Maria Gemma Hilotin

Week 29/52 #Weeklies Family and friends have been asking… when will I go home??? When I left our country, Philippines, in 2007. I was merely enveloped by excitement. New country, a new adventure, new challenges.  Then I started dreaming…  …. to visit Disneyland! It happened… all for free! Check my photos here. … to have my … Read more

Week 28/52 #Weeklies For some reason, I am not fond of drama, especially in relationships. The thing is I know I am not fond of it way before I was even in love relationships! I remember holding on to my belief that if I see “him” I’ll know it is “him”! My heart will tell me … Read more

Week 27/52 #Weeklies I told my boss who was preparing to leave the office, “Safe travels! Don’t sleep!”  The message was for me as just two weeks ago I fell asleep for a second or two and found myself in the sloping grassy median. You’ll find the story here.  My boss replied, “Oh, I won’t … Read more

Week 21/52 #Weeklies I attended a leadership training before and one of the activities allowed us to identify our smokescreens and blinders. I forgot how it was processed but I specifically remembered going in front of the room and told everybody that mine was… I’m OK. Everything’s OK. I know everything is just a mindset, … Read more

Week 20/52 #Weeklies A friend told me his husband doesn’t want to join any religious groups because they do not “walk the talk”. I told her, well, no one’s perfect.  If joining religious groups will lead them closer to God, why not?, right? We are all on our path and journey, and judging religious groups … Read more

Week 18/52 #Weeklies When a so-called “friend” says no to you, what do you do?  Well, I guess it depends on your personality, right? Either you persist some more until you get a yes, or you accept their no, move on and let go. But sometimes, you vent too.  The worst scenario is you vent … Read more

Week 11/52 #Weeklies I hurriedly walked out of the church.  The sun was shining beautifully in Santa Fe, NM. I saw the man again. He had boxes of books, I supposed when I came in the church. Now he was busy putting it out. I asked if I could have one. Sure, he said. Rediscover Jesus … Read more

Week 10/52 #Weeklies  I slept at 12 midnight last night. Usually I am OK with it but as soon as I shut my computer down, I knew I failed to live with intention, simply because I feel like wasted my time. Sometimes it’s hard to live with intention. It’s funny as soon as I wrote … Read more

Week 9/52 #Weeklies I was so tired last night that after I asked my kids to massage my shoulders, I just couldn’t control my eyes from closing anymore! I fell asleep at 8:30 pm and woke up just before 5 am. It was a refreshing sleep! That wasn’t normal. Thinking about it now, I know … Read more

Week 8/52 #Weeklies I love the new year. I love magic. I love thinking that all good is in store for every year that comes. I love knowing that God is in charge and will soon make our dreams come true. I love pondering on how all our circumstances are God’s way of leading us … Read more

Week 6/52 #Weeklies  What’s sweeter than having a view from the top is that it is all free! It was in July when we were invited to see a room at this hotel in Albuquerque, a Hilton hotel – honestly, we’ve never been to any in all our family travels!  We were happy with $40-$50 … Read more

Week 5/52 #Weeklies As I place my traveling bag on the chair, I suddenly remember how I  daydreamed of spending nights at hotels (because of work)… and looking at where I am now… I’m shaking my head… it came true!  There was this one time two years ago too when I blurted to my boss … Read more

  Week 4/52 #Weeklies Life happens. All was well during my 3-hour drive to Roswell, NM to visit a school in Tatum some 1.5 hours away, but on the road back to Santa Fe, a lot of ‘life’ happened. After just 30 minutes of driving there was lightning and it hailed so hard I had to … Read more

Week 3/52 #Weeklies To each his own, but if there is one thing I’d like to #pushmore it is knowing that my dreams will come true even if I don’t know how, yet. You see… I have sweaty palms in high school. Thus, I shied away from holding hands – with girlfriends and especially boys! … Read more

Week 2/52 #Weeklies Sometimes, I am too preoccupied on wanting to be more, do more, and have more that I get too stressed – and it’s not good.   I remember the story of the fisherman who was relaxing by the beach, and then a businessman came and talked him into doing more than what … Read more

Week 1/52 #Weeklies   “A house with centralized AC!” One day, I’ll live in a house with centralized air conditioning! I told my mom one crazy hot summer back in my high school years. At the back of my mind, I knew it was a crazy dream, how will it ever happen?! I didn’t know… … Read more

I had my second child in 2006. Dennis, my husband, worked as a seaman that time. Of course, I wanted a complete family. I did not like the idea that my two kids will grow up and not know their father as they should be (because he comes and goes), and I didn’t want that. … Read more

It has been 8 years since we landed here in the US to work for the schools. For those who know me personally or follow this blog, you know I’ve moved and stepped up on my career ladder. The view from up top is different. If before my only concern was the list of students … Read more