Zambales. This time I get to come back with my OG friends slash Zamboanga childhood homies, my friend Karen Blaise who's now based in Clark, Pampanga, and my CPA Lawyer friend Abegail from Dumaguete. After countless discussions of reunions and "travel goals" with some of the important people that we know, and 99% of those plans that never came to fruition, we decided that we would make this outdoor camp happen, and thank God we finally made it happen.

I felt like that 2D1N camping trip was surprisingly one of the longest weekends I had this year. Having to disconnect from our phones for a while because the camping site had no service was the perfect setting for us to reminisce about our adolescent and high school classic moments and teenage angst and how those unforgettable stories from our past (and sometimes politically incorrect moments lol) shaped the people we are today professionally and personally. We had a great time recounting all the crazy stories we had more than a decade ago, planned future travels, played frisbee in the middle of the night, and went hiking after sunrise breathing the cold pre-summer wind overlooking the almost CGI-looking mountains in Zambales. My belief of having this type of "disconnecting" was further reinforced from this trip that, as much as I want so much social interaction with a lot of people, I also like to be alone with the few people I truly trust, and that being alone doesn't have to be lonely and solitude is actually a good thing.

☾

Being on the road while listening to Kacey Musgrave's Deeper Well album (shoutout to Track 6 Sway as my favorite track off the record) revealed so many truths about my current situation and the things I'm dealing with in my personal life, both good and bad, and how I strive to find peace in accepting the pain and the lessons it has taught me, and that I've already arrived in my final destination on some certain aspects of my relationships especially with the people that I love, and that I need to move on. 

My Saturn has returned. 

J

February, 2024 | Nagsasa, San Antonio, Zambales

(Photos were shot using Fujifilm Simpleace 35 mm camera + FUJIFILM X-T100)

Stream Kacey Musgrave’s Deeper Well on Spotify and Apple Music.

Instagram/TikTok/Twitter: joshleyson

[generaljenobi]

[oceanwaves-xo]

[vnosz63dge]

[defining-alissa]

[hologramartgalleryblog]

[lostmulatto]

[veliseraptor]

i hate health insurance so much. so goddamn much.

[nightbunnysong]

What I did today

caught up on some sleep by sleeping more than nine hours but still waking up by eight-thirty

went on a long hike with my dad

repeated aloud for my botany exam

harvested yarrow at high altitude for teas (at that elevation it contains more secondary metabolites and therefore more active compounds)

did some gardening

studied the secondary metabolites of Gynostemma pentaphyllum on human health

[photos are mine]