We have always put her in a class all her own. the brightest of the lot, her head and heart was always in the right place – too much so that we tended to treat her like someone who cannot make a mistake.
Brainy, cerebral. That’s how i always saw her. Someone who would be intrigued to no end with solving a problem and finding why and how something works the way it works. It is likely this attitude along with exceptional genetics that she always completed things with distinction. I will miss her saying “unsaon ba ni pag explain ha … (translation: how do i explain this) ” while gesturing with her fingers.
Beyond the intellectual, she was a really good friend. She would share her discoveries with me. We would chat randomly about travel – whether consulting with each other when we are looking at visiting the same place or interesting ways to travel like going on the Oriental Express! She was a great fan of Josh Groban not only for his music but for the person himself. She got to love Rafa Nadal ( by extension due to her Aunt who was a great fan) and we would chat about attending the Roland Garros some time soon but likely ending up eating skyflakes due to the exorbitant admission prices. She introduced me to Cirque du Soleil, Richard Feynmann, Hayao Miyazaki and his works and you would notice the recurring theme. These were all exceptional individuals and groups
I loved her rationale about choosing and giving gifts. She would tell me to choose the gifts you want to keep for yourself. It may be harder to give but it just means you thought well about the gift and the person. And, if you end up not being able to give it, then you get to keep it 😀
She can be quite stubborn as well when she wants to do something. One of the best trips I have had was when she planned the trek to Mt Fuji during our intra-transfer years. From a big list, this whittled down to just 5 ( including the late addition of Emman who thought we were going to enjoy the Fuji lakes and not climb the mountain itself). She muttered “Bahala na sila, basta dayon ta Nelanie, ha?” which of course I said yes seeing how resolute she was with climbing Mt. Fuji. Even when Alvin was saying the 8th platform was enough and we should go down now since it was so cold and we were tired. She again quipped ” ikaw lang ..”. And it turned out to be such an adventure that will always come up when we would get together online or over dinner.
We knew she struggled with her health for some time now but she never ever highlighted how difficult it must have been. She always chose to downplay what she had with quips like – ” Ambot nya, karon pa guro sya kita og BP (80/50) nga i have been living with this BP for years now.. , ” Kinsa’y magpa charge kay daghan ko extension wire – referring to the multiple IV tubes/cannula on her hand “, ” .. my heart wouldn’t cooperate “. I know she didn’t want to be treated any differently given her condition. That we will not walk on eggshells around her. That we would continue treating her as someone who is doing well despite the challenges she was facing.
I will always remember you, Reicheru.
I will always strive to be like you. Always learning, always appreciative of what you have, always appreciative of what others have been able to do.
Rest easy, dear friend. Till we meet again. Then, we can reminisce about Mt Fuji and all the little stories we have traveling with the ” just add water friends” and a whole lot more.
my take 
Rest in peace Rachel A.