JOSH LEYSON

We live young | IG: joshleyson

[joshleyson]

LIFE LATELY: PLACES PT. 1 [Coron] + hello again

First, I want to say hello to my fellow people who desperately want to escape the invasive algorithmic junk and polished influencer-driven social media platforms, finding refuge in this nostalgic blogosphere in the name of *ahem* "self-expression", like seriously, Tumblr in 2025? That's WILD. Anyway, the only thing that saved me from completely abandoning this space was the occasional Tumblr notification that I receive on my phone. I am reminded that it's nice for my brain to share things here that I felt were kinda out of place in social media, like who reads and appreciates lengthy posts like this on those platforms? Fucking nobody. So here I am, back with an update about my life that nobody asked, exercising my brain cells with another tumblog post with zero ROI, but all for the love of this community that somehow separates us from the noise from other social media.

The last "serious" post that I wrote here was the Pulag climb I did last year, and since then, I have actually had the privilege to do a lot of things for the first time. I feel like 2024 was a major breather for me, financially, professionally, and physically as I was able to get my shit together and wander in places that I never been to and reconnect with the people I really cared about, which as self-centered as it sound, what this post is all about. I’m breaking these down into separate posts (and they are sitting on my drafts since forever, mind you) because it’s just so lengthy and at this point I’m on the verge of who-tf-gonna-give-a-shit about this, but hey, this is Tumblr ala version 2025, who’s judging?

First stop… Coron, Palawan (September 2024)

Let’s fucking go!!!

This is my fourth time in Palawan, and twice specifically in Coron Islands, and I am still captivated by the beauty and the serenity of this paradise. It wasn’t really my plan to go back here soon, but helloooo piso sale flights plus one of my close friends has invited me to celebrate her birthday there, so why not? 

As soon as we landed, we went on a hike to Mt. Tapyas, located straight in the center of the town of Coron, with rewarding panoramic views of the town, bay, and surrounding islands. It was a short hike, probably about half an hour, but a steep one, but the salt air brushing your cheek and the majestic sunset that welcomes you once you reach the top? August by Taylor Swift would start playing in your ears. Heaven.

After sunset, we went straight to a saltwater hot spring located in the woods, which felt like the middle of nowhere. I hadn’t been to Maquinit Hot Spring the first time I came to Coron, so I made sure I’d get to visit the place because I’ve heard it was hot. WRONG. It was REALLY REALLY HOT. It was super hot, where some people who dipped their toes decided not to go in. That level! We were told to enter the hot spring gradually, like feet first, wait for a couple of minutes, then on your knees, wait again, and so on. But once you have your body acclimated, it is spa-level peak relaxation, all negative energy, poisonous and toxic elements in your body, all GONE. Eme. It was very soothing. I’d like to think that it did something healing and therapeutic for my body because I’ve heard about that regarding natural hot springs. 

After that, we spent the remaining days of our short trip with the usual Coron itinerary go-tos: we went island hopping, swam in open waters such as the world-famous cleanest Kayangan lake and the Malcapuya Island, which to me is still one of the best beaches in the Philippines. Imagine Boracay, but without the crowd and commercial places, but even better, especially for diving, snorkeling, and budget-friendly too! Overall, Coron was always as serene as I experienced it for the first time. If I see another piso sale, I will go back.

So that's it for now. Next stop, I’m taking you to Saigon, Hanoi, Seoul, and Japan. I’m taking you around the world, baybeeeeee. Like I always say on this lil space, it's always an honor to have your ears... or eyes, and here we are still sharing stories in this community freely and unapologetically, keeping this what seems to be an online journal we are willing to have random people get a glimpse of, and I thank you for your time. Part 2 coming right up!

JOSHY.

instagram/tiktok/twitter: joshleyson

[joshleyson]

Any tumblr OGs here circa 2010-2013?

