TRAVELING CHANGED MY LIFE

Lake Holon, T'boli, South Cotabato.

When I was a kid, I never had any idea what traveling was. For me, traveling meant going down from the mountain to go to church or go to school, or visiting my relatives in Davao or they visit us in Bohol. I had never even dreamed of going overseas to work. It was either that as a child, my imagination was quite limited or I had the understanding of the only resources we had available and where they could take me. But if there's one thing I was aware of at such a young age was that I already wanted to ESCAPE. It was only when I already started earning though that I could finally fulfill that wish. And although it wasn't all crystal clear to me yet, traveling was already in the works of changing me and of course, my life.

At the outset, it was all really just about 1. Escapism. First, it was because working in the BPO industry was too stressful. Second was because life is stressful in general. It wasn't about anything deep at all like finding zen or what-not. It was always like this-life's-hell-so-let's-get-outta-here sort of thing. Things eventually shifted, however. Escapism was still part of the goal, but one tick off the bucket list after another made traveling mean more than just that.

2. Traveling provided me a vehicle to memory lane.

Through traveling, I have learned about the whens, and the hows, and the whys of the places I've visited--some facts I may never even find online. It's nice to be able to look back to stories of yesterdays.

3. Traveling brought me closer to nature.

In an age where it's easier to get unhealthily boxed off, traveling is helpful. It brings a person out to breathe fresher air. Traveling has given me an avenue to observe nature, experience it through different sensations, and appreciate the magic it often offers.

4. Traveling opened my eyes to more and more art.

As if getting to see creative photos on Instagram isn't exhilarating enough, getting immersed in the actual places yourself gives you a more wonderful feeling. Being able to see art outside a four-cornered device is always magical to me. Capturing them even with just my own eyes is a perspective I would always look forward to getting.

5. Traveling let me see more good people.

From people who would remind you to care about Mother Nature by picking up your left-over stuff to people who would carry your backpacks all the way to a campsite to make a living is the sweetest scenery you can watch. This is what's most amazing--knowing that humanity still stands a chance. For me, this is definitely the most meaningful part of every journey. Learning these peoples' lives and culture is some lovely add-on!

I could go on, but the point is not about how many things I could list down, it's about how each destination, each experience has touched me. The thing about traveling is that you don't even have to force it to change you. It just happens. You do not need to choose which lessons to pick up and make something out of. The lessons choose you. And if you let it, it changes you completely--unbeknownst to you or not.

That's what I did. And even if for the many times I've come home I still end up seeming like the same person I was before I left, I know down deep in, I am more valuable because I learned. I am now equipped with knowledge about the world and its people which is helping me form new perceptions about them.

This is how traveling changed me. And with changed perceptions, it's changing my life as well. Progressively.

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