Dinner Date with Camille Co {Manila Travel Diary 1}

Having some sort of OCD whatnot running through my body, I was never the type to go on random trips. I prefer to plan and organize everything to the dot but somehow this was an exception. When you get the chance to meet an idol and an inspiration you let go of all those worries and what ifs. You grab the opportunity and hug it tight. What made it even more special was the fact that the person you look up to invited and handpicked you personally. Travelling alone was not my cup of tea but that is a thing of the past. I welcome random life events with open arms now! I'm a braver soldier. Thanks Camille Co for instilling in me (and to many others) that confidence comes from within, that travelling is a way of living and that chasing your dreams and passion is always worth it.

Okay, so what was all that gushing all about? If you've read one of my very first posts (click for it here) then you would know that Camille is one of my all time favorite bloggers. If my numerous pins on Pinterest, my unending likes on her Instagram account and my never ending comments on her blog is not proof enough then I don't know what is. When she celebrated her blog anniversary she mentioned wanting to treat a select few of her most loyal readers to a little dinner. I must admit that it got me all excited but living in Cebu I didn't think I could attend and that I would get picked. One could just imagine the euphoria that hit me when I received "the invite". I was so hyped but then again I felt a little dismayed. How on earth would I get to fly from Cebu to Manila? FYI: the plane ticket prices sort of skyrocketed because it was Labor day weekend or the so called #Laboracay. Plus, where would I stay and how will I go around an unfamiliar city? Thankfully, God pulled a lot of strings for me and I have to thank my angels and miracles for making this trip possible. I love you all so much! So in short I got to fly to Manila and meet Camille Co! Now before all my blabbering gets severely long allow me to flood you with these photos!

The event was held at the beautiful Early Bird Breakfast Club located in Century City Mall Makati. Camille asked us to come at 5:00 pm and here we are the so called early birds. (And for coming in earliest we all got special Vidal Sassoon products. Woohoo!) We also had this funny experience. There was a girl with her back facing us whose hair (bangs included), fashion sense and height was so similar to Camille's that we thought it was her! We kept pushing and urging each other to approach her but alas our mixed up anxiety and nerves were getting the better of us. When she finally stood up we realized she was somebody else. Doppelganger alert! We just got pranked! LOL.

Would you look at that! The Early Bird Breakfast Club had the most lovely interiors. You know me very well. Apart from the good food, I go for ambiance and creative interior designs when it comes to restaurants and food hubs. 

Meet my table-mates! We're all smiles from ear to ear. Who could blame us? Oh right and those cutesy pink bags are gifts and goodies from Camille and her generous sponsors: Goody, Melissa, Rabeanco, ZA, Majolica Majorca, SM Accessories, Olay and Vidal Sassoon. Indeed we were all pampered princesses! So what were fed to our food babies you may ask? A sumptuous three course meal!

Apart from meeting Camille, I also got to earn new friends! Yay!

Here's Camille engaging each of us in friendly chitchats. Talking to her was like talking to a friend. I was originally anxious to talk to her but she was too friendly and approachable we all can't help but smile, giggle and be our talkative selves. We even had some sort of "pang-iintriga" moments. Good job with the "Boy Abunda" moves Kay!

After singing Camille a happy birthday song, it was time to make the big reveal and announcement.

With this photo, I bet you all have a very good idea and a pretty accurate guess as to what Camille announced that night. Are you excited? I am!

It was time for the games and prizes! Camille awarded the early birds *ahem* and had a mini trivia game. The prizes were care of Vidal Sassoon, Olay, SM Accessories and Melissa. I must say everyone is a certified member of Team Camille. You should have seen the swarm of arms raised up in the air in unison every time Camille finishes her question.

Thanks to Janine's brilliant idea, we all had our goody bags autographed. *happy dance* I am keeping this forever! I know... fan girl problems. Sigh.

Of course, a selfie is necessary. Please ignore my eye bags. I've been awake for almost 48 hours. I flew in from Cebu at 4:00 am on the same day. You see when you get the chance to meet an inspiration and with loads of people helping you out, you just have to make the most out of every second and I didn't care if I was sleep deprived at the time. But seriously, eye bags you can pretty much go away now...

A selfie is also compulsory with my new found friends!

Overall meeting Camille Co and my new friends was a blast! It is truly an experience of a lifetime. I will have this memory engraved in my heart and mind forever. Now I have all the more reasons to come back to Manila! If you want to see more photos of this event simply head on over to Instagram and Twitter and search for the hashtag #dinnerdatewithcamilleco. 

The Early Bird Breakfast Club is located at Unit L124 G/F, Century City Mall, Century City, Kalayaan Avenue, Barangay Poblacion, Makati City. They also have another branch at The Fort, BGC. They open from 7:00 am - 10:00 pm from Sundays to Thursdays and for 24 hours for Fridays and Saturdays. You can call them at (02) 808 9269 and (0917) 859 4950 or through email (info@earlybirdbreakfastclub.com) or their Facebook Page.

[Special photo credits to Janine Co, Arianna Tan and Kyle Rodriguez for lending me their photos. Do check their blogs out!]