While it feels good to be back home, I feel vacation-sick, sorta like the opposite of homesick. Two weeks is never enough for a good vacation, especially one that allows you to reconnect with loved ones.
I took over a thousand pictures over a span of two weeks, but here are 88 highlights from my L.A. vacation. These pictures do not fully capture the fun and enjoyment I experienced with my loved ones, but nevertheless they do fill me with so much happiness and make me smile, even tear up a little whenever I go through them.
Thanks to my beautiful family for making sure I enjoyed every minute of my trip. There were opportunities when I could’ve gone sightseeing, but opted to just stay home and bond with my relatives. Sometimes just laughing and bonding over bowls of cereal and servings of beef jerky is ten times more special than a trip to an amusement park or museum. I’m really blessed to have reconnected with them.
I was pretty much a mess on the plane ride back to Manila, bursting into tears every now and then. And I wasn’t prepared for waterworks! I had to make do with the sleeve of my sweater to dry up my tears.
So anyway, I’m back at work, back at home, back to reality. And so I toil, toil, toil again and save, save, save again so I can go on vacation yet again. I’m loaded with beautiful memories, and these beautiful moments that I hold in my heart motivate me to find ways to reconnect with my loved ones some more.
Yup, we’ll get back to regular programming soon. I shall catch up on bloghopping soon as well. 
See you later!
Hi! I'm Toni Tiu,
and I've been blogging at
at Wifely Steps since 2003. This started as a blog to help newly weds adjust to married life. It has evolved into a home and parenting blog. I write about things close to my heart -- good eats, good reads, family, marriage, and the little things that make everyday happy.
Junnie
September 25, 2007 at 10:42 am (17 years ago)Toni, alam mo naman ako when it comes to Pictures…so I finished them all…where are the rest of the 922??? Glad you enjoyed the trip. There’s nothing like seeing something for the first time and experiencing everything in childlike ways…ang ganda ng LA di ba? But not for me 😛
loren
September 25, 2007 at 11:03 am (17 years ago)Hi Toni! I’ve been a silent reader of your blog from the first day I stumbled on it. Thank you so much for the good vibes you’ve been sending your readers. You don’t fail to make me feel good about life everytime I read your writings. Keep up the sunshiney outlook.
jojo
September 25, 2007 at 11:43 am (17 years ago)fun pictures–specially Mickey Mouse and all the food!
i dare ask you–tumaba ka ba? hehehe.
i’m happy to hear you had fun. welcome back!
Em Dy
September 25, 2007 at 9:03 pm (17 years ago)Welcome back Toni.
abby
September 25, 2007 at 10:38 pm (17 years ago)tones – why the water works?
glad you had a great time in LA. next time dito naman! 
kayni
September 25, 2007 at 11:20 pm (17 years ago)Ah, you’re so like me. I act tough when I’m at the airport, but when I’m on the plane, my tears won’t stop flowing. I’m glad you had a chance to reconnect with family – that’s the best part.
mare
September 25, 2007 at 11:41 pm (17 years ago)Great pics Toni, I’m craving salmon loks now!
Dr E
September 26, 2007 at 12:51 am (17 years ago)WELCOME BACK!!! =)
iska
September 26, 2007 at 10:10 am (17 years ago)I saw all the pictures… ang gaganda! Glad you had so much fun
Welcome back!
Stacey
September 26, 2007 at 10:57 am (17 years ago)Awesome pictures, Toni! I want to go to L.A. now! I’m glad you had such a great time…I love great vacations:)
Shai Coggins
September 26, 2007 at 12:52 pm (17 years ago)Welcome back home. Always great to go on great vacations. Only trouble is getting back to ‘real life’.
mich
September 26, 2007 at 6:11 pm (17 years ago)great pics toni! glad you enjoyed your trip.
kat
September 27, 2007 at 12:14 am (17 years ago)did you go hob-nobbing w/ the stars? celeb-sighting? night-life? i did enjoy your family and food pics! so glad you had a great time in L.A!! but i do get teary-eyed myself after going home from a nice reunion! for your next trip, abby and i suggest NYC! we’d love to show you around!
Marvin
September 27, 2007 at 4:22 am (17 years ago)Ha ha Toni! When I first read your post about coming here, I did think for a split second that maybe you were my cousin;)
So what did you think about Cali’s most treasured In-N-Out? And I laughed at your comment about Kalamansi being orange here vs. green in the Phils.
meeya
September 27, 2007 at 11:08 am (17 years ago)toni, i loved the pics! i missed tommy’s tuloy, sigh. anyway, i can understand the crying thing, i do that all the time.
glad to have you back! *muah*
divalicious
September 28, 2007 at 12:22 pm (17 years ago)i just saw your pics! glad you enjoyed your time in LA…
BabyPink
September 28, 2007 at 8:49 pm (17 years ago)hi toni girl!:)
welkam bak! i looked at your pics. ang saya! i’m glad you had a great time. time spent with family is still the best, if you ask me.:)
*hugs!*
Rach
September 30, 2007 at 8:57 pm (17 years ago)Hi Toni! Glad to have you back. I missed you. I will check your photos. Thanks for sharing the link.
ela
October 5, 2007 at 7:26 am (17 years ago)great pics toni!!!parang feeling ko kasama mo ako namamasyal e!
heniweys, i luv luv luv in-n-out!!! kaso wala sa idaho e, so pag nsa arizona kami or cali dun lang ako nakakain sa in-n-out!
hay naku, bad yung dracula na yun! he was hitting on us too when we took pics w/ him!
Christine
October 7, 2007 at 1:18 pm (17 years ago)hi my dear…it seems like you had a blast in LA…the photos are great! I liked the way you’ve written a description under each of your photo. And as usual, sexy ever!