Comment down below and let me know kung bakit di ka pa nag-aasawa. Eme. Share some of your fondest Tumblr memories mga tito at tita!!! 😅

[joshleyson]

life (lately) on film

filed under 📂 08. miscellaneous > life lately on film

🎞️ 🧪: @sunny16lab

(reposting because the previous one got deleted T_T)

carousel post from my instagram: let’s connect: (@joshleyson)

[joshleyson]

i am trying to create a formal blog post like i used to do but i just can’t finish it and a part of me is pulling me back because do people in this space still read lengthy tumblr posts? HELP! I am really conflicted. How’s everybody?

[joshleyson]

Life Update + Postcards from Mount Pulag

If there's one thing I'm particularly proud of that I did this year in the name of self-care, it is using my Apple Watch for what it was designed to do and being mindful of closing my rings on the Fitness App, which includes meeting my Move, Stand, and Exercise requirements for the day.

Last weekend, I went on my first major walk this year, to Mount Pulag in Benguet, the majestic and highest mountain in Luzon. For the first time ever, I was able to set a *drum roll please* record-breaking 42K steps, perhaps more because my watch died in the middle of the climb. It never occurred to me to go on this ALMOST 10-hour hike until J, who by the way was a famous OG Tumblr influencer during the peak Tumblr era circa 2012 (if you know him, mag-asawa ka na hahaha), introduced me to the idea of going to Baguio (I haven’t been to Baguio since forever) and eventually having to explore Mount Pulag after. J and I have known each other for over 12+ years, but it was only this year that we began to see each other more frequently; he is also the person who introduced and challenged me to finish my rings on the Fitness app. I began this "ring" journey at the end of March, but I wasn't fully committed until I started seeing some, hmm, what's the word, "changes" when I started monitoring my InBody results, which show my weight, BMI, muscle mass, and even body fat percentage decreasing. Long story short, I'm making some small progress with trying to make my BMI normal again. Hey, don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to paint the typical fitness buff image with raging, strong-looking muscles, because that's not who I am, but I wanted to give myself credit also for losing 10kgs in just 4 months, and I'm not even pulling my hair out about it, just that awareness of "Did I close my rings today?" moment. Like I told J, I never expected accountability to feel this good. So I'm quite delighted with that.

Enough of the fitness thingee and going back to Mount Pulag, I'm so happy that we were able to pull it off this year. We started by staying in Baguio for 2 days which by the way the weather was THE. BEST. Having to walk around the city in layered clothes without breaking a sweat as a pawisin was HEAVEN. It was something that I missed when I went back to Manila. After 2 days, we headed straight to Kabayan, Benguet, where our homestay was located, and by midnight started our trek to Pulag summit. The trek was surprisingly easy. The quiet and quaint landscapes while on our way to the summit were something that I enjoyed so much. It was tiring and yes, the weather was extremely cold. Miss Hypothermia is REAL especially on the summit but with the right amount of clothing, it's no biggie. Just do a little bit of research before signing up for the hike and you'll be just fine. On that trip, we met and bonded with new faces which I hope soon will become friends because they're nice to be with which made the hike bearable. Being the beach person that I am which is very OBVIOUS on this blogosphere, exploring the mountains and the countryside was very refreshing to see and I kinda wanted to make that commitment to at least do this at least once a year. Let's see!

(No Light Pollution? Here's the Milky Way captured in the default iPhone camera app.)

Overall, the Mountain Province trip including late-night walks in Baguio, wandering to places and cafés and bar hopping walking side to side because we’re drunk AF, and then Mount Pulag was something I'm so grateful for that I get to check them out this year. There were "unplanned" and "down" moments on that trip, sure, but I guess that's just normal, especially since I'm with the person I wanted to get to know more, and J, if you're reading this, thank you. I feel like all the things that happened on that trip have a reason and I just wanna say thank you for being…you. I will not be surprised if one day that rough idea of a psycho-thriller slasher movie we kind of created while sitting on a bus will soon come to life. Write that fucking screenplay. PLEASE.

So that's my not-so-quick life update that no one asked about. I think I mentioned before in this space that the more I have something "major" going on with my life whether professional or personal, I am less inclined to talk about it versus in my heyday, loud, teenage years and I think that's what really living is all about. Touch some grass they say, and literally, I did that in the mountains of Mount Pulag, and those memories which I hope I could bottle, and that seeing something so beautiful is enough to remind me that everything's gonna be alright.

