I hate having to say goodbye. I don’t really dislike it, but I don’t like it either. Even if I know I will see the person again, it won’t be the same, especially if seeing that person rarely is the new standard.
“The pain of parting is nothing to the joy of meeting again.”-Charles Dickens
The last farewell party I went to was Ate Jen’s. It was different from all the other despedida parties I attended. Most of the time, we just go out to eat or stay at home and drink and eat a lot. It makes me feel like this is the last time we can hang out whenever we want. But it doesn’t feel like a goodbye this time. It seems like we’re just going on a trip together and that we’ll be seeing each other more in the future.
What’s the difference? Well, we have games, and everyone is up for anything. We played hard and laughed until we couldn’t breathe. We didn’t just play regular card games, but we played the kind of games you play at parties. Special shout out to our party master Ann who never fails to amaze us with her party antics that made every event ecstatic.
“The best friends are the ones who you can be away from for months or even years, but then when you meet up again it’s like you just saw them that morning.”– Helen Harper
This is how despedida should be done, I thought to myself. It should be an event to add more good memories instead of making it feel like the last one.
The Olimpia Mountain Villa and Farm, where we stayed, made that day even more memorable. It has a great atmosphere for making memories that will last a lifetime.
The rain was pouring hard that night and the huge hall of the villa kept us from continuing our party plans that night. Imagine 18 adults competitively playing team-building games.
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The place has a total of 4 rooms, but we only stayed in the 3 spacious rooms that can fit even more people. There were 2 rooms in the main house. Another room down by the swimming pool. And a separate building room at the back of the kitchen that could accommodate 13 people but there were only 9 of us staying there.
Added to the experience of the separate room building is the connected toilet and bathroom with an outdoor setting. It looks so aesthetic and refreshing, but it feels too open for me, which is the reason why I am not too comfortable using it.
The kitchen is fully equipped with a two-burner gas stove, a fridge without a freezer, a water dispenser, a good-sized sink, a 6-person eating table, and many cooking ware and utensils. This is great for people like us who like to cook their own food instead of getting it from a restaurant, because food tastes much better when made together.
One of the main attractions at Olimpia Mountain Villa and Farm is the decent size 4 ft. deep infinity pool that looks out over the sea and the mountains of Carcar City, Cebu. This makes the view of nature even more beautiful, and it’s a great place to make Tiktok videos, hahaha.
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A farm with animals and a kids’ play zone are also available.
The thing that makes me sad during farewell parties are the well wishes. But at least for me, it won’t be as sad now that I remember what happened that day.
To ate Jen, my Mayon 360 marathon partner (aherm podiumer pagyud), to say I’m happy to have you as a friend is an understatement. Your strong yet heartwarming personality inspires me. You taught me that it’s okay to start over at any age and time in life. I pray that you find an exercise and outdoor tribe there, though naa ragyud xad me. For sure mas sutoy pagyud ka modagan didto sa mabugnaw na dapit. I’m looking forward to seeing you again, puhon. Always be careful!
