Travel Log: 28 Year of Existence, Cuyo, Palawan

It’s been a great year worth sharing; I’m currently at 28 on the last day of February, and I was lucky enough to witness how the world change from Home Computers to Ipad from Nokia to smartphones. A lot has changed since I was born. I never thought I would be the man I dream of since I was a kid; my ambitions were quite ambitious, and it was always a kid’s dream to earn a living and do whatever he/she wanted in life.

But the road for me is still in progress, and during those past years, it was a very rough one; there are times that I always quiet life and be nothing in the space of life.

Being a shy person to a more confident one and fighting for what is right is one of the images I build on my one world. I cannot foresee the future, but I know if I enjoy the present, It can be a better future.

As my history goes, I spent my 21 Years living in the province and only have a couple of trips outside of my hometown; I got my first mobile phone when I was in college, and it is just a hand-me-down from my Older Sister.

From Elementary to Highschool, life was pleased just enjoying the kid inside me, from being an uneducated person to an honor student at Highschool Graduation. I meet many temporary and permanent friends in life that I still chatted about on social media. And during those times, I did not drink alcohol nor had a girlfriend, only crushes.

College was a totally different story; I’m lost about what I should take, and Life was very different; I feel alone, feel unfit about all the people I meet at that time. Gradually, I started to cope up, from eating alone to having some friends/classmates join during lunchtime.

I had a great start in College, yet life hit me during the summer years of my freshman year that Adulting is different, and the world is full of unfair choices and people. With this, my life perspective change, My positivity has been diminished sometimes but still fighting until graduating. I did not have any Latin honors, just had proof to my Parents that finally I’m finished in College and will be facing the life of being an Adult.

Adult life was tough; I had a hard time looking for a job and been to other places to look for one until finally, I received a call back home that I accepted even I’m just the second choice. And with this, I started my first Job earning my fair share of being an adult. Able to share expenses in the family and finally buy something for me without asking from them.

With this, everything seems okay, but it was not; a lot of tragedy has happened in my life, my parents got separated, and one time on my Birthday, a lot of fights happen, which my memory has been blurred out.

After that year, I started to think about what I wanted to be until I applied again but not in my hometown anymore; I look further to go to Manila, but first I want to Travel in the meantime. It will be a very adventurous one.

After quitting my job and finding friends where I could stay, I finally embarked on my New Journey; I bought a one-way ferry ticket to Iloilo. I first enjoy my first slice of life as a traveler, Had my first solo travel to Cebu, where I had a great adventure in each City along the route. Because I first plan to do a Philippine Backpacking Thing before finding a Job in Manila.

From Puerto Princesa, then a stopover in Cuyo arrived in Iloilo, where I met my college friend. After that, I went to Bacolod and then Toledo in Cebu and had some stopover in Cebu City with my sister and finally saying goodbye to her en route to Bohol. But Bohol was a total enlightenment moment for me. While walking around the pier area, I cried and finally realized I need to go to Manila and find a job, so the next day, I pack my things and finally went back to Cebu to rest for a bit and bought a ticket going to Manila.

Manila was a land of Opportunities; I applied a lot of Job, had some heartbreaks but with the fate, after weeks of waiting, finally got my break and finally, I started to work again. My salary was good enough for living and saving enough for simple living. But troubles still stuck on me, and I still want more of it, so after months, I started to apply again in other opportunities, sending CV’s attending Career Expos. Until I received a call from a remote Island, and the rest is history.

My life in Manila, aside from working, was delightful; I have been to many places every weekend, been to Laguna, Cavite, Quezon, Nueva Ecija, Ilocos Sur, Quezon, and cities and districts of Metro Manila, and my favorite area is the Intramuros and Binondo Area.

My Island Story started on the same day I left my job in Manila. And the Island was full of Happy and Worst Moments in Life which is life-changing for me. During these times, I was able to Travel further after getting my passport. From southeast to East and East Asia was a wonderful experience until the Pandemic Came.

Pandemic was another life-changing era for me. My plans were uncertain and gone; I feel alone and depress about what I should do and lost. But lucky enough, my friends and strangers were able to help, and God for giving me hope every time.

For the last months before turning 28, I had big bucks or spice in my life, like falling in love that is forbidden to meet temporary people again and finally finding my future path.

So this is my brief Journey in reaching my 28th Year of Existence on the 28th Day of February.