Siri, play Gravity by Sara Bareilles, JOSHY

(Mountain Province, July 2024)

[joshleyson]

HI!

Hi, tumblr people. It’s been a while. I hope you guys are staying safe and dry this bagyo szn! Ingat kayoooo :)

Work muna tayo and here’s a #GPOY and if you know what that means, mag-asawa ka na HAHAHAHA 🥲

[joshleyson]

I know some people have commented on this, but damn yung blog posts nyo is sooo damn gooood. I'm inspired and at the same time obsessed. Followed na din sa insta! Keep on photo journaling!!

Hey @lifeofaie, I’m glad to hear this and I’m happy to inspire you in a way. Keep writing! ✨

[joshleyson]

Beginners tips for photography? Editing, taking shots and how to do so etc

Hey @crack-headed, I don’t consider myself a professional photographer. I’m just a point-and-shoot guy (film and iPhone photography). For editing, I still use Adobe Photoshop, and some mobile apps I recommend are PicsArt, EPIK, Unfold, and Lightroom. I hope this helps. ❤️

[joshleyson]

a deeper well.

On this exact day 5 years ago, I was in this same location ensconced by the towering mountains with an overlooking view of a calm, seemingly waveless ocean in the pre-summer blistering heat in San Antonio, Zambales. This time I get to come back with my OG friends slash Zamboanga childhood homies, my friend Karen Blaise who's now based in Clark, Pampanga, and my CPA Lawyer friend Abegail from Dumaguete. After countless discussions of reunions and "travel goals" with some of the important people that we know, and 99% of those plans that never came to fruition, we decided that we would make this outdoor camp happen, and thank God we finally made it happen.

I felt like that 2D1N camping trip was surprisingly one of the longest weekends I had this year. Having to disconnect from our phones for a while because the camping site had no service was the perfect setting for us to reminisce about our adolescent and high school classic moments and teenage angst and how those unforgettable stories from our past (and sometimes politically incorrect moments lol) shaped the people we are today professionally and personally. We had a great time recounting all the crazy stories we had more than a decade ago, planned future travels, played frisbee in the middle of the night, and went hiking after sunrise breathing the cold pre-summer wind overlooking the almost CGI-looking mountains in Zambales. My belief of having this type of "disconnecting" was further reinforced from this trip that, as much as I want so much social interaction with a lot of people, I also like to be alone with the few people I truly trust, and that being alone doesn't have to be lonely and solitude is actually a good thing.

☾

Being on the road while listening to Kacey Musgrave's Deeper Well album (shoutout to Track 6 Sway as my favorite track off the record) revealed so many truths about my current situation and the things I'm dealing with in my personal life, both good and bad, and how I strive to find peace in accepting the pain and the lessons it has taught me, and that I've already arrived in my final destination on some certain aspects of my relationships especially with the people that I love, and that I need to move on. 

My Saturn has returned. 

J

February, 2024 | Nagsasa, San Antonio, Zambales

(Photos were shot using Fujifilm Simpleace 35 mm camera + FUJIFILM X-T100)

Stream Kacey Musgrave’s Deeper Well on Spotify and Apple Music.

Instagram/TikTok/Twitter: joshleyson

[joshleyson]

THIS IS: SIARGAO ✨

December film dump 🎞️

Growing up in Mindanao for almost 2 decades and never actually being able to traverse the picturesque landscapes in the eastern part of the island is something that I know I have to break before the year ends. So I did.

I flew from Manila to Cebu so early in the morning to catch a connecting flight to Siargao by noon. Traveling to Siargao was a lot of firsts for me. Not having to go to every detail but when the plane was about to take off to Siargao, we were all offloaded due to the bad weather on the island. Fortunately, instead of having to fly back to Manila, the airline was kind enough to take me to a nearby hotel in Cebu, all expenses paid including food, transportation, and next-day ticket. It was an unexpected staycation which surprisingly I enjoyed.

Coming from a very tiring day at work and then going to the airport, I felt like I really needed this quiet time, and I was able to check in to this lavish hotel all by myself while waiting for my flight the next day. Also, I had a great night as well in Cebu catching up with one of my long-time friends and her beaux. I went back to my hotel around 3 in the morning because there’s just so many things to catch up and I really missed my homie so much. Keyword: low-maintenance friendships.

So the day finally came, and I was able to land safely on the island of Siargao. Right off the bat on my first night, I had a lovely dinner with my travel friends slash buddies at work and we went to a bar, and danced the night away which to me serves as a prelude to the great experience this vibrant community had in stored for me as a Mindanaoan that have never set foot beyond the confines of Zamboanga and western Mindanao.

We spent our days being on the road which to me was such a release. Being able to smell the fresh ocean breeze while blasting our favorite Y2K songs in the car and relying on Waze or Google Maps for our next destination, to me, makes the trip so much fun because of the spontaneity and unpredictability that it brings. We went island hopping, danced in the boat, swam on open waters, ate our hearts out, moved from one accommodation to another, and I tried surfing for the first time! I never thought I would enjoy the experience because it was raining lightly at that time and the waves were so big it could easily engulf me, but man, best day ever!!!! I fell on the surfing board and slammed my body on the rushing waves several times but being able to stand on the surfboard for the first time was such a liberating experience. A little bit of a stretch, but it was and I will try it again once I go back to Siargao.

☾

I flew back to Cebu and then to Manila to catch one of my friend’s wedding and luckily I made it with no delay. Looking at the pictures that I got to develop from a Fuji film camera that I brought with me on the island, I am reminded again of the incredible healing power of what it’s like to try new things, be with nature, and just breathe. Knowing that the year is about to end in a couple of weeks, I felt so blessed to have that opportunity to break the complicated rhythm of corporate life and to disconnect for a moment. 

After 3 weeks, I get to fly back to Boracay to celebrate New Year’s Eve. So many epic moments that I am also grateful for which I may save for the future but nevertheless, my last month of 2023 was such a banger and I hope it always feels that way.

By the way, I’m writing all these on my iPhone because I’m too tired to get up and open my MacBook, so I appreciate you for hanging with me this far. So that’s it for 2023!

Simply put, I just want to say Happy Holidays to you and your loved ones, and may 2024 be as effervescent as your hopes and dreams for the future.

J.

(December, 2023)

(Photos were shot using Fujifilm Simpleace 35 mm camera + iPhone 15 Pro Max)

FOLLOW ME: Instagram/TikTok/Twitter: joshleyson

(Music by Grammy nominee, Victoria Monét. All rights belong to her and her publishers. For personal and non-commercial use only. Stream her great catalogue on Spotify and Apple Music.)

[joshleyson]

scents

I think it's true: the older you become, the more fragrances you need in rotation. Sign of aging? Maybe 😂! I usually hoard perfumes at the end of the year because they’re relatively cheaper and there’s a lot of sale going on and these are the ones I’m gonna use all year-round. I don’t know about you but I’m the kind of person who assigns fragrances on specific moments because wherever I am in my life, if I get a whiff of a scent that I once used in that certain occasion or moment, my brain would automatically transport me back to that moment in time.

So here I am sharing some of the fragrances in my cabinet that I personally use that also I recommend to anyone where you don't need to break the bank. This video is from my ‘Tok as I promised to break the tedium of this blogosphere with my beach and travel photos. I want to know your favorites!

And yeah, I finally surrendered to the TikTok gods and I’ve been browsing that app mindlessly sometimes.

TikTok: joshleyson

[joshleyson]

the island: 10/2023

Here’s to wanting a little taste of fresh air and finally getting it, a breather so I can live again, sunsets to remind me that all good things will come to an end so I’ll make the most out of it, and lastly, being comfortable with my own skin.

// 10.2023 ig carousel: @joshleyson

[joshleyson]

summer 2023 on film

El Nido + Puerto Princesa

shot entirely using Fujifilm Simpleace 35 mm camera

☾

“Some of the earliest memories I can recall are of my mother instructing me to always “save ten percent of yourself.” What she meant was that, no matter how much you thought you loved someone or thought they loved you, you never gave all of yourself. Save 10 percent, always, so there was something to fall back on. “Even from Daddy, I save,” she would add. Stop crying! Save your tears for when your mother dies.”

