After my euro-adventure, I was so high with travel that I bored the people around me to death with the only topic I’m interested in. It may even began to sound like gloating starting my sentences with “when i was in Europe…” so I decided to actively host couchsurfers. If I’m not traveling, I’m going to bring traveling to my house. I was particularly interested to host people on an extended travel and I would be living vicariously through their RTW stories. I was drooling with envy and dying of jealousy.
“If you so wanted it, why don’t you just do it?” they asked me.
“I can’t.”
“Why not?”
Good question. Why not?
These were my top 3 answers.
1. I have work. responsibilities.
2. I’m no longer 25.
3. I have to get visas to everywhere.
I was raised in a world where work defines who you are, as well as your marital status, but that’s another story, ha ha. Anyway, nothing remarkable happened but one day I woke up and thought, why the hell not indeed? I’m not married. I have no children. What responsibility am I talking about? I work in our family business and my family have always supported each other. If we could travel for one to 2 months at a time, what is the difference of being gone for a year? If it means living one’s dream?
I thought telling my mother would be my biggest hurdle. I was short of making a powerpoint presentation to go with my spiel when I went to tell her. But it took me 30 seconds to say I’m planning to take a long trip. Then she so matter-of-factly asked for how long and what’s my itinerary? I was thrown off-guard because I was ready to deliver my 10-point argument. Somehow my mother have become open-minded and modern and I missed it! It was me who was stuck in the past, the perpetually guilty daughter.
The average age of people in couchsurfing was 25. That’s where I got my number. But with its recent popularity with over 2 million members, I think the average age now is 30 or even higher. And over the past 4 years, I’ve hosted round-the-world travelers who are older (than 25). I once hosted a funny guy who at 45, quit his job, sold everything, and went traveling because he hated their incumbent president. He will go back after his 6 year term. So obviously, I have also gotten over not being 25 anymore. ;-)
While I love the Philippines and have considered nowhere else home, I have to say, the Philippine passport is the single most annoying reason I hate being a Pinoy traveler. We need visa to almost everywhere and all restrictions apply. This is the main reason why I’m still here.
For my big trip, I want to circumnavigate the world! I want to leave for the west and come back from the east. And possibly hit all continents except Antartica. But who knows, maybe even Antartica if I stumbled upon a bag of diamonds or something. The plan was Asia(Manila)–Europe–(side trip: Africa)–North America–South America–Australia–New Zealand. But with my frustrated and procrastinating nature, I have changed my direction 3 times over! Ha ha. When I failed to leave in 2010, I decided to change direction and start in Australia beginning January, 2011. But some schedule monster came disrupting about that I can only start my planning today, March 1, 2011. And with all these visa business, my guess is I can leave mid-April the earliest. So with the season changing again, I will have to go with the earlier plan of heading west. I’m a tropical being and a sun chaser. I’m so scared of cold weather.
In the course of the next few days, weeks, I’ll be documenting the progress of my visa applications and the rest of the preparation. It’s a reality show at this point as I don’t know what’s going to happen. Will I get them? Will I not? Once again, I needed to put my thoughts in writing to sort my head out, as I mentioned in wanderlass turns 4. Follow me on my quest for the title: Most Visa Applied in 30 days! ;)
what a great way to end the day, reading inspiring stories like this. keep us updated on your visa applications. one day i’ll do the same. for now, i hope to read your stories. i am truly happy for you.
awww thank you for your nice words & good wishes, jerik. it will be awesome to have people from home rooting for me when i’m actually on the road! :-)
Google led me last year to your blog when I was searching for travel to Europe and I have been following your blog ever since. You are one of my travel inspirations :) and you’ve inspired me to continue posting entries on my own blog, despite work & life demands. Will definitely watch out for your new journey. Good luck Wander Lass! :)
Hey Sunset, thanks for the effort to let me know! It always feel good getting feedback that we reaching out to someone in some ways! I appreciate the following from home when I finally hit the road! Thanks again. :-) :-)
If you come to Northern California, stop by. We have a comfortable couch (and a spare bedroom). ;-)
Haha. Thank you, Kathy. And maybe you can tag me along your dives just so I can say I dove North America–at the risk of turning into icicles! ;-)
Hi, I saw your link in the comments section of the Suffusion Showcase. I also dream of travelling around the world! So far, I’ve been travelling to beaches and mountains here. I think it’s about time to go somewhere further. There are plans of going to Europe this year, and I’m crossing my fingers that will happen. Good luck on the visa application!
Thanks! :) I keep my fingers crossed for you too… because when I was in Europe… oops! hahaha.. Pack your bag and go! I wish I have your passport. Happy Travels. :)
Lil,
Oh I am so excited for you! I will be looking forward to reading your adventures. Be safe, enjoy much, and keep us posted! In short, inggitin mo kami ha? =D
p.s. I love your blog background! Nice! Still constructing mine. Thanks for the tips. :)
Thanks Suzi! I would love some cheering from home as traveling is not always up and happy… i’m so excited by also prepared that there’ll be down moments! Good luck on starting your blog. :)
lil!!!.. im so excited! and i wish i’ll be able to do it one day…. :)
Ruby, you will definitely be able to do it! when i come back, i’ll substitute for you sa work and u can do u rtw. haha!
Goodluck Lil!! Tell me when you’re going to Australia I’ll be here lang hehehe
thank, AM! you’re moving around a lot. I’ll let u know for sure when i’m near. :)
I loved this post! Thank you for sharing so much with us. My fingers are crossed that 1) you get every visa you want and 2) our paths somehow cross along the way. I’m so proud of you for following your heart!!!
Thanks Andi. :) You know I feet it in my heart that one day we will cross path! :)
“It may even began to sound like gloating starting my sentences with “when i was in Europe…”
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i totally understand what you mean. it’s one of the reasons why i don’t talk about my travels too much to non-travelers (even to some of my closest friends) as it could often be misconstrued as bragging, or worse, grandstanding.
have fun finding your place under the sun! ;-)
thanks! i guess that’s why we need different set of friends for different conversations.. unless you’re like me, single faceted, so i only need one set. haha! and i guess this is why we create blog! we write, share, blab about our experiences, throw them to the universe pretending, hoping someone would care. and if none, then it’s a journal you can look back on one day. it’s kind of amazing. :D
RTW trip is a life mission for me. I plan to do this before I turn 30. I will definitely diligently follow this series. I hope you get all the visas with no hitch so your adventure will start sooner! Keep us updated. =)
thanks jc! i hope it all workout w/out too much glitches! i truly feel visas are my only obstacle. :)