Happy 2024: Local Travel and Recent Watercolor Artworks

photomicrograph of gypsum and anhydrite with happy new year — Photomicrograph of a rock with a vein of anhydrite and gypsum minerals. I took this photo during my analysis of rock thin sections last week.

First off, Happy New Year!

The past month has been quite overwhelming, making it challenging for me to extend holiday greetings to everyone. I’m sure many of you can relate. Despite the chaos, I wanted to take a moment to express my gratitude to my readers, who have been a constant source of support throughout the years.

Reflecting on 2023, it was a year filled with personal and academic challenges. The loss of my thesis adviser, who was unexpectedly taken from us despite her good health, hit me hard. She played a crucial role in guiding me through my graduate studies, and losing her before even embarking on my thesis proposal left me grappling with a significant loss of momentum. The void she left has been difficult to navigate, and I appreciate your understanding during this trying time.

Despite this hiccup in my life, I’m grateful that another professor took me in as an advisee. Now I’m going through the critical phase of my thesis, which is data gathering. As mentioned in my previous post, I won’t be divulging much about my study before it’s published.

I’m excited to share that our entire family celebrated the Christmas holidays amidst the breathtaking mountains of Benguet and the charming atmosphere of Baguio City. Mommy was able to join us for this vacation, and together, we encountered remarkable individuals who contributed to the festive spirit of our stay.

Christmas has consistently held a special place in my heart, not only for delightful /cooler weather I associate it with, but also for the opportunity it provides for us to travel together as a family. To give you a glimpse of our memorable time in Baguio City, here are some snapshots we captured at the Botanical Garden and the various places where we indulged in delicious meals:

And below are snapshots of our visit to BenCab Musem, one of our favorite spots in Baguio City. It’s mom’s first time here. I also added some of my favorite artworks:

We then spent the year at home but did not prepare any special feast for New Year’s Eve because we were all tired from our travel. I started the year painting almost every day using photos I took during our trip. Here are some of them with a brief description: