Friendship doesn’t need a grand reason to celebrate.

Okay, okay—I owe you all an apology. Last month, I boldly declared I’d be blogging daily, and, well… life had other plans. Turns out, writing every single day is a lot harder than I imagined (who would’ve guessed, right?). So while I may have failed the “daily” part of my promise, I haven’t forgotten about sharing life’s little pockets of joy. To make it up to you, I’m opening my photo diary and letting you in on one of my favorite memories from last Christmas—a night made special not just by fairy lights and festive food, but by the people I shared it with. It also happened to be Jona’s leaving do—a bittersweet celebration for the first brave soul in our little circle to pack her bags, chase her dreams, and relocate to London. Or as we fondly teased her: isang malaking taksil 😂. And though we miss her like crazy, we also know she’s exactly where her heart wants to be. Watching her beam with joy that night was, in its own way, the best gift of all.

Birmingham German Christmas Market

We spent that evening at the Birmingham German Christmas Market, which, if you’ve ever been, you’ll know is pure magic on cobbled streets. There’s something in the air there—part cinnamon, part bratwurst, part “is this mulled wine or joy I’m sipping?” The wooden stalls glowed with twinkling fairy lights, glittering with handmade crafts, oversized pretzels, and more hot chocolate than any one person should reasonably consume. The air was cold but kind, laced with music and the soft hum of December joy. We wandered with no real destination, letting the festive chaos carry us from one moment to the next. We took far too many photos (as it should be), danced to the live band without shame, and ate until our coats felt a little too snug—zero regrets. There was laughter tucked into every corner of that evening, the kind that bubbles up when you’re exactly where you’re meant to be, with people who feel like home.

And that’s what this night reminded me of:

friendship doesn’t need a grand reason to celebrate.

Sometimes, it’s enough to just show up—to let a chilly December evening become warm with shared memories, glittering lights, and unspoken gratitude. It doesn’t take much. Just a little joy, a little sugar, and a whole lot of togetherness.

To Jona—if you’re reading this, London is lucky to have you. You carried our dreams with you when you left, and we’re all cheering you on from wherever we are. And to anyone else who finds themselves at a Christmas market this year—take the picture, eat the sausage, drink the mulled wine, and make the memory. Because these are the moments that quietly stitch themselves into the stories we’ll tell for years to come.

ICCU Christmas Party 2023

A week later, we found ourselves at our annual ICCU Christmas Party—and if the market was magic, this was pure mayhem in the best way. Lechon on the table, pancit and kare-kare filling trays, laughter spilling louder than the karaoke machine. Drinks clinked, games played out in wild laughter, and the night stretched on with the kind of warmth you only find in communities built far from home.

Looking around, I realized again how blessed it feels to have people who carry pieces of “home” wherever we gather. The market gave us magic, but the ICCU party gave us family.

-ANJ ❤