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I can't remember the first time I traveled. All I have left are the faint memories of me on the backseat, rolling the window down and stretching my arm to feel the wind kiss my skin. It was a tradition that I have always looked forward to as a kid- sleeping under the open skies with only the moon and the stars watching me close my eyes.





I wanted to grow up quickly, so I could travel the world. But growing old isn't what I have expected it to become. I have grown to hate growing up. I used to think as a kid that adulthood is such a cool experience—no curfews, no school works, no financial worries. I had no idea that it was going to be much worse. Responsibilities, workloads, deadlines, schedules that won't let one have a life and frustrating career paths almost killed my soul. It was then when I found myself frequently looking outside the window, reminiscing those fleeting memories when I was a kid. It had been a repetitive cycle of me tapping my pencil on the edge of my desk while eagerly wanting to escape the four corners of these boring concrete walls. Well, until the idea of traveling saved my soul from the brink of dying.

With traveling, I slowly regained my faith that all will eventually fall into its place. My eyes received a fresh pair to see the beauty in everything. My lungs gasped new air to breathe. My feet explored a new reason to walk the extra mile. And my heart found a new chance to love something that is beyond human.















I am slowly mending my soul with every broken pieces of it that I find in new places I that visit. Slowly, I am able to learn that every piece of it is a unique representation which ties my whole persona together. I travel not only to escape my black and white reality nor to have bragging rights when I return. I do it because I discovered how it changed me. The changes were ultimately drastic that I no longer recognized myself when I looked back.

I travel because my soul belongs to the world. When I committed myself to traveling, I committed my soul to the world—to cherish its beauty, to find its meaning. I would not have been this person if not for traveling. It provided me with a new perspective in life. It made me realize how small of a speck I am in this endless universe. Meeting a lot of people and knowing their stories humbled me in countless ways. They provided me with a new perspective on how I should view life. Seeing the way they live and comparing it to mine made me feel embarrassed for those moments I took life's generosity for granted.













Traveling made me do things that I thought I wouldn't be able to conquer. Getting lost in a city, and walking anonymously in a sea of unfamiliar people would have scared me a few years back—but traveling boosted my strength. Now, even if I get lost in a new country, I know that I will be able to find my way back because that's how I can learn—by getting lost. And that's where my true journey starts.

Traveling also gave me a sense of purpose—one that's even bigger than myself. I get to see these breathtaking places, capture them on photos and share it to the world. I love how I can now inspire people to go out there and get to know the stunning world we live in through blogging. And through it, I get to share my stories and know theirs in return. That's more than anything I could ever ask for.







Traveling taught me to live in the now—to tear down my inhibitions and to just let my guards down. Because when you finally do, you let yourself become a sponge by soaking in every lesson and using it to grow and to become a better version of you. I used to want to be in control of everything but traveling showed me that there is beauty in not being in control. That’s when I learned that when you let life surprise you, you will genuinely know how to be happy.

People always ask me why I travel. The answer is really quite simple, I am in love with the world. I have this unspoken promise to get to know the stories of people I haven't met yet and navigate through places I haven't been to. When I travel, I get to be myself which I'm usually afraid to embrace. And when I get home, I find myself feeling incomplete—missing the pieces of me that were left in the places I have been and pieces of me that are still waiting to be discovered.

It was after we ate at Tim Ho Wan when we decided to go to Disneyland. We rode the MTR til Sunny Station and waited for the train specifically routed to the theme park.

I was like a kid on his tippy toes, waiting for Christmas day to arrive. With such hopes in my eyes, I patiently waited for the train to come and pick me up. To me, it was like reliving the movie, "The Polar Express".

I smiled from ear-to-ear seeing the pearl-white train coaches with mickey mouse carvings on its windows. I have never seen such a cool train in my whole entire existence.




I hurriedly ran towards one of the seats near the window  —  had my photos taken and had imaginations of having real mickey ears.

We passed by docks with barges and ships that made the skyline so picturesque.

A few minutes more and we were dropped off at the foot of Disneyland. Tall green pillars with stunning designs welcomed us. Then we went upstairs where the magic started to unfold.

It was so surreal being in Disneyland. Never in my whole life have I thought of being here physically. The music played in the background as I continued to dream. With my eyes squinted, I watched the kids walk past me, thinking it was still just a vivid picture inside my head.

People from all over the globe gather together in the most magical place. I didn't know how many photos have I photobombed that day. I seemed to get into everyone else's cameras as I wander around, taking pictures of Disneyland in every angle, possible.


It was such a good day. We arrived just in time for the parade, and much to my surprise, almost half of the performers were Filipinos. Seeing them made me feel at home. It made me feel like I somehow belong in that particular moment. We exchanged smiles and nods as they walk towards my way. I could never explain how proud I felt seeing them perform.

We then wandered off aimlessly inside the theme park after the parade. We didn't have any idea on where to go. We just walked restlessly, til we see something we can try.






As the night grew darker, we watched performances of Lion King and some other musicals. It was so extravagant. From their costumes to its props, I couldn't help but to stare in awe.

We waited for the main event, the fireworks display. People from every direction started to gather in front of Disney castle, anxiously waiting for the fireworks to light up the night sky. But before the pyromusical, we first watched the parade of Disney characters in colorful lights.








That capped off the night for me. It made me feel some kind of magic - like I was a kid again, carefree and naive. Seeing it color the vast night skies left my mouth opened for quite a long time. There's something about fireworks combined with the way the air moves that made the moment magical. Accompanied by changing holograms shown within the castle's facade made it even more spectacular. It was worth every cent. Really.

We're almost ready to leave when Disneyland pulled its last trick, snow. One of my ultimate dreams have come to life. It may be an artificial snow, but that night made it seem real. I looked up and closed my eyes. I tried to catch some by my hands, like a kid on the first day of winter.





A voice-over announced that the park will be closing in a few minutes which means that we have to leave. I was not ready to go home, but the moment was calling for it. I was always looking back as I walk farther from it. It went blurry as the distance grew until it became just a cluster of broken lights.

I realized one thing while we were inside the train — no matter how old you are, Disneyland will always reignite the kid in you.

Counting the days til I can go back there and enjoy it a little bit longer.