Wandering

Travelling is like having four years of college education—it transforms you, but only if you let it.

This I remember my favorite University professor telling us in class three years ago. In my seat, I was in what can only be descibed as a trance: my teacher's voice playing in the backgound, my imagination taking me to places—in an old castle in Spain, in sprawling vineyards in Italy, or in some fireplace in Sweden. I left that class with restless feet. I was determined to travel the world, but when I learned of the staggering cost of plane tickets, I had to think again.

You see, I've always loved travelling—both the experience of reaching places I've never set foot in, and equally, of the process of getting there.

The past two weeks have seen me travelling around the Philippines. A cross-country vacation, I'd tell people in amusement, when they asked me what I had been up to.

It's no secret. I joined the UP DCF Missions Exposure Trip to Sibalom, Antique. After more than a week there, I travelled to Iloilo, Bacolod, and Kabankalan to visit some family friends. I even had the chance to visit my friend's house in Himamaylan City before finally flying back to Quezon City. I'll be writing about these travels pretty soon.

I think it was Steinbeck who said that travelling is a lot like marriage—you destroy it when you attempt to control it yourself. I guess the people who truly enjoy travelling, myself included, let the experience lead them, transform them, and teach them.

Where have you gone to lately?