Sharing this old post on FB notes. This somehow triggered my comeback into blogging.
Why I Love To Travel
I once blogged about this topic when I shared why I have that special fondness for travel. I would have flown around the world as a stewardess or cruised through continents but obviously I didn’t take that route. I still love the life on land and I’d rather travel for leisure (or work plus leisure) but not pure work.
Strangely, I’ve always wanted to be a travel tv host. I get stuck on shows as “Amazing Race”, travel shows on Discovery Channel or National Geographic, or “Trip Na Trip” that features places in Philippines and nearby countries, etc. The magazines on planes don’t go unnoticed by me. I’d scan through and read articles about someone else’s travel experience. Food trip, road trip, budget trip, recommendations, hot spots, must-go’s and must-try’s – I’d read about them.
It was my uncle / ninong Gary who inspired me to travel. His words to me as a young teenager go something like, “Go and see the world. It will widen your perspective in life.” He’s retired and now in his 50s and he makes me jealous with all his photos trotting the world with his wife. I need not wait to hit my 50s before I do so. I just need to pick up pace and try to go to as many countries as possible each year.
And guess where was my first destination outside of Philippines? US!
First time mag-overseas, US na agad. Haha… I grabbed the opportunity through an exchange student program at U.P. I visited 7 states in a span of 3 months working as a bartender / waitress. Cool right?!
So here are my personal reasons why I love to travel:
#1 To try out something NEW.
One of the ways to try out a new thing or have a new experience is to get out of your usual environment. This involves meeting new people, eating a different kind of food, having new experiences, immersing in a new culture and seeing unfamiliar places. I challenge myself not to get stuck with what I have always been used to. Because each time I do, I can be a credible guide to someone who has yet to try it out themselves. “Been there, done that, believe me.”
#2 To get out of my comfort zone.
Some people travel to find themselves – soul search in a sense. My version says, “I do it to discover more of myself”. Traveling lets out some things innate in me that were hidden or weren’t that much of a deal to me. It tests my skills and character in different ways. There are things I never thought I could do or would do that I get to discover while traveling, a mix of the good and bad. There were times my tolerance level was pushed to the limit and there were instances I applauded myself for making the right choices even when under pressure.
Scenarios like being squeezed and pushed around in China, communicating by charades in Korea, long and hot road trips in Vietnam, walking alone at night in Cambodia finding food & medicine for my sick roommate, missing buses & going the wrong direction on trains in DC, skidding down a slope in Minnesota with no choice but to do a dolphin dive to stop… and the list goes on and on. I got more out-of-comfort-zone stories for life in the mountains and provinces of Philippines.
The test for me is not just to SURVIVE but to find ways to still ENJOY the experience despite the hiccups and hurdles along the way. Not all things go as planned so I better be flexible and adaptable, still coming out of it with a smile and no regrets.
#3 To get valuable life insights.
Traveling teaches me lessons in life that I wouldn’t have learned any other way. Appreciation of God’s fingerprint in creation, celebrating what I have no matter how little or how insignificant it seems, power of vision, love and sacrifice, perseverance and a can-do attitude, thoughts on good governance, etc. The whole journey becomes revelational to me, not just a shallow experience while taking selfies or landscape shots. I capture precious moments that impact me beyond the natural.
#4 For sanity break.
Life in the city can be so draining. Life’s not just about work and making money. Traveling is a good therapy for the weary soul and body. It can also refresh your spirit so you can get back the spring in your steps. Make every effort to come back to reality recharged and refreshed, ready for the next action.
These are the four I could think of for now. I’ll add on accordingly as it goes. I hope I somehow inspired people to travel more.
Save up for it. Make wise plans to do it. Go alone, with friends or family. Just do it.
Happy traveling!
