travel

Travel is empowering that’s why I love it. Being able to navigate streets in a foreign city and do things I haven’t done before have given me a sense of strength and confidence. Travel made me realize that I can make things happen.

I’m lucky to have married a man who supports my lust for travel and is open to going places with me. We’ve visited a couple of cities in various countries already and all our experiences have made us stronger as a team. If we were physically fit, can drive and can swim, we probably have auditioned for Amazing Race already.  Travel empowers us as partners and makes us feel we can do anything if we work together.

*****

During our recent trip to the US, I realized a couple of things:

One, if you really, really want something, you have to make it happen. You can’t just leave your dreams and life to chance. Opportunities are blessings so when they’re given to you, you should be ready to grab it. That opprtunity came when our company offered a one-month unpaid leave option as part of its cost-cutting measures. Since I had one month to spare, I brought up the idea of going on a big trip to B and he agreed. We originally wanted to visit friends in Auckland, New Zealand but when we realized that trip would cost us almost the same amount as going to the US, we decided to change our plans and go stateside instead.

Two, you’ve got to be open to everything. We love making plans which is good for us. Plans helps us get things done, but sometimes we’re so attached to them we get stressed out and frustrated when events turn out the way we want them. So, why resist? It’s just easier to go with the flow. Same goes with expectations. Expectations set us up for disappointment so it’s better to just be open.

Mission Dolores and the Palace of Fine Arts were not in our itinerary when we visited San Francisco. But when we saw these beauties from afar, we knew we just had to make a detour and see them up close.

Three, you can never get lost in unfamiliar territory. When you’re travelling, every street corner presents an interesting surprise. Every person we meet or situation we find ourselves in presents an interesting surprise. I think I can say the same about life.