- Crying in H Mart, Michelle Zauner

This was a part of my 10%. To be able to disconnect. To breathe. To try to heal and maybe, that would be the last thing that can save me.

So happy to finally go back to the majestic islands of Palawan for the third time after a year, this time specifically in El Nido (and a side trip in Puerto Princesa). The last time I’ve been to El Nido was 5 years ago where I flew back to Manila with a copy of my leg X-ray and prescription meds after my first vehicular accident. But this time, amidst the Betty super typhoon, I and my friends were still able to pull it off safely and enjoyed wandering from one island to another, relaxing on the beach for hours, and having lots of mango shakes! This trip I also finished which I feared to be my Book of the Year which is that quote from above. Michelle Zauner literally took me on a surprisingly, meaningful journey which was a great accompaniment for my 6-day vacation trip. Also, I’m planning to compile my “recent book list” of the year just to break the usual “travel beach photos” trend on this page (I know 😅). I still have a lot to post from this trip but this dump of photos captured on a Fujifilm summarizes the beauty of nature and the summer season that’s so real, quaint, and frozen in time, but will always hit me with a wave of comfort and familiarity.

Goodbye, summer. See you next year ☀️

J.

🎥 watch the short mood film here:

//

FOLLOW ME:

Instagram/TikTok/Twitter: joshleyson

(Music by GIVEON. All rights belong to him and his publishers. For personal and non-commercial use only. Stream his great music on Spotify and Apple Music.)

[joshleyson]

#PalawanPart3 El Nido Edition

I still have a lot to post from this trip but this IG carousel would suffice for now. 

summerboi 4ever, ☀️

J.

Instagram, (and also TikTok), Twitter: @joshleyson

#summertimegladness

[joshleyson]

i will always always always love your posts. ang gaganda 🥹💕

Messages like this never fail to make me go 🥺🥹😍😭. So thank you so much! Let's be frieeeends, Tumblr peeps! :)

[joshleyson]

1994

Some pictures I forgot to share during my recent stay in the Island. T.S 1989 will always be my vibes. I can’t wait for the last week of this month to come as I’m going back to the beautiful islands of Palawan for the third time. More of that soon :)

December, 2023. Boracay Island, Philippines.

Follow me on Instagram & Twitter: joshleyson

[joshleyson]

Life, so far... + summer 2023 first dip 

I find it strange that every time something "major" happens in my life--you know, things worth sharing--I am less inclined to communicate, or have the sheer muscle to write about it, or at least share tidbits of lessons, or any proof of life on this tiny little webosphere called Tumblr. Maybe this is how life actually felt, a world where you have to deal with the whirlwind and harsh reality that wraps around you, from personal to professional life. Needless to say, I finished 2022 with so many huge changes in my life, some of which I consider victories for which I am glad, while others were so tragic and painful that the grief still lingers to this day. But, as I always say, the pain becomes liveable. To cut a long story short, I'm still alive. These major changes in my life have been something I've never been accustomed to in the last ten years, but I know and trust that, as scary as it may seem that I'm really on my own now, I know I'm still that adult on whom my younger self can rely, and I often doubt that, but I have to believe in it because I have to.

Anyway, one of the things that bothered me this year was realizing that turning a year older last month means I'll be saying goodbye to the life of a twenty-something pretty soon. While I am grateful for what this decade has done for me and the opportunities it has provided, I am also concerned about what the next chapter has in store for me. I'm always thinking about what other "major shifts" I'd be willing to take and make, as well as the priorities that will remain and alter. Anyway, I'm humbled to be able to celebrate my birthday on the beach at a private resort in Bataan. I was going to return to "The Island" (now synonymous with Boracay), but I decided against it owing to time restrictions and the fact that I had just been there three months before. Although it is still March, the sun is already at its peak summer energy, and I can't wait to relax and lay back on those beach trips planned for this year, as well as the books I intend to read. 

So much for this wee update, I guess. What are your summer plans? Any book recommendations? 

J.

follow me on instagram & twitter: joshleyson