Done is Better than Perfect.

After 11 months of footage, 11 months of procrastination, and two days of editing, it's finished! My one second video project is done! I tried to take at least one second of video each day for one year after watching a similar project back in May of 2013. To be clear I had no video editing experience before deciding to do this, but that wasn't going to stop me! I really wanted to be able to edit the videos for color correction etc, but I just don't have those skills yet. I worked a bit on the underwater footage, but wanting things to be perfect was stopping me from even starting.  It was time to just get it done!

I bent the rules a little to suit my needs. Not every day is shown, and many clips get more than one second. Also, I did complete the whole year but I let the video end on my last day in Thailand, before coming back to the states.

I'm so excited for this to be finished! After so many weird looks, and confusion about "Are you taking video?", I'm pleased to show a final product.

This video Takes place from May 2013 to March 2014 in Korea, Japan, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Thailand. Enjoy!

Moments in Korea and Abroad from Theresa Havelka on Vimeo.

Learning to Dive in El Nido

The boys and I decided to get our PADI Open Water Diver Certificates while in the Philippines. It was a way to treat ourselves for completing a year abroad in South Korea, and considerably cheaper than getting certified back home. After researching different dive centers in El Nido, we went with Submariner Diving Center, which was an excellent choice.

Everyone at the center was friendly and helpful. We spent the most time with our instructor André, so naturally he was our favorite, but all of the other instructors that we met were great as well. André gave very clear instructions but also put us at ease so we weren't afraid to do any of the tasks. He joked back and forth with us, and just really made the whole experience amazing.

El Nido

Hey everyone! I've been preoccupied moving these last few months, but I finally have internet at my new place so I can continue playing catch up with the blog. Yay!

The second place we went to on Palawan was El Nido. I really wanted to do this place justice because it was so beautiful and relaxing. First, a couple important points should you decide to go there:

• There were no ATM machines, so bring enough cash for your entire stay.
• There are really only two ways of getting there. You can take a bus from Puerto Princesa, or a boat from Coron.

El Nido is not a convenient place to travel to, but oh so worth it. We took a charter bus from Puerto Princesa, and that took several hours (I think about 8?) but it was worth it for the air conditioning and leg room. El Nido isn't a large town but it sports some lovely ocean views.

The balcony at our first hotel.

After our first night we found a new hotel with more room since we were meeting up with +Aubrey and +Philip! We picked the Rainforest Hotel because we fell in love with their back porch and view.

They also had cats! Sold!

Puerto Princesa, Palawan

So waaaaaay back in March I took a little adventure to South East Asia. My teaching contract was up at the end of February so I had planned a month of fun in the sun island hopping before coming back home to California. It was a nice little reward I had saved up for after completing my year abroad.

I kicked off my journey with Diane and we went to the Philippines, to the island of Palawan. We stayed in Puerto Princesa in the Subli Guest Cabins. The people at Subli were super helpful and awesome. The breakfasts were cooked up fresh in the morning, you could lay beneath their giant mango tree, and somebody was always there to call you a motorbike for a fair price. The cabins themselves were surrounded by lush vegetation and little fearless geckos.

July Mini Vacation to Monterey Bay

Last month John and I took a trip up to Monterey for John's birthday. We met up with his family and did the aquarium, Carmel, and drove back home down Highway 1. It was a great reminder of how beautiful California's coast  is and how happy I am to be back :)

The Ladybug Battalion and Other Life Updates

My little window box garden on the balcony has recently become infested with aphids. After using some safer soap I discovered it burned my poor calibrachoa blossoms to a crisp. For a few days I used a squirt bottle to dislodge the aphids with water, but I was only winning small battles. I needed an army to win this war!

I decided to get some ladybugs. I didn't think they would stay very long in my tiny garden, but I was hoping they would at least clear out what pests I had before flying off into the sunset. Three days later and I apparently have enough aphids to keep a few dozen happy ladybugs around.

Patrol on the calibrachoa!

The ladybugs really like my silver leaf thyme. I think there are bug eggs on the leaves for them to devour.

I didn't know my rose scented geranium had aphids until the morning after I released my red and black army. My geranium is hardy enough to withstand an aphid attack so I don't mind it housing food for my soldiers. Now I enjoy sipping tea on the balcony watching the beetles 'do their thang'.

In other news I'm going to Florida for a week . It will be my first time on the East coast outside of an airport. When I return I'll get back to job applications... Somebody needs to hire me soon!

Hanoi and Ha Long Bay

 Finally, Hanoi! The third and final stop of my Vietnam adventure back in January. During our stay in Hanoi preparations were being made all over the country for the lunar new year. Signs and flowers were abundant along walkways and parks.