Bianca Gonzalez marked her 40th birthday ticking a few items off her bucket list.
To begin with, she booked studio time for a pictorial with fashion photographer BJ Pascual in which Bianca posed "very raw" without make-up.
Bianca also got a pair of tattoos on her arms bearing the names of her daughters, Lucia and Carmen.
“Last weekend, got to check off an item from my bucket list before my 40th. Thanks to my husband @jcintal7, my enabler,” Bianca wrote on Instagram Stories, proudly showing off her fresh tattoos.
The long-time Pinoy Big Brother host celebrated her birthday on March 11, 2023.
Bianca is married to former Ateneo Blue Eagles standout and former professional basketball player, JC Intal.
The pair tied the knot in El Nido, Palawan, on December 4, 2014.
TRAVEL OVER PARTY
Bianca capped off the special milestone by going on a solo trip to the small and mountainous country of Bhutan.
Located in South Asia, Bhutan is nestled in the eastern Himalayas, between the populous countries of China and India, and is near Nepal and Bangladesh.
The country is referred to locally as the "Land of the Thunder Dragon," and Buddhism is its prominent religion.
Bhutan has long been on Bianca’s radar as a dream travel destination, but it was only recently that she revisited the thought of going there for a holiday.
Bianca told PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal), “Matagal na siyang nasa bucket list ko talaga.
"But wala lang, life happens, work happens, motherhood happens and then hindi ko talaga siya plan since before.”
PEP.ph had the chance to talk to Bianca during an event promoting the #LoveMoreWithEveryTouch campaign of Johnson’s Baby held in Makati City.
The occasion saw the launch of #LoveMoreWithEveryTouch TikTok Care Hub, where moms get to share tips and information to help navigate the joys and challenges of motherhood.
She recalled being asked by her husband back in February about her plans for her upcoming birthday.
“Sabi niya, ‘Do you want me to set up a dinner with your friends? Do you want a party?’”
SOLO TRAVEL
An introvert by her own admission, Bianca shared that throwing a big party to celebrate her special day just wasn't her cup of tea.
She said, “For some reason naisip ko lang, kasi before I got married and had kids, mahilig talaga ko mag-travel alone.
“So I told him [JC], ‘You know what, parang I want to travel alone, parang I want to give myself a break.’ Sabi niya ‘So saan?'”
At that exact moment, Bianca recalled an old longing to see and explore Bhutan.
“Kasi naisip ko, what is one place that I’ve been wanting to go to na parang hindi ako manghihinayang to go there for the first time without my family because it’s not really a kid place or a family place?
“I wanted to gift it to myself, pero my husband insisted na, no, he want to give it to me as a gift, which I appreciated.
“Because usually talaga mayabang ako, no, I work hard, I want to pay for this myself.
“But, for me, it was more than the monetary, it was symbolic of like I have a partner who supports me with what I want to do for myself; who believes that I needed a break as well, so it was that.”
Bianca, who stayed for six days and five nights in Bhutan, couldn’t help but rave about the country’s natural, rugged beauty.
She beamed, “Ang ganda-ganda niya! So everyone who loves hiking, who loves mountains, nature, who loves temples, sobrang I recommend that you put it on your list of places that you want to go to.
“It’s like you travel back in time, 100, 150 years ‘coz it’s so pure, and, yeah, core memory siya for sure.”
She added gleefully, "As an introvert even if I was alone ha, na-enjoy ko yung pahinga.
"Grabe na-enjoy ko na wala akong ibang inaalala kung hindi sarili ko, and so when I came back, wala ready to work and ready to fully be a mom as well."
LIVING IN THE MOMENT
His wife traveling alone for a much-deserved break and me-time posed no problem for JC.
Initially, however, Bianca had pangs of mom guilt—that pervasive feeling of parents that they're letting their children down.
She dealt with it by embracing the whole idea she'd be travelling all by herself as a gift to herself and it was okay.
She said, "But because nga Feb I already had the idea, super sina-psyche ko na yung sarili ko na ginusto ko to, e, so dapat hindi ka ma-guilty. Parang I emotionally prepared myself.
"I psyche myself because I didn’t want to be there but be sad and guilty, kasi, oh my gosh, sayang.
"I wanted to be fully present while there as well. So it took a lot of mental preparation."
In the end, it was a trip worth remembering and capturing in pictures, which she sent to her family, her time in a country that intrigued her for the longest time.
Any plans to travel this Holy Week, this time with the entire family?
“Alam mo, none. As much as I wanted to, parang natakot kami na everyone will be somewhere. So wala naman,” replied Bianca.
“But yeah, I think it would be nice to be home lang din.”