By Paula Martinez
It is daunting and exhilarating to think, I am going abroad. I still remember my first solo travel – a young, short, and petite – almost malnourished – Pinay fresh out of university, backpacking alone across Southeast Asia. They say you never forget your first time, and it’s true. The memories are vivid, the excitement palpable.
You may be a young reader, and maybe the idea of traveling seems out of reach. It was for me too. I was obsessed with the desire to explore, to tick off all the must-do activities that social media insists you can’t miss.
We live in a society so driven by consumerism that we collect experiences the way we do possessions. The barrage of content we consume urging us to see this place or try that thing fuels a frenzy that often leads to exhaustion.
My overthinking mind was constantly battling these thoughts. What do I want to do? This wasn’t my first time in Indonesia, but I had never been to Bali. Should I visit all the touristy, Instagram-worthy spots? What would I even do with the photos? I still have pictures from a decade ago that have never seen a flicker of the internet.
But when I finally arrived in Bali, I was surprised to find something I didn’t expect: peace, calm, and serenity. I had pre-booked a long-term stay at a villa, and my first meal was in the café owned by the same guy.
I stayed in a residential village in North Kuta, where the traffic, though manageable, was compounded by eskinita-sized roads and ongoing roadwork. Despite my initial plans to meet up with friends, the semi-closed roads and rains kept me in. But in that forced solitude, I found something unexpected – a deep sense of tranquility.
This vacation transformed. Gone was the list of daily OOTDs. Gone was the need for changing three times a day based on where I was going. It wasn’t about visiting shiny new places or dining at fancy expensive restaurants. It became about shedding the layers of my daily life. Trading in my days in high heels, makeup, and jewelry for a loose-fitting shirt and bare feet. Letting my face go makeup-free. This came with a refreshing sense of relaxation—what vacations should truly be about.
It is typical for us Filipinos to rush off to a new destination, cram all the attractions into a weekend, and then rush back home. Maybe instead, we should embrace slow, sustainable traveling. I cooked when I felt like it, ordered in, or dined out when I had the urge. Sometimes I craved something familiar, other times I took risks and tried something new.
This isn’t an article telling you how to travel, where to stay, or what to eat. Rather, it’s my reminder to stay curious, to stay adventurous. Embrace the calm, the peace, and the freedom to do as little or as much as you want on your own terms. After all, that’s what a vacation should be.
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