About

Bagan, Burma
Dec '12

Hi! I'm Angelica/Angge, 27 years old and a proud Filipina. Welcome to my blog! As you've probably gathered by now, I love traveling and photography. Traveling is a big part of my life and I consider it as my second home. I've always felt that I'm at my best when I travel. :)

You're probably reading this now because you love traveling too. I hope my stories and photos help inspire you to pursue that love for travel. ;)

You're probably reading this now ALSO because you want to do extended traveling/career break/gap year or whatever you want to call it. But you're scared and you don't know if it's the right thing to do. ;)

Well I hope as you read more of this page and my blog, I'll be able to help you and encourage you in some way. 

Let me tell you a little bit about who I am and what has been my life since I graduated from university almost 7 years ago, since I quit the job that was taking over my life almost 2 years ago, and how travel has changed my life. :)

ABOUT ME

I am an accidental traveller and an amateur photographer. 

Being a traveler was never in my ‘what I want to be when I grow up’ list. While I was busy worrying and getting frustrated on trying to find the career I want to pursue, life surprised me with its own plan - a free trip to Bangkok in 2008. There I discovered my love for travel and photography. 

I'm consciously trying to live life with no, or at least minimal, regrets. 

"Viva la vida a concho. Es la mejor manera. Vivir cada minuto intensamente porque la vida es muy corta y de repente, llega el momento en que nos vamos a morir y habríamos deseado hacer las cosas que no las hicimos. Por eso, cada minuto hay que disfrutarlo. Hay que disfrutar de la vida. No tratar de tener tantas cosas, de adquirir tantas cosas sino que de tener vivencia. Lograr todo que queremos hacer. No importa la fuerza que esto se merezca pero vale la pena. La vida es muy corta y hay que gozarla." - Spanish Old Man in departures. season 2 chile episode 

in English:

"Live life to the fullest. It's the best way. Live every moment intensely. Because life is too short, and the moment comes when we're going to die, and we'd have wished to do so many things we didn't. That's why we have to enjoy every moment. One must enjoy life. Try not to acquire so many things, but instead have experiences. Accomplish everything you want to do, no matter the effort that it deserves. Life is too short and one must relish it." 

I think it's the best life advice I have ever heard. And I always try to make a conscious effort to live life this way. I especially love the line 'but instead have experiences'. Because I believe that life is indeed short. I almost drowned back in 2008 and it was a wake-up call for me. I promised myself that day that I will try to make my life better and to value those that really matter in life - the things and people that make me genuinely happy. One of which is traveling. 

An ex-banker slowly making her dreams come true. 

I quit my bank job in 2011. My work, for almost five years, has been defining my whole life. It was time to make my life better. I took a big jump and went on an adventure. I traveled for five months around Asia - India, trekked in the Himalayas, and backpacked around Southeast Asia. The Big Trip was a realization that dreams do come true. Now I know how I want to live my life. I want to see the rest of the world and go on more adventures. It will take time, I know, but I want to make it happen. :) 

This is the start of my own journey, as I travel the rest of the world (hopefully) and discover more what life and the world has to offer me.


ON MAKING THAT BIG DECISION

More than showing you photos of my travels and sharing my adventures, I hope that somehow I can encourage you to pursue your dreams of traveling. I know it's scary and no one seems to understand you, but believe me it is possible and there's nothing wrong with you. ;) It may take some time but it's going to be worth it. Here are some of the things I wrote in my old blog that you may find helpful in making the decision:

To know more about my story, how I came to the decision to quit my job and travel : read this
On the fears and challenges I had prior to the Big Trip : read this.
On the day I told my parents about my decision : read this.
On the day I finally quit my job : read this.
The Big Trip, five months full of adventure and surprises : read this.
The invaluable lessons and realization from the Big Trip : read this.
How travel changed me: read this.
The one photo that pushed me to pursue my dream : this.
A collection of my travel photos and beautiful quotes : this. 

THE BLOG

Where I've Been. Photos and stories of my travels and experiences on the road.
Photography. My flickr account where you'll find my photos.
Life and Thoughts. These are my personal realizations and thoughts when I travel.
Preparations. Some travel tips on trekking, saving up for a trip, and packing. Movies, travel shows and other random things that helped me during my Big Trip preparations.
Travel Links. Travel blogs that I love reading and those that continue to inspire me. Travel films, books and my favorite quotes, a source of vicarious traveling.

FOLLOW ME

Follow me on Instagram, Flickr, Twitter, and Exposure.


CONTACT ME

Please feel free to send me an email or a message at anggetravels(.)blog(@)gmail(.)com. I would love to hear your thoughts! :) 

Cheers,

Angelica