Why I Travel

“To travel is to live.” 

― Hans Christian Andersen, The Fairy Tale of My Life: An Autobiography

If there is one thing I want to do for the rest of my life it would be traveling. Unfortunately, I'm not a millionaire to do it. Have you seen George Clooney's film Up In The Air?, I really like that movie. He gets to travel anywhere (just to fire people). That's really cool yet very despondent. I felt bad for those people who got fired, I swear. But the thought of being able to see different places, just excites me. 

I don't mind waiting in a long line to check-in or delayed flights, even if I have to sleep at the airport to catch the earliest flight or even the last flight out, as long as they're not gonna cancel it. My love for traveling brought me to work in a US Airline company. That's why somehow, I get to have knowledge on some airline policies or codes as well as the DO's and DON'Ts on traveling. 

I have come to embrace the idea of traveling because of my mother. We always get to travel on different places on my early years. Remembering 2001, we traveled almost all over the Philippines, and I am talking about country's "edges"- from Aparri to Cotabato. That was a busy year, oh yeah it really was, to the point that I would plead to her that I be left at home as it's really exhausting going with her, you know when you are a teenager the only thing you wanna do was just to be in front of your computer. 

However, mother wanted me to experience the adventure, she wanted me to see a different life and not be ignorant with the other culture. That is why she make sure to bring me wherever she goes and thanks to her, through that, my zest for adventure has left me wanting more. 

Bataan 2004 and Tagaytay 2006

Zambales 2008 and Baguio 2010

And true enough, traveling, in my opinion, is more than just about the place or the locals, but also about the experience that it entails. 

The following are the reasons why I travel...

1. I love traveling because it teaches me the essence of adventure - Taking risk and being street-smart. The experience is my teacher, the place is my school and the locals are my schoolmates, that's how I grasp it. 

Activities I have performed on different adventures have helped me overcome aversion. 

• Zip-lining -  I have always been afraid of heights. You'll never see me standing on the edge of the escalator in a mall nor stand on the edge of the railings. But thru zip-lining in Palawan, I would like to believe that I somehow conquered my fear of heights.
• Bargaining - When you travel the last thing you wanna do is to overspend on "pasalubong" for friends or families. Thru traveling I have come to understand and appreciate the essence of negotiation or compromising. 
• Diving - I'm still working on that being fairly claustrophobic. Though my life and death experience with it was partly not inviting for a second round but at least, I tried. I took risk. 

Taking risk is what makes me a person today, one who does not live in fear. So try doing some risk, experience it and embrace it. 

Zambales 2009 and Cabanatuan 2011

Boracay 2011 and Palawan 2011

2. It makes me grounded and compassionate - You know, whenever I travel I get to realize that the world is more than just me. Other people are also encountering suffering more than I do, so stop complaining like you got the whole world on your shoulder. Traveling makes you recognize what a tiny place you occupy in the world, therefore it makes you to remain humble. 

• You may be the most beautiful girl in your place but on another world, you can be an another ordinary face. 
• Or you can be filthy rich in your hometown but on another town, you are just another pauper. 

And since you are able to travel it can only be attested that you got the means to pay for your needs or should I say more than what you need, and it would just hit you that you are indeed blessed to be able to do what you want. 

Batangas 2011 and Laguna 2011 (Company Outing)

3. Another thing about traveling which I turned to love is that it teaches you to be understanding and respectful - Being able to see and understand other culture makes you appreciate every tiny bit of difference you see on them. 

People sometimes can be very judgemental, we all are, especially on the issue of culture thus creating dissolution between people. 

We pass on judgement on people we see beyond norm, that's true. And it is not a good judgement, either, is it? I doubt. Especially if you are a fancy city slicker who has limited knowledge of other cultures. 

To think that we do not even make an effort to educate ourselves or understand why is the person is what he/she is. This is what happens if you are just in your comfort zone, you don't go out and see the world, your mind is closed to every possible existing civilization.

Therefore, let's stop passing judgement and try to be more understanding. 

Bohol 2010

Cebu 2010 and Bohol 2011

4. Oh and do not let me start with the food. Yes, I travel because of the food too. Every celebrated food on every places has a story, being a person who has always been allured with history, it makes the trip more interesting. 

• The Sisig of Pampanga, do you have any idea how it was created? 
• Why Puto Calasiao of Pangasinan is called "White Gold"
• And why there are a lot varieties of Adobo in our country?

A local on one of my travels have told me that, one could not claim she have been to a place unless she eats their food (delicacy) - Wood worm (Tamilok). Oh yeah, I did eat it. 

I think food is also what labels every place in a country. Like in the Central Philippines, when you talk about Cebu what else can you think about but their famous Lechon Cebu. Bicol, is known for its Bicol Express or when you say Laguna, Buko pie!! is what you say to your friends as for "pasalubong."

Food is something you do not want to miss when you travel. Take time to do research on things to eat whenever you are going to travel as it is also another way of showing respect to their culture. 

Hong Kong 2011

Macau 2012

Cagayan De Oro 2012 and Bukidnon 2012

5. One needs to loosen up, find herself and gather thoughts. I am not saying that I got the most stressful job, in fact I love my job, but one can only take so much. Everybody needs to destress. A city life can be very exciting. In fact very exciting, you have everything within your reach, one click of a button and everything moves without you getting a sweat. That's true. But don't you ever get tired of it? 

I like traveling especially on the country side because it is quieter that it makes you easier to hear yourself or your thoughts. There's just too much going on in the city, every thing is moving fast, you have keep up the pace just to be able to go with the flow of the city life.  

Well, just so you know, it doesn't hurt to keep things slow every once in a while. Turn off the data of your BlackBerry, leave behind your laptop and if you can do it, try not to watch a television. 

Get a pen and paper, write a song, poem or draw, rekindle your creativity. Make use of the surrounding as your inspiration. After all, God didn't create those grand mountains and spectacular ocean view for nothing. 

Camiguin 2012

I am not a traveler as what other people see me. Just like you I got obligations that needs tending. I only get to travel if my time permits and if I have means. 

Travel while you are young. Whenever I hear people booking flights to go somewhere, I get excited for them, especially if they go to places I have been, sometimes I offer to make an itinerary for them for free because I love doing it. 

What am I trying to say is that, life should not be filled with regrets and fear, you do not want to be looking back in your life and say, "I should have", "I could have" or even "I would have." If you have an opportunity to see other places, GO, as one should not be deprived with favourable circumstances. 

There are so much out there to discover and with today's life expectancy, I doubt you will be able to see all of it before you die. 

“It is not the destination where you end up but the mishaps and memories you create along the way!” 
― Penelope Riley, Travel Absurdities

Images courtesy of Facebook friends and close friends :)