Why Do I Love To Travel?

My first time in New York was so overwhelming that I started to sing Empire State of Mind by Jay-Z and Alicia Keys!

The travel bug bit me. THERE I SAID IT! It seems to me that my year is incomplete if I do not travel far and go on a plane at least once. I am not exactly sure how this started for me. But I knew that once I did it, I wanted to keep going for more. My family is not exactly well travelled, even in our home country in Philippines. My parents have never left Asia, and I was the first in my family to ever go to United States. And only three of us have been to Europe. This feeling of wanting to see the world out there, far from everything you've ever known and meeting the most amazing people from natives to backpackers is what keeps me motivated to travel far!

I can still feel the cool wind and breeze in the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, CA. It was magical!

So when did it exactly start? I mean, my family's traveling just consisted of the typical Taiwan or Hong Kong. Well, I was a bit of a rebel in my family. I was so sick of going back to the "same, old places" and experiencing the "same, old boring things", that I wanted to break free from it. So while I was in college, I had a chance to do my internship abroad. When I got the opportunity to go to United States for internship, I took it. And while I was there, I flew so many times while I was doing my internship. It was an amazing feeling: to fly somewhere you've never been to, see beautiful places, explore amazing architecture and meet incredible people. I went to Nashville, New York, Florida, San Francisco, Chicago, and San Jose. And that's where my traveling addiction had started!

When you travel, you learn so much about yourself. You learn how strong you are, adapting to many places.

When I moved back to Philippines, part of me felt that my year was not complete yet. I need to go somewhere different again! So a couple of months after I got back in Manila, I applied for a visa to Japan and got approved, and then booked a flight to Tokyo. When I arrived there, it was so overwhelming: language, food, culture, technology and architecture! From that point on, I realized that I do not want to go back to where I am familiar with. I want to keep exploring more and more places, and be as far as I could be from everything that I know! Because for me, being far away from everything I've ever known helped me find myself. It helped me realize what I am capable of, how surprising life could be, and also, what I was missing out on with the rest of the world.

Tokyo has been the most overwhelming city I've been to! The crowds, food, culture, technology, and architecture!

We all have this fear of going to a certain place just because of language barrier and what not. Television talks about more the bad things about a country than good because that's what sells in the media coverage. Don't let those things or what people have experienced there, hinder you from experiencing it yourself! Your life is not their life! It's yours! So if you're heart is calling for a place that you really want to go to, then I suggest you do it! Because you never know what you're missing out on!

There's something nostalgic about being in an MRT train abroad like here in Taipei. I enjoy riding it for convenience!

When my family went to visit Hong Kong and Taiwan AGAIN for the NTH time, I started going around my own path. Started to see the places less travelled in those areas, and I got to make new friends from it! You see? If you go somewhere you've never been to, you'd be surprised the people you meet from it! Even until now, those people I met from a club I've never been to or the city area I've never been to are still in touch with me. We still talk, and even they share similar traits with me when it comes to traveling.

It's such a different feeling when you're there in Paris, France! The atmosphere and weather contributes so much!

Now I'm not saying don't travel around Philippines. It's all about preferences. My heart is just telling me to see the rest of the world now. I thought that when I was living in US that I wanted to live there. But it turns out that I just want to travel and see the world! Whether I'm a tourist or backpacker, I just want to keep moving and exploring! I just cannot stay in one place all the time or not be on an airplane! I want to get out of my comfort zone and go take the road less travelled because I know I will learn so many things and grow as a person there! Hoping I can reach Latin and South America someday! Because I want to experience the unique and vibrant Latino food, music, and cultures there!

London, England is such a diverse country! That's what I like: diverse and international community,

all in one!

In 2015, I did not travel to anywhere until the end of 2015 because I was saving up for another big trip: EUROPE! Like I said, I wanted to go somewhere so far from everything I'm used to that I decided I'll try out Europe! It was difficult managing expenses there and saving up for it, but I got it done! I did all that was required of me with the visa applications! I was able to go to England, France, and Spain. And because we chose those places I learned another thing that I was really strong at: adapting to environment and picking up languages really fast! I was able to get around Paris with the French I learned in college, from my supervisor and my friends studying French. For Spanish, I had a boss and best friend in US who is originally from Peru, so I had every single opportunity to learn the languages!

If I could go back to Europe, Barcelona, Spain would be one of the places I want to see again!

Now the big question: Why do I love to travel? I'm sure everyone has their personal opinions on this, no matter how big or small they are. But one thing for me is this: I have never felt more alive in my entire life than being away from everything I know! I heard this quote one time while I was researching: "We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us!" I was never the person who did well in school, but the moment I stepped into the real world and got exposed into different environments, for some reason, everything just fell into place. I realized that I am a street smart person, that I can adapt to different environments, and learn different languages fast! I meet the most incredible people when I'm exploring this Earth. You learn to tolerate so many things, being more aware of the problems and issues with this world.

Always be thankful for having the opportunity to explore the most amazing places! Thanking everyone for the support!

You see, it's not the destination I look forward to. It's the journey. The people you meet along the way. The people whom you share the same love and passion with exploring this remarkable world around us. Personally, it makes me feel happy to be alive. Traveling makes me push myself harder with doing whatever it takes to get to the next destination. Traveling and exploring makes me see that there is more to life than what you're used to in your own home. Traveling makes you realize just how strong and independent you can be, and how diverse and open-minded you can be as a person. And when you see something so beautiful and experience the most unique things, it makes you want to do better so that others can feel the same things that you felt when you went to that specific place. So here's to YOU. Start TRAVELING and EXPLORING, even if just in your own country. Meet people, share stories, gain experiences. "The world as I see it, is a remarkable place!"