Why Long-term Travel Isn't For Me

Five minutes after we departed Changi International Airport, the seatbelt sign has finally been switched off by the captain. The cabin crew stood up and started to serve hot meals. To kill time, I watched Dear Other Self on my in-flight entertainment system. The Filo movie was about a working girl on her mid-20s who tried to venture travel blogging and long-term travel. I couldn't help but think what is it like to be in her shoes.

What if one day I would just quit my job, pack my bags, and just travel around the world?

Or maybe not.

Thank You, Twenty Sixteen

The year 2016 was a roller coaster ride. I have gained a lot of new experiences mostly in life but lost a few that were dear to me. This so-called adventure doesn't teach us to dwell and linger with our past, especially the bad ones, but to always to keep our steady pace as we gear towards the future. No matter how we carefully plan our paths, life will always give us surprises along the way.

Travel OOTD

Traveling does not just give you opportunities to experience new cultures and see the world in a different perspective, it also gives you the opportunity to mix and match your preferred outfit, depending on the prevailing climate or weather. In this day and age, having a stylish outfit without compromising comfort is a must. Here are some of the outfits I wore in three different seasons.

10 Telltale Signs You’re Actually a Davaoeño

Believe it or not, this paradise is only 15 minutes away from Davao by boat.
See also: Another unrelated cover photo but this looks beautiful.

Everywhere you go, you’ll encounter this formidable creature *ahem*. Well for one, you won’t notice that they’re around until they start talking about their preferences in food or anything about their local pop culture. If you’re unsure you’ve met one, here are the 10 signs that your officemates, housemates, or your friends are from Davao. Or maybe you're starting to become one.

Twenty Fifteen

As I peered out the window, the sun began to set. The sky radiated beautiful hues of orange, red, and violet. Even after our plane took off, my eyes were locked on to it until the sky slowly fades to darkness, and the clouds started to mask the landscape below. I closed the window and recalled how my year transpired.

This is by far the most difficult year-end post I have ever written.

A Day in Life as an Air Traffic Controller

It all started in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. 

The cool breeze of December had already been felt by the people living on this quaint town of the eastern seaboard. Folks from different walks of life were busy preparing for Christmas. But for Wilbur and Orville, they were about to make history.

The world had since changed after the Wright Brothers proved to humankind that we can fly. In this day and age, flying is the fastest and still the safest way to get around from one point to the other, all thanks to the current technologies installed in modern aircraft, the skilled pilots who control it, and to the Air Traffic Controllers, the guiding voices of the sky.

Seven Facts About Me When Traveling

I travel because I want to see and feel the world. It makes me feel alive in every possible way! In this day and age, people have easy access to social media, thus making our world smaller and more accessible. Also, more and more people can now afford flying to different places, all thanks to the cheap fares provided by low-cost carriers. I started traveling around the beautiful island of Mindanao during my college days and it had really opened my mind to a new perspective about how I see the world; a paradigm shift.

On a lighter note, some of you here wonder how I travel - the things that I usually carry and the preparations I do prior my trips. I guess it's about time to share seven fun facts about me when traveling.

Of Long-Term Travel

The rough road.

I was browsing my social media accounts when I read this particular email. It goes like this:

Hi Renz!

I know you don't personally know me but I have read your travel blog for quite some time. I have one question for you though: Have you ever considered long-term traveling?

Now, here's my take about long-term traveling:

Of Living and Working In Metro Manila

Makati City, Philippines

I used to wake up at five in the morning, braved the running, cold water from the shower and occasionally fought indolence. There was no time for breakfast because I have to leave the house at around quarter to six to catch up the early ride to my work station. A carton of milk and a bite of biscuit was already enough, or so I thought. And as always, the 6AM traffic jam is always unbearable most especially on weekdays. It seemed like people magically come out of nowhere and instantly fill the jeeps, taxis, and buses. And by the time I finish my work, I'd go home and experience the same stress ALL OVER AGAIN.

That's how I'd like to describe my life in Metro Manila and I didn't expect that I'd survive that way of life for almost two years!

Hello, 2014!

The First Davao Torotot Festival. Photo by Jeff Pioquinto, SJ

2013 had finally took off and we welcomed the new year with a bang. 2013 has been a good year for me, when it comes to career and self discovery.

So, how did you celebrate your new year? Well, I celebrated my new year here in Davao City, where firecrackers, sparklers, and even sky lanterns are strictly prohibited. But hey, Davaoeños are innovative. This year, we set a new record for having the most number of people who blew horns (torotot) simultaneously for ten seconds. Congrats, Davao! And to give you an idea, here's more or less how Davao looks like on New Year's Eve:

Davao City at night. Photo by jeffte

Here are some things to look forward this 2014:

In Retrospect: Year 2013

Enlightened.

As the sun sets, the sky radiates beautiful red and orange rays. We always wanted our day to end up like that. But before witnessing such amazing phenomena, one must experience the harsh realities of the day - the searing heat of the sun, air pollution, and other distractions that would hamper one's activities. In the end, what matters most is how you overcome all of it. I'd still call it a beautiful day.

That is how I'd like to describe my year 2013. It was indeed the longest race I've experienced so far.

It's Good to be Home This Christmas

The sunrise and the sharkie. Aboard PAL809. Turning final for ILS RWY 05 approach.

Happy holidays everyone!

How did you spend your Christmas? Well, I went home last December 21 because we were still allowed to have a break since we were not part of the shift complement yet, but once we have our permanent facility deployment, we are not allowed to file a leave from December 15 'til January 5. But the most challenging part of going home this holiday season was beating the holiday rush.

Missin' the Long and Winding Road

If you are an avid reader of this blog, you will notice that I seldom publish post about my travel stories. For the sake of updating this blog, I include the progress of my new career as an air traffic controller. Well, it is still part of my journey, the adventure of my life.

The Radar Out Experience

Keeping the sky and ground safe 24/7

If you think you have already seen the whole scenario of the radar out last week, well... think again. The media have only reported the scenes from the airport terminals where thousands of passengers got stranded due to delayed and cancelled flights brought about by the radar outage. What I am going to share is my experience at the control tower.

When I was still an ATC Trainee, we were taught on how to handle unusual air traffic situations. During our dry runs in Approach and Aerodrome Control, our usual scenarios were always out-of-this-world - an aircraft reported heavy tailwind during the approach and executed a missed approach procedure, quasi-emergency due to the departing Kalayaan 1 (Presidential flight), and an aircraft over Manila declares an emergency. All of these happen in one air traffic situation. I deemed this situation to be absurd and it will never, ever, happen in real life. Because if it does, you are the luckiest person in the whole world. The gods must be damn crazy!

The outage last week made me realize that I was wrong. In air traffic, always expect the unexpected.

The Undying Filipino Spirit

Loboc Church (taken by @tokyodrastic)

The sun has finally risen and the fine weather looked promising. Nella, who works as one of the caretakers of Loboc Church, left her humble abode earlier than the usual. She arrived at the church around seven thirty in the morning and prepared for work, even if it's a holiday. She went outside, looked up, and admired its beauty. The exterior is made up of ornated corals and stones and had been standing there for centuries. For some, Loboc Church is their place of worship but for Nella, she already considered it as her second home. She had grown fond of it and decided to spend the rest of her life within the vicinity of the church. While pulling some weeds, the ground shook violently. Instinctively, she ran for cover but lost her balance and fell.

And right before her eyes, the once majestic Loboc Church was reduced into a pile of rubble in just a matter of minutes.

The Traveling Jumper (dot) Com... Or So I Thought!

Once upon a time, an adventurous lad made a promise to create a signature jump shot whenever he travels to new places. It all started with just one jump shot, and then followed by another photo... and the rest is history.

Fancy February

The runway symbolizes that I am ready to fly. LOLJK this is just a totally unrelated photo. Was planning to make a collage of photos but naaahhh, to lazy to do it.

Hola folks! How's everyone? Well, I've literally missed a lot of people today as much as I missed traveling! This post is not going to be travel related (more or less). More so, this blog is slowly transforming from travel to personal... uhh... wait! This is still a travel blog considering that I still tell stories about my recent ATC training adventures (excuses... excuses... ehem). But still you get my point, right?

February's half way done and surprisingly, it didn't suck!

Whaddup, homeslice?

And I made a promise that I should finish all of my backlogs after Christmas since I should start reviewing for the departure and arrival charts. Wow, talking about studying on a holiday break! Bummer. Well, it's not that I'm complaining... It's just, I always look forward for this much-awaited break. I got giddy when the plane finally landed at Davao! Nevertheless, I appreciated the true spirit of Christmas more than last year. I appreciated the presence of my family and relatives, celebrating noche buena together.

So yeah, what's up? I know that I haven't had any serious travels since August. But I'm going to share a bit of something about my new journey.

No Turning Back

Now, the battle has