Thoughts on Solo Travel

Last November, I traveled alone for the very first time. When I let others in on my solo travel, they were shocked, amazed, curious but most of the time, incredulous. I was met with various reactions from “Why didn’t you ask me to go with you?” Or, “May pinagdadaanan ka ba?” or the usual jeer, “Naks, soul searching!”, yes I heard it all.

At that time, traveling alone was a foreign a word to me as say, exploratory laparotomy. But I embarked on it, partly because yes, I was soul searching and yes, “May pinagdadaanan" But it is only recently that I realized that even if I were not undergoing a major event in my life, I have come to love the feeling of setting out on a journey alone.

After my solo travel in Iloilo and Guimaras, what followed were: a solo venture in Tagaytay and a solitary roadtrip up north. And it looks like I won't be stopping anytime soon. I still travel with friends and family because I want to see the world with people I care about,  but traveling alone is special in its own way.

So, why did I choose to travel alone? It is just like why dogs lick their balls, it's because they can.

I used to think that traveling alone is selfish. It screams independence in many aspects -  emotionally, financially, socially. Traveling alone is also snobbish - “Finally I can to go where ever I want, companions just drag me down!”

Ok I thought, I can be selfish. Sure I want to be independent and to travel anywhere in my own terms. Before my first solo travel I thought, maybe it’s similar to watching a movie alone. The only difference is with travel, is that a person is placed in a testier situation and milieu.

I realized that that comparison is a stretch! If traveling alone meant independence, then being independent comes with a price! First, I had no one to share my expenses with. Second, the pre-travel research is exhausting! It brought out the OC organizer in me! Prior to my first solo travel I was this lazy leisure traveler who wants things laid in front of me.I hated researching (past tense of course, haha). I don’t want to stress myself. Or maybe I am just scared shit of sitting alone as the bus whirrs by. I cannot sit still with a book because I am paranoid something bad might happen. Or I feel I just had to talk to a friend to share my boredom.

But, I discovered that traveling alone leaves this sweet, lasting satisfaction, this certain achievement that I can figure things out for myself.

Traveling alone also taught me to talk to locals. Without judgment. I didn't just talk, I listened. And I discovered first hand, how they perceive their world. Learning becomes a natural thing.

Looking back, I wished I embarked on solo travel early on. And having tried it, I can say that solo travel is everything it is cracked up to be. It can be scary at first because of the expenses, the boredom, the lonesome...

Traveling alone forced me to brave the unknown but moreover,  traveling alone made me confront myself. You discover who you are and what you are made of. Traveling alone forces you to face the truth about yourself and about life, and the truth is often hard to accept. But as always, truth always sets you free.

The Pinoy Travel Bloggers group holds a monthly Blog Carnival, wherein participating bloggers write about a singular theme. Mechanics and archives are found in Sir Estan's Langyaw page here. For the month of April, we write about solo travel as hosted by Nina Fuentes of Just Wandering. This month's entries go here.

The most romantic place is the place where I’ve moved on

To say “I love You”, one must be able to say “I”  - Ayn Rand

I was by the window seat on the plane. Watching the pavement move quickly until it only becomes a little gray blur in the background. Nothing new with traveling on a plane. But that day was different. I was alone.

Through glassy eyes, I saw outlines of cities and towns down below. And then after an hour, there it was. They say it’s the heart of the Philippines. Little did I know that this place will be that place where I can wander about freely, carelessly like a little girl lost in a park. Like nothing hurts as much. A place where nothing is impossible. Now that I look back, I knew that that place - that place where I can breathe and recuperate - it’ll always be Iloilo to me.

People fall in love for so many reasons and these are reasons which cannot be explained.

People fall in love for the first time.  And that first one - it’ll always be memorable. The first cut is deepest, said some tearjerker song. People might think traveling alone was unusual, and might even be whimsical.  But both can make you feel excited, out of your wits or just plain happy and content.  The first travel on my own felt similarly. Deep, exhilarating . And just like being in love I lost a lot of sleep just thinking about it.

But love is a little more risqué. Logic is worthless as long as you are happy. As long as you wake up at night beside him. Or when you hear him say your name.
But unlike travel, some love affairs do not always end well.
After traveling, reminiscing every little milestone and beautiful landmarks or temples and churches you documented is heartwarming. Makes you feel excited to travel again. With love, all you have are wonderful memories that could bring a smile on your face if only it didn’t hurt too much.

After my plane ride, I went straight to the cheapest hotel in town. It was cheap yet efficient, one thing I can recommend - the Ong Bun pension house. I rode jeepneys and cabs. I went all out about town. Iloilo is a bustling city. A major city where business and commerce has been ingrained to the city’s history. And yet presently, business keeps growing every day. Vibrant, moving and active. People move on. People walk and pass by me as if telling me to take that step and move.

The next day in Iloilo, I did an Elizabeth Gilbert and ate, prayed love my way around town. Downing one too many of them cheap but oh-so-good oysters for fifty pesos a bucket, and eating authentic Inasals and  putting an end to Ted’s and Deco’s competition for the best batchoy in town (Deco’s for me).

I went to various churches. But the one that stood out, majestically around the bend is this church which stood out like a queen. Santo Tomas Villanueva, that church which is more commonly known as Miag-Ao church. My heart skipped a beat. It was like a vision.  So soft with its intricate carvings yet so tough with its impenetrable pillars. If I were with him I’ll show this.

Whether I say it straight out that I traveled here after a heartbreak or I should just let it subtly unfold feels immaterial to me now. He and I were over. Time to take that step forward to the unknown.

Ours is over. And traveling alone for the first time here in Iloilo, another love affair 

has begun.

This is an entry for the 4th Pinoy Travel Blogger’s blog carnival: The Most Romantic Place hosted by Aleah of Solitary Wanderer.