They say 2026 is the “New 2016.” Everyone is chasing that old aesthetic—the filters, the music, the “unserious” vibes. It made me stop and look back. Where exactly was I ten years ago? As it turns out, I was living my best life, completely unaware that I was in the “good old days.”

The “Fun” Before the School Bell

2016 was my son’s “funnest” era—his final year as a toddler. He was at that magical age where I could take him anywhere. By the next year, the school schedule would own us, but in 2016? The world was our playground.

I was already WanderWoMOM, taking the travel blogging life seriously. We were island hopping and hitting the road constantly.

But the “content creation” of today? It didn’t exist for me then. I was just posting to Instagram under the sun, not a care in the world about followers, likes, or reach. It was just life.

The Peak of “IG Kid” Life

Back then, Coco was my ultimate muse. It was the peak of the “IG Kids” era—he would gladly pose for me and even “twin” with me without a second thought.

My little business, Lil Dudes Only, was at its peak too. I was living a life of small travels and big dreams.

My 2016 Hall of Fame

One of the absolute highlights? After 11 years, I finally got to see/meet my favorite girl, Anne Curtis, at her Anita the Duckling Diva book signing. Coco met her for the first time, which was a full-circle moment since he’d been watching her on Showtime since he was a baby. She used to comment on his baby photos wanting to meet him—and in 2016, it finally happened.

As if meeting Anne wasn’t enough, 2016 was also the year I finally made it to Stars Hollow—right here in Manila. Holding a cup of Luke’s Coffee from the Netflix pop-up was a total dream; for a moment, I wasn’t just a mom in the city, I was one of the Gilmore Girls.

A Year of Big Milestones

2016 wasn’t just about the travels; it was the year I found my footing – The Big 3-0: I turned 30 years old, entering a new decade of womanhood.

Home Sweet Home: We moved into the unit we still live in today. These walls have seen a decade of our history.

The Eras: We were deep into the LEGO era, but 2016 was the undisputed peak of the Play-Doh era.

The Super Hero: Coco’s Spiderman era (which started at age one) became “enhanced.” At age three, his imagination took off, and he really became his own little person.

Even our Halloween was legendary. Our “Disneybounding” journey started here—meet Izzy and Jake as we traveled to Neverland.

Bittersweet Memories

Looking back, there is a quiet sadness in the nostalgia, too. 2016 was Lolo and Lola’s last Christmas together before Lola passed away the following year.

It reminded me how precious that “easier” family time was. We had fewer schedules back then, and somehow, it felt like we had more of everything—especially time.

That was life in 2016. No pressure, right? Looking at these photos, I can’t believe I eventually let the pressure of “keeping up” take a toll on me. Everyone is saying 2026 is the new 2016… and honestly? I hope they’re right. I’m ready to trade the pressure for the presence we had back then.