The Day I Told my Parents about the Big Trip

The day has come for me to tell my parents that I just quit my job (because I wanted to make my life better) and that I will be traveling for a few months. And it happened during the long weekend. Baguio City was being hit by a storm and the power was out (you can just imagine the mood of that evening.haha), I had a choice on whether to wait another day or just tell them right then and there. I chose the latter, so I just went on and told them about it.

How Spontaneity and Boracay Surprised Me

Last week I found myself pondering on going on a spontaneous weekend trip. A trip to remind myself of the reasons why I made certain decisions in my life. Major life decisions that has caused people to judge me and question my priorities. A random cellphone conference call (yes apparently it's possible!) among friends last Friday lead to my booking a flight to Boracay.

Boracay. I've always been consistent with my opinion on Boracay. I've always told people that I will only go to Boracay if the trip is free. I've always preferred going to quiet, secluded, and cheap-accommodations (tent) type of beaches. But I ate my own words. I went to Boracay - breaking my self-imposed travel hiatus and touching my hard-earned savings for the Big Trip.

But it was all worth it.

Bangkok : The Trip that Started it All (Part 2)

Visiting Ayutthaya was the highlight of my trip to Thailand. Visiting the temples and the ruins of this ancient capital fueled my love for travel and photography. The kind of push that made traveling and travel photography one of my top priorities. The kind that made me seriously save up for a DSLR and more trips in my own country and a few more countries in Asia.

Ayutthaya is the ancient capital of Thailand from 1350-1767. It was once the most powerful kingdom/city in mainland Southeast Asia. It was famous for its various grand palaces, temples, shrines, and other sacred sites, until the Burmese invasion in 1767 where most of the sites were destroyed. Ayutthaya today is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is a popular travel destination outside Bangkok.

Bangkok : The Trip that Started it All (Part 1)

Ayutthaya, Thailand

The start of 2008 wasn’t that good to me. It was the peak of my workaholic life. 2008 was also the year that I didn’t get into law school. In an attempt to leave the finance industry and explore other opportunities, I tried getting into law school. But it wasn’t successful. I also lost my so-called-assets at the start of the year.

And I almost drowned, along with ten other friends, during a trip to Anawagin Cove due to an underwater current. I believed it happened for only less than ten minutes. But it was the scariest and at one point the most peaceful ten minutes of my life. But it was a wake-up call for me. It was the day I realized that I gave too much importance and attention to the material things I lost. I didn't value enough those that really matter. What happened during that ten minutes made me realize that life can be better.

And then good things, great things,

and experiences happened to me after.

I got a call from my tita who offered to give me a free trip to Bangkok, all I had to worry about was my pocket money. It was my first airplane ride, an out-of-Luzon, out-of-the-country trip. It was an amazing experience. I was fascinated by their history and culture.

And I discovered my love for travel and photography.