Financial Blog

Many of us have a love-hate relationship with summer (and no this isn’t about the movie starring Zooey Deschanel and that guy from Don Jon). You love the beaches, the heat, the random getaways, and most importantly, waking up anytime you want to. But it doesn’t always go as planned, mainly because you have no plan to begin with. You start wishing back the vacation leaves you wasted on poorly planned sabbaticals.

In many ways, summer vacation feels like freedom– freedom from the hustle and bustle of the city and the unforgiving stress of work. Wasting it is more than just a shame, it’s unacceptable. So ask yourself: “What am I going to do with that much free time?” In preparation for the upcoming long weekend of the Holy Week, here are six exciting activities to include in your summer bucket list:

Skydiving is top on most bucket lists for a good reason. What’s more adrenaline-pumping than jumping off a moving aircraft strapped to a stranger and free falling at 150 kilometers per hour as you drop 12,000 feet? However, there’s only a handful of sites in the Philippines that offer skydiving services and they’re very pricey. Skydive Cebu offers tandem skydiving packages all year round starting at Php 18,000 while events like the Skydiving Phun Phestival in Subic and Hot Air Balloon Festivals in Pampanga offer them on selected dates at Php 12,000-13,000.

If you’re feeling spiritual, you can join in on Lenten traditions like fasting, Visita Iglesia (church visitation), reading the pasyon (passion of Christ), and penitensya (acts of penance). But if self-inflicted suffering isn’t your drift, you can also go to festivities around the country like the popular Moriones Festival in Marinduque, the Centurion Festival in Quezon, the Panaad activity in Camiguin, and the Lenten Procession in Bulacan.

I know. How cliché, right? February and March is discount season for travellers as airlines grant the wishes of backpackers everywhere. Take this opportunity to plan your future trips. Bookmark and stalk your favourite airlines and be sure to stay up until 12:01 am when they launch their sale. A word of warning though, these seats sell out like hotcakes so mash that refresh button when the time comes.

Read more: 4 Secrets to Booking Cheaper Flights

The months of February and April is Hot Air Balloon season with two major festivals in Pampanga: the Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta at Clark, and the Lubao Hot Air Balloon Festival at Pradera Verde, Lubao. Balloon Ride tickets range from Php 15,000- Php 17,000 on a first come, first serve basis. If you think that’s too expensive, then you haven’t considered this:

Everything with a screen must go, and yes that includes your smart watches too. Going on a few days without technology can go a long way in detoxifying and starting a healthier lifestyle. Full disconnection will take a lot of courage and restraint, especially for tech aficionados and those who rely on their phones for just about everything. Supress the itch of checking your Facebook and email by hiking, surfing in La Union or Baler, reading a book ( a real one), building model kits, painting, knitting, finding yourself a new hobby, or anything that drives you away from Facebook land and Istagramania. We all need a break sometimes, even from the things that make our lives easier.