Zari Sari Stories

Coming home to the Philippines? 🇵🇭 Before you book another ride, consider this!

I wasted so much time waiting for ride-hailing cars and searching for a reliable service. With Oopa, think Turo but for Philippine locations! You book through the app, connect with car owners, and enjoy the freedom of having your own wheels.

Here are 5 reasons renting a car might make more sense for your next balikbayan trip, especially if you want to explore beyond the city. And yes, there’s UNLIMITED MILEAGE, so you can road-trip all the way to the end of Luzon if you want!

Save this for your next trip home, and use my code AF-Zarina-2026 for a discount on your booking!

Gen X Filipinos, why are we still doing this in 2026? Because some things never get old!

I love my 80s New Wave (known as Euro or punk rock here in the US), Yacht Rock vibes like Christopher Cross and Michael McDonald, jazz-pop crossovers, and OPM hits like Rick Segreto’s. Though I haven’t heard Rick’s songs on the radio lately!

Fun fact: I was part of Magic 89.9’s first Junior Jocks batch in college. My nickname is Ina (pronounced Aina)and they called me DJ Ina Kuh. If you speak Tagalog, you’ll get the pun. 😂

Those were such fun times! The DJs I grew up listening to and met during my brief time there were Ken Fortun, The Gaucho, Sgt. Pepper (of course, my mentor at the time), and Joe the Mango. Friday Madness still brings back so many memories, and I love knowing that fellow Gen X Filipinos around the world are tuning in, too.

I should really pay Magic 89.9 a visit on my next trip home. Imagine catching up with the OGs again. What a blast that would be!

Who else grew up with Magic 89.9 and Friday Madness? What songs take you straight back and who was your favorite DJ from the Magic?

Magic 89.9

We stayed at the Ritz-Carlton Residences in Waikiki in the Grand Ocean Suite, surrounded by beautiful ocean views, sunsets, and all the little luxuries that make a vacation special.

But in between taking it all in, we kept FaceTiming our boys and fur baby Ella, showing them every beautiful thing we experienced in Hawaii and checking in on everyone back home. One son is already in college, and the other will be leaving the nest next year. I guess we’re slowly learning what it feels like to travel as a couple again, even when we wish they were right there with us.

The silver lining? No need to book a dog sitter anymore!

We also made sure to check in on my mother-in-law back home. Both my parents passed away when I was younger, and my father-in-law passed away just a couple of months ago. Life has a way of reminding you that time with the people you love is never something to take for granted.

Maybe that’s what this season of Gen X life is about. Watching our children grow up, missing the people we’ve lost, caring for the ones who are still here, and learning to enjoy the life we’re living right now.

We’re allowed to miss what was while still being grateful for what is.

And maybe that’s the beauty of this chapter.

Balikbayans, SAVE THIS for your next trip to the Philippines!

I genuinely used Oopa for more than two weeks, and I was so impressed!

Think Turo, but for Philippine locations! Different owners list their own cars, and when you book through the app, the owner arranges the handover via Oopa. Since these are personally owned vehicles, I love knowing the owners have their own cars to look after. Their app is very polished and takes care of your documents to verify you within the app.

And here’s another plus: UNLIMITED MILEAGE! Want to take a road trip all the way to the end of Luzon? You can explore without worrying about mileage limits.

I wasted so much time waiting for my ride-hailing car, then wasted even more time searching for a reliable, reputable service. Now that I’ve found Oopa, I’m never losing their contact again!

Save this post so you won’t have to go through the same hassle when you’re back home. And use my code AF-Zarina-2026 for a discount on your booking!

Our first trip to Hawaii without the kids, just the two of us.

You’d think I’d be sending beach photos… but Gen X parenting means you can be thousands of miles away and STILL spend your vacation on FaceTime with your kids and checking on the dog. 😂

Truthfully, we miss the kids. It doesn’t feel quite the same without them, but we’re learning to find our way in this new season of life and discovering a different kind of joy as a couple. ❤️

Gen X moms, be honest… would you be soaking up every minute of kid-free time, or would you be FaceTiming your kids nonstop, too? 😂