The Travel That Changed Me

I am a traveler since I was a child.

I remember having tantrums inside a cabinet in Baguio because I did not want to join my father on his office trip. *brat mode*

The whole day of my 12th birthday was spent inside a SuperFerry headed to Iligan City with my mother.

I fell on some rocks in Iloilo with my back first because a strong wind blew me away when I was holding an interior of a tire as salbabida when I was with my grandfather. Ended not swimming and sent to a manghihilot.

I drank too much coke when we had a field trip to a Coca Cola factory when I was still in elementary.

I was holding tightly onto the bars of Anchors Away in Enchanted Kingdom while my right knee was shaking when we had our family trip there.

From the day I was born to my 2nd year in college, all my travels were either with my folks or a requirement at school. But all that changed when I was browsing on Friendster and checked the Bulletin Board, my elementary classmate was inviting for interested applicants to join the Lakay Kalikasan Mountaineers.

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I grabbed my pen, got her number, texted her and went to the orientation. After the orientation I was pumped up to join their group.

I told my parents what I did and with their parent mode kicking in we had a long discussion if I should continue with the application or not. After 2 hours on the dinner table they agreed that they will support me on my journey to see the mountains.

And on April 2006 I climbed Pico de Loro in Cavite, my first mountain. The very first travel that I decided to join. The very first trip that neither was with my parents nor was a requirement in school.

Seeing the fantastic view on the top of the mountain, I knew then that traveling is something that I will do for the rest of my life.

More than the great view at the top, the feeling of independence to decide for myself, confidence to do things that I have not done and the happiness of pushing myself to the limit for the first time was one of the best feelings that I will never forget.

Due to some circumstances I did not finish the application but today I have climbed Pico de Loro 10 times, been to countless of beautiful places here in the Philippines and I do not think I will stop exploring.

It was all thanks to my parents who empowered me to fight for what I want as long as it’s not wrong, to be independent and to be responsible for the decisions that I make.

I love you Papa and Mama!

This is an entry to Pinoy Travel Bloggers’ Blog Carnival themed Leap of Faith: When Travelling Changed My Life. Click on the Blog Carnival Logo on the left to see more interesting posts regarding the theme.

Reiza Dejito of Wander If You Must hosts March 2012 Pinoy Travel Bloggers’ Blog Carnival.

To see the archive of Pinoy Travel Bloggers’ Blog Carnival click here.

 

Thanks to Mia Constantino for letting me use the photos in Pico de Loro.