A road trip last December 26 brought us to Gabaldon, Nueva Ecija. It was spontaneous… we huddled the kids into two SUVs and off we traversed the long road to… wherever. We didn’t know where to stop or where to spend the afternoon. We just wanted to bond and enjoy the holidays in a different milieu.

The scenery was a treat in itself. It was a picture perfect countryside landscape complete with farmers working in the rice fields.

When I saw a long stretch of clear and clean river, I immediately remarked to my husband that this is the scenery that Koreans like. During summer, they would even put up tents along the river and dip into the cool waters. Driving along, we saw several nipa huts and we assumed they are for rent. We rented one and the kids immediately stepped into the water without care of its coldness.

We waited until sunset and we were not disappointed.

It was an afternoon of carefree fun for our toddler and his cousins. It was an afternoon of fun parenting for hubby and me.