Ten Months, Ten Pesos, One Unforgettable Beach Trip

Hello, Hivemates!

It's been almost a year since I've posted here, and honestly, I missed this place more than I expected. Opening this account again felt like opening an old photo album. Every post brought back memories I thought I had forgotten, and somehow, they all hit me at once.

So today, I want to share something special with you.

A beach trip that took almost ten months to happen.

Not ten months of planning where nobody takes it seriously. I mean ten months of saving, waiting, hoping, and counting down the days.

And there was a time when we honestly thought it would never happen.

Because sometimes the hardest part of a trip isn't the money.

It's keeping the people together.

August 11.

That was when our classes officially started.

While everyone was still adjusting to schedules, assignments, and professors, our friend group started a tiny challenge. Every day, we would save ₱10 for our future outing.

Ten pesos doesn't sound like much.

In fact, most people would probably spend that on snacks without thinking twice.

But for us, it became something exciting.

Every day we added another ten pesos, we felt like we were getting one step closer to the sea.

We already talked about what clothes we would wear.

We planned picture poses months before the trip.

Sometimes during class, we'd randomly bring it up and start talking about the outing instead of listening to the lesson.

It became our motivation whenever school got difficult.

And trust me, this academic year wasn't easy.

There were quizzes that left us staring at the ceiling at night.

Exams that made us question if we actually studied the right topics.

Group activities that tested not only our patience but also our friendships.

There were days when we barely slept.

Days when we skipped meals just to finish requirements.

Days when we felt completely exhausted.

I remember looking at the calendar many times and wishing the months would move faster.

Just a little faster.

Because all we wanted was to hear the sound of waves instead of deadlines.

But before this trip could happen, our friendship faced something much bigger.

Something that almost broke our group apart.

During our SANGKA event, one of my friends accidentally dropped Rhona's iPhone while taking pictures.

The phone slipped from her hand and cracked.

At first, it seemed like a simple accident.

But that night, everything changed.

Tension filled our group chat.

Messages became shorter.

Conversations became awkward.

And before we knew it, Rhona stopped joining us.

Honestly, it hurt.

Not because of the phone itself, but because our group suddenly felt incomplete.

We understood Rhona's feelings.

That phone wasn't easy to buy.

Part of it came from her scholarship allowance.

Part of it came from her own hard work.

Of course she was upset.

And honestly, if I were in her position, maybe I would feel the same.

Thankfully, accountability happened.

The damages were addressed, conversations were made, and little by little, healing started.

The day Rhona came back to our group felt like a huge weight was lifted off our shoulders.

Because what we wanted wasn't just a beach outing.

We wanted all of us there.

Complete.

And finally, after ten long months, that day arrived.

We were on our way to Sunrise Beach Resort.

The excitement inside the vehicle was impossible to describe.

Nobody could sit still.

Everyone kept talking over each other.

Someone was playing music.

Someone was already planning photo captions.

And deep inside, I think all of us were feeling the same thing:

"We made it."

Not just to the beach.

But through an entire academic year.

We were all Dean's Listers.

After all the sleepless nights.

After all the stress.

After all the failures and breakdowns.

We survived together.

And because of that, this outing felt different.

It wasn't just a vacation.

It felt like a reward.

A celebration of every sacrifice we made.

When we arrived, we immediately started organizing our things.

Some prepared lunch.

Others unpacked bags.

A few were already scouting the best spots for pictures.

Later that afternoon, when the sun wasn't too harsh anymore, we started our photoshoot.

And honestly?

We documented everything.

The beautiful moments.

The funny moments.

The embarrassing moments.

Even the random moments that made absolutely no sense.

Because someday, these photos won't just be pictures.

They'll be proof that this happened.

Proof that we were young.

Proof that we were together.

That night became one of my favorite parts.

We grilled bangus, which is called grilled milkfish in English.

We also prepared grilled pork.

There were fruits everywhere, bottles of soft drinks, and enough food to make everyone happy.

Then somebody decided to set up a drinking area.

I didn't join because alcohol gives me allergies.

My skin quickly develops rashes whenever I drink.

Thankfully, my friends respected that.

So while they were drinking, I became the unofficial photographer of the night.

And honestly, that was probably more entertaining.

A few hours later, some of them were already laughing at things that weren't even funny.

One friend kept repeating the same story.

Another couldn't stop singing.

Someone ended up vomiting.

It was complete chaos.

But the good kind.

The kind you laugh about the next day.

Then came the craziest part.

At around four in the morning, somebody suggested swimming.

And somehow everyone agreed.

The water was freezing.

Absolutely freezing.

I was shaking the entire time.

But seeing everyone laughing while the sky was still dark made it worth it.

The next morning felt surprisingly peaceful.

No one wanted to leave their beds.

We spent the day singing karaoke, eating nonstop, playing Tongits, hide-and-seek, the Impostor game, and whatever random game someone could think of.

What made it even better was the lack of signal.

For once, nobody was glued to their phones.

We couldn't scroll.

We couldn't check notifications.

So we simply enjoyed each other's company.

And maybe that's why it felt so special.

Eventually, the time came to go home.

Nobody wanted to pack.

Nobody wanted to leave.

Even while carrying our bags, we kept saying things like, "One more hour."

Or, "Let's stay a little longer."

But reality always catches up.

The trip only lasted a short time.

Yet somehow, it gave us enough memories to talk about for years.

As we drove home, tired and sleepy, I looked around at my classmates and realized something.

Ten months ago, we were just students saving ten pesos a day.

Today, we were carrying memories that felt priceless.

And honestly?

I think that made every single day of waiting worth it.

These pictures was taken from me and my classmates and edited from Canva.