I am in a field where you could possibly find this as the most stressful profession in the world. And what we do could be the most confusing. But if you want to be rich, long-term, it could be the most important thing. In other words, I am someone who knows the cost of everything and the value of nothing – an accountant, a typical employee that works on weekdays and will definitely stay at home on weekends. My life has been as stressful as my profession, confusing as hell to the point that I thought what I’m doing is a balance sheet where in reality it is a balance sh*t. Work, eat, sleep, then work again and repeat. The cycle goes on.
That’s how my life works for three years, but that was before.
It started out as an escape from an extremely busy workweek, a “personal time” away from the hustle and bustle of the city – a reason that probably every traveler once had. It didn’t take long before the getaways turn into something that I will be passionate about.
I still remember the first mountain that I climbed and how I convinced myself that I can make it; that if I continue to strike with terror, nothing will happen; that if I didn’t took the risk maybe I’m still the same person as before. My experience as a first-time hiker is like walking in a park, like Jurassic Park. Every move I make, every step I take is like a punishment together with my loaded backpack because of the things that I could possibly need for a day hike since it was my first time. But when I reached the summit, the struggles and pain are all worth it.
From then on, I understood the meaning of “no pain, no gain”. And who would have thought that I am with the love of my life all along – The Philippines.
The Philippines had changed me along with the vast blue seas and the rich mountains together with the cool breeze in the skies and the tropical heat of the sun, the gushing waves of the sea and the vivacious creatures in the ocean. If it wasn’t from those explicit experiences, I will never know how blissful travel is.
Outside your comfort zone you will discover and learn new things. There, you will see the reality; the real pitfalls of this world but there, you will also perceive the real happiness.And now, I’m traveling for two years. I know that I still have a long journey to take and I’m sure that I am on the right path not only to discover places but also to know more about myself whether I am together with my friends or just all alone.
Be inspired even in the smallest detail in everything. Be inspired to all the miseries and situations in which you have to make a difficult choice and yet managed to conquer it exultantly. Cherish every moment of your life and make the best out of it. Invest good memories so that you can have a great return of investment. Never let yourself to have a bad debt neither a bad breath. Do not worry about that because in travel, you will never get loss but rather get lost in track with your crazy friends and laugh together like there’s no tomorrow. Make not only short-term goals but also long-term goals for a happy life. And when you get the chance to face the upcoming challenges in your life, you can confidently say with conviction that “I CAN DO IT!”
Pictures – are the cheapest souvenir that I have in all of the places that I visited. Even if I have to sacrifice some of my time, I will make sure that the outcome of it will be the best that I will ever have. Because afterwards, when I have the chance to look at the pictures again, every moment would flash back. I appreciated all the stories of the people that I have encountered because I believe that everyone has a delightful story to tell and with that, I learned.
The nostalgic sunset of Boracay that stained me with tears every time I went there. The shivering coldness of Kawasan falls that you can’t even resist to soak yourself in to its water, the vibrant coral reefs of Batangas, the staggering mountains of Rizal, the historical Calle Crisologo of Vigan that seemed to return you in the past, the perfect cone of Mayon Volcano in Albay, the sweet Suha and Durian of Davao, the mouth-watering and pleasant taste of empanada in Ilocos, the astonishing Sea of Clouds of kiltepan in Sagada.
For all the people who are afraid to try and take a step forward, just remember these things:
- You will never know how far you will go unless you try and start now.
- You will never know who you are or what you can do.
- Just do what makes you happy, make it your passion and everything else will follow.
- Do something today that your future self will be grateful for it.
Just believe and I’ll show you how travelling had changed me and will continue to change me. I am not the same person that I used to be. I’ve changed a lot.
I am Dave – an escapist-turned-wanderlust. I am now a better version of myself, a person with a lot of awesome stories to tell. It’s not yet the end. Come and join me. Together, hand in hand let’s see the beauty of the land where we are born.
Do you want some changes in your life? Do you want to take a risk and find who you are? Do you want to inspire and take a step?
Will you jump or stay still?
#TravelokaPH #WhyITravel #TravelokaStories
IG: http://www.instagram.com/davful/
www.traveloka.com/en-ph/how-travel-changed-my-life-blogger-contest
Davful of Adventure 