While I am looking forward to my seven-week backpacking adventure around Visayas, how I arrived at this starting point in my adventure is also a journey on its own that amazes me.
It was October last year when I decided that I would travel long-term this summer. I initially thought of going around Northern Mindanao and Visayas. With some savings in place as a safety net, what I thought I just needed to do was set up my adventure fund by summer.
I started building up my adventure fund through freelance writing and research projects, but as the saying goes, while I was busy making plans, Life happened.
- My dad got sick and I had to give up my savings to help pay for surgery and other medical expenses. From dreaming and planning mode, I suddenly found myself in crisis mode. Thankfully, my dad got better, but I continuously struggled with the idea of postponing my trip because of my depleted savings.
- When I finally let go of my attachment to my trip, the projects to fund my travels poured in. Ironically – or should I say predictably? – when I stopped obsessing about my trip, I successfully raised my adventure fund and earned back half my savings in a few months.
- Friends invited me to climb Mount Pulag with them at the time I should be in Mindanao so I changed my plans. Excited at the chance to climb this picture-perfect mountain, I changed my planned route of Northern Mindanao and Visayas to just Visayas to also fund my Pulag trip.
- Five weeks before my Visayas adventure, I got sick. My symptoms went on for weeks, and the doctor suspected I may have adult asthma. I again opened myself up to the possibility of postponing my Visayas trip, but thankfully I got well just in the nick of time – less than two weeks before my planned departure.
- I did not join the Pulag climb but kept my Visayas backpacking route. The natural treatments I took to get well and help me manage possible symptoms during my travel ate up my Pulag funds, so I decided to push through only with my Visayas trip.
When I look back at the past few months, I am grateful and amazed to see that despite everything that happened and how much my plans have changed, my original intention – that of traveling long-term – is still being realized. In some ways, I have arrived where I started, but with different eyes.
I have planned my route around Visayas, with the knowing that this is just a plan, which might just have some tweaks and changes later on, depending on the circumstances. If there’s one thing I learned in my journey that led to this journey, it is to be flexible and allow space for changes, which just might be in the realm of magic and miracles.
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In spite of these back-to-back impediments, you made such dream come into fruition! Ikaw na talaga! *hugs*
So sorry to hear about your dad’s surgery and your asthma. Sending you my prayers.
Thanks, Lorna! I am still amazed when I look back at all what happened that led me to where I am now. =)
Hi Claire, congratulations! One step at a time, dear… So excited for you ❤ God bless….
Thanks, Susie! Indeed, this journey has been one step at a time. =)
Hi Claire, you truly inspire me…this reminds me of wanting to do the same thing when I was single and as things would have it, I got married and had 4 kids that significantly shifted my priority. Now that I’m 50 but still adventurous, I’m planning to pick it up from here and hopefully to gain more wisdom from you coming from your travel experiences. More power to you and journey!!!
Glad to have met you, Claire! 🙂 See you again soon! Halong! – Regine, Iloilo
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