
“What is my path? Should I walk straight, turn left or take the shortcut?And if I take this turn, am I on the right path?”
In life, questions like these arise at a time when we want to move to the direction that our heart desires. The heart knows when the question has been answered. The answer might not come right away because challenges were along the way.
If you were to choose between riding a luxury cruise ship and a balangay (the ancient wooden boat used by the ancestors during pre-colonial times), what would you choose?
BEFORE THE JUMP: At the luxury cruise ship, you’re one of the elite. Your peers envy you because they see you as rich and a successful person in your ship. Everything is on that ship so you don’t need to go out. The ship has its own entertainment, movie house, swimming pools, and mini-golf course. But the ship does not allow you to explore the places longer. The ship visits the port of call every other day. Sometimes, you only have a day and then you’ll get back to the ship. Everyday becomes a routine. Deep inside you, you want to know the world better. You want to take your time in appreciating the world and its people.
Then one day, you wake up. You had enough of the boring routine in the ship. You want to jump out of that ship and start your adventure aboard the balangay. There’s the risk of jumping out of the ship. You know that the waves would be rough. It won’t be an easy journey. You might drown in the water or you might get lost. People won’t understand you. Some would think you’re crazy because you already have a comfortable life. Yes, you were financially comfortable but emotionally unhappy.
Then again, you gathered enough courage to take the risk and brave the path. Eventually, you jumped from the edge just like when Jack told Rose to jump when the Titanic was sinking.
WHAT HAPPENED AFTER THE JUMP: Yes! I jumped from the ship to the balangay. It was an exhilarating and liberating jump. It felt really great to be the captain of the balangay, take charge of my destination and be the explorer that I wanted to be. It opened up to a lot of opportunities that I wouldn’t have discovered had I stayed aboard the ship.
It made me realized the dreams that I’ve been longing to fulfill: writing for travel/inflight magazines, getting into stock photography, being an entrepreneur (starting out a business soon? nothing final but I have taken baby steps), building a passive income stream, and traveling longer to wherever I wish to go.
Sometimes, it’s not a smooth sailing journey. Storms do come. But my faith is stronger than the storm. I just say a prayer and the sea will be at peace once again.
So far, here are the LESSONS that I LEARNED from Traveling:

1. When you get stranded literally and figuratively (Yes, I got stranded in September 2011 in Puerto Galera due to a typhoon and almost missed my flight to Vietnam), don’t panic. Breathe in. Breathe out. Use your time wisely wherever you are. There’s always a way to get home. Stay positive.
2. Treat your parents like your friends/ barkada. They don’t want you to be alone and would volunteer as travel buddies. They would even ride motorcycles just to join you in your adventure. (Yes, my parents don’t like riding motorcycles but they couldn’t say no to me when our hosts picked us up via motorcycles from Can Tho City on the way to our homestay near Cai Rang river in Vietnam).
3. “Don’t talk to strangers” << This line is not applicable when you're traveling alone. Do talk/converse with strangers. Who knows? They might just help you when you’re in need. (When I was in Iloilo, I was clueless on what multicab to ride in going to La Paz and onwards. I asked the help of the traffic enforcer. The person went out of his way and helped me hail a ride to my destination.)
4. Smile and be a friend to the locals. When you got a friend, you won’t be a stranger to wherever you are and you won’t feel alone. (When I visited the Trappist Monastery in Guimaras, I met Nanay Basyon who toured me around and even gave me blackberries (not the smartphone but the fruit.) She was very accommodating and made me feel at home).
5. Don’t take shortcuts. It might be a faster way to get to the destination but it might be unsafe. Better safe than sorry. (This happened during my quest to the Panaloran Spring, which the locals of Sitio Guisi recommended. More of this on separate post.)
6. You don’t need to be rich to travel. You need to be wise on how to spend your money and where to spend it. It’s just a matter of living within your means, proper budgeting, and building a stream of passive income.
7. You can live life to fullest when you follow your heart. You don’t find happiness. You create it. You live to be happy and make others happy.
8. Last but not the least, never lose your faith. When you’re lost, just call on HIM. When you’re down, HE will carry you through. “The yoke that I will give you is easy and my burden is light. Come to me and I will give you rest.”

Traveling has changed my life and brought out the best in me. I know I’m ready when I face my Creator. If HE would ask me: “Anak, how did you live your life?” I’ll answer HIM with a smile, “Father, I had lived my life to the fullest. I had used the gifts that you’ve given me. I traveled the world, explored the wonders of nature, and motivated people to live their dreams. And of course, I had loved.”
This entry is part of the 17th Pinoy Travel Bloggers’ Blog Carnival with the theme, “Leap of Faith: When Travelling Changed My Life” hosted by Reiza Dejito of Wander If You Must.