In the midst of planning my trip to Hong Kong, I realized what I wanted out of my trip. I refuse to visit themeparks. I want to see places I've only seen in history books, not theme parks from glossy flyers. I want to be friends with tourists and have a gist of their story. I wanted to visit the outskirts, stir away from touristy routes. I want to know how the locals are like, their life story, where they normally eat since locals know where to get authentic local cuisine. For a week, I am in an entirely different place where no one knows my name. No pressure, no expectations that I have to live up to. No one to watch you with a keen eye waiting for you to create a chismis worthy news. When I'm away, I can just be myself. Without the effort of always looking my best, and just induce myself with an entirely different culture.
Being a tourist is like buying a macbook as an overpriced facebook machine. As getting a DSLR for point and shoot photography. Do yourself a favor and jump out of the bandwagon. Don't fly out, and take only scenic beautiful pictures home with you. Make it your home in the duration of your stay. Stay longer than the usual 4 days and 3 nights, and immerse yourself with their culture. Embrace History, breathe in the culture. Be in the shoes of locals, and know what it is like in another country while you are sitting in a corporate desk back home. Be a traveler. A tourist is a far cry from a traveler. Breathe in the city.
Travel saved my life. It gave my life a total turn around from a walking disaster, to a series of backpacking adventure towards finding myself. The day I decided to pursue backpack traveling, a lot of things worked out perfectly well for me. It even rekindled my love for writing (not necesarily well), and reading. A great improvement on my sales for Tipid Travels occured, allowing me to book a flight whenever a seat sale is announced. I may not be the best person to write about this since my adventure is yet to begin, but I simply want to encourage you, my readers, my fellow netizens, to live your life to the fullest. Live a life that is well lived, and serve your purpose. For some reason I know it is God's will for me take a detour towards this direction.
Why travel you ask? Why in the world do I work like a donkey, refrain divulging from cutiepatootie dresses, and killer wedges. Some lose screw in your head, you don't bring a single buck everyday not unless you have a planned dinner date with friends? Is it all worth it? Just so you can satisfy your wanderlust? Huway Diana, Huway.
YES. That's coming from the girl who's been deprived from joining field trips. Who cried buckets of tears, and was left in class while the rest joined the field trip. That would have been a great highlight in my family's "We were so broke then..." stories.
Why?
Why am I doing all these? The answer is easy peasy. Because when I'm away, I continue to fall in love with LIFE over and over again. I celebrate life, and being alive every single day, and I come home, appreciating my family, all my 3 jobs, my friends, and my dog even. The smallest things I begin to appreciate, even the simplest reason of being alive.
Why travel you ask? Why in the world do I work like a donkey, refrain divulging from cutiepatootie dresses, and killer wedges. Some lose screw in your head, you don't bring a single buck everyday not unless you have a planned dinner date with friends? Is it all worth it? Just so you can satisfy your wanderlust? Huway Diana, Huway.
YES. That's coming from the girl who's been deprived from joining field trips. Who cried buckets of tears, and was left in class while the rest joined the field trip. That would have been a great highlight in my family's "We were so broke then..." stories.
Why?
Why am I doing all these? The answer is easy peasy. Because when I'm away, I continue to fall in love with LIFE over and over again. I celebrate life, and being alive every single day, and I come home, appreciating my family, all my 3 jobs, my friends, and my dog even. The smallest things I begin to appreciate, even the simplest reason of being alive.
Before I end this blog entry, I want to share with you all the conversations I recently had with my travel buddies while planning our Cebu-Bohol trip.
Me: Let's go cliff diving!
Alex: Ayos yan, maghihiwalay mga *tlog ko.
Me: Let's swim with the thresher sharks!
Kayen: Noooooo
Me: Let's eat scorpion in Beijing!
Kayen: Noooooo
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