Travel

“Forse fa male eppure mi va, di stare collegato di vivere di un fiato, di stendermi sopra al burrone, di guardare giù. La vertigine non è, paura di cadere, ma voglia di volare.”

(Maybe it’s bad, but it suits me to stay in touch, to live life to its fullest, to push myself out over the abyss, to look down. Vertigo is not a fear of falling, but a longing to fly.)

– Mi Fido Di Te by Jovanotti

I couldn’t remember traveling a lot when I was young. I came from a bit of an anti-social family. We’re like Hobbits. We have our own little place and prefer staying there. I remember my father saying he traveled extensively as a young man, before starting a family and a series of ventures that inevitably made him what he is today, a businessman. Even now, when we tell him we can plan a trip with him, he refuses and says, “Go see the world, I’m happy staying at home and in the office.” I guess being a recluse indeed runs in the family. My grandmother had her sister and nieces urging her to travel and took care of everything she needed to get a US visa, but she refused to go. I have an aunt in her 60s who can get teary-eyed when her children convince her to get out of the house.

In a way, I understand them because even I refuse to go out of the house to shop for supplies. Sometimes, just the thought that I would have to leave the house to run some errands makes me want to throw a tantrum fit like a child whose candy has been snatched away from her tiny hands. A lot of times, I plan to shop in the morning and wait until it’s too late to go out, and use that as an excuse to stay at home.

Yet, there is a part of me that wants to fly and arguably, I do that at home, too, using my imagination, which I then put into words for my readers; I write for a living, a lifestyle that continues to pay. But there’s a thirst, a hunger in me to explore and be reminded from time to time of just how tiny I am in this colossal world.

My sense of wonder blazes looking at mountains, valleys, rolling hills, and coasts in varying hues; at turquoise waters of the sea or the tranquility of lakes and rivers; the sky from its clearest and bluest, to its darkest and fiercest. Structures and ruins that are a part of our history always leave me breathless. How men lived in the past, how civilization lead us here.

The absolute mad beauty of the world, as well as the repulsive and terrifying side of it, overwhelm me. Both are just out there and plain to see–the background of our lives. Our very own movie set; we see, feel, live, and breathe it. When we let go of our daily routines to experience its fullness through travel, we realize how diverse we are as people, how rich we are geographically, historically, and culturally, that it’s impossible not to appreciate life. Haven’t we all pondered about the meaning of it? Perhaps, no one can tell with absolute certainty, but exploring can either bring us closer to answers or make us wonder all the more. Whichever the case may be, we always bring some things back with us after, things that make us richer and more curious, beckoning us, seducing us to pack those bags again and leave.

I guess I’m not your regular blogger. I have no intention of writing differently for this website. I will write in a manner I’m most comfortable with. It might come off as tacky or flowery. Heck, I might even rhyme at times. However, I promise to remember that I’m not creating a manuscript when I write articles about budget traveling. Just forgive me when I get carried away describing the places I’ve seen, food I’ve enjoyed, or experiences that provoked my senses.

I will be sharing travel stories, itineraries, budgets, tips, maps, and others. Occasionally, I will share recipes and maybe a few short stories and poems, and some printables as well.

Oh, and don’t get me wrong, by the way. I’m not as adventurous as one would think. Also, just to clear things up, I’m not *exactly* a budget traveler. I don’t prefer staying in hostels or any place that requires me to share a bathroom with strangers. Nothing wrong with that and I guess that in itself is an experience, but my big bum prefers its own toilet as it usually doesn’t require coaxing to do an encore performance.

I like dining out and believe that food is integral in traveling. I also have a fear of heights. But it never stopped me from climbing tall places. It’s just that some people laugh when I inch close to the edge or jump back when I get surprised. I’ve accepted it. I’m funny, what the heck.