2 WFH Sisters and 1 Dog Sharing Our Travels in Bicol and Manila

How Travel Has Changed The Way I Speak, Move And Think



"What you think, you become. What you feel, you attract. What you imagine, you create. " - Buddha

Read this from Rosan Cruz, the Yoga teacher who gave us a free 90-minute Kundalini Yoga session yesterday courtesy of The Grove Rockwell in their Amenity Deck. The surrounding is so great. I myself lives in a condo unit but theirs is way better than where I live. I hope I could have taken more pictures but I was drawn to the Yoga session more. Since it was my first time to try this, I felt my tummy and legs are a bit aching but overall I felt incredibly light and free. I remembered we were asked to kind of "beat" our parts of the body to let go of the hatred for a person or circumstance in our lives. That is what exactly I did. I feel literally relived. How I wish I have all the luxury of time to join her Yoga class soon.  I  will create a separate blog post about this experience.  



The moment I read it,  I knew it is something that I can very much relate when it comes to travel. I cannot believe how travel has changed the way I speak, I move and I think that looking back I am way, way far from the person I was before.  Let me tell you an example, whenever I am in a mall and looking at prices of things to buy, I would always compare it to 
a roundtrip ticket, if it costs just that for me it is already expensive.  What I do I will find as much as possible ways to get the same product or a different brand that costs less than that.

And this started all because of a seasoned traveler whom I met few years back.  He never did a single thing to pursue me to get into this, it only took him coming into my life and telling a few story of the countries that he has been and that fueled me to discover the world of travelling. 

"And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it. - Paulo Coelho

I know this already a "worn-out" statement for a lot of travel bloggers but this is also somehow connected to Buddha's quote.   I am myself is a proof. I just couldn't believe that months ago, I scored a part-time job I found online as a mystery traveler who is paid to travel anywhere in the Philippines for free to review secret tasks. The pay wouldn't make me a millionaire but for someone who is passionate about travelling, I call this a miracle already.  

This June, I am already looking forward for my 4th travel assignment- I wish it will be an out of the country this time.  My past assignments have brought me to Mindanao areas where I was able to visit Pagadian, Ozamiz and Cotabato City. Last month, I almost got the secret task trip to Bangkok, Thailand just that I have not enough vacation leaves so I let it go. In my coming travel assignments, I plan to reach all the far-flung provinces in Mindanao if not the whole province of the Philippines. Of course who would'nt an out of the country free trip? 


The Grand Mosque in Cotabato City

Also I never thought in my life I would be able to get featured in a local tv show, a one-whole page magazine feature  and a radio station participation all because of travel and blogging.  

At the office not that I am discriminating but I prefer hanging out with the ones whom I can talk to about going out. I feel the joy whenever I am with them -  especially about planning our trips together and all that. I somehow find it boring to chat with someone who is not into travelling. Again I do not mean to be choosy but this is how I have become. But I make sure I share a few wisdom to those who haven't tried yet. To those who I can see the sparks in their eyes that they would love to pack their bags and go somewhere soon. 

Aside from my 4th mystery travel assignment I also have two other things I am so excited to happen:

1.  Travel + Fashion  Takeover Manila lead by a famous travel fashion blogger from NY. I have gone crazy joining travel meetups. For me it is the best cure when these itchy feet cannot go out, being with like-minded people can provide the comfort.

2.  Will be reviving another site I started in 2011 and starting a new one. For now the niches are still a secret. I really want to create more online sites because I dream of making money online full-time so that I can be a digital nomad who can travel and work remotely at the same time ANYWHERE.

3. The judgement for the travel project I did with my brother is out in a few days. Once we make it, this is not going to be just a one whole month free trip to this country but we consider this as the trip that will totally change our lives. I cannot wait... I am praying so hard every single day. I hope you can include us in your prayer too. 

4. Eager to get my travel duffel bag and do a product review of it here I won from the previous travel meetup I joined courtesy  Muni.ph.  I hope to review more travel brands and who knows a collaboration would be better.

I am still trying to move on from the thoughts of losing my digicam that is full of my travel pictures and smartphone  which I lost from these homeless teenagers who robbed me. Some of those photos are from blogging events and product launching that I have never blogged yet. They threatened me with a knife aimed at my left hip so I have no choice but to give my bag that contains this. Anyway at least I am safe and I was not hurt.   Right now I am struggling to get a new one and that meant sacrificing a budget I have for a planned trip for now.

There's probably a million ways more how travel has changed the way I speak, move and think. I just couldn't fit all of these here but if there's one thing I am sure of is that I have changed for good all because of travel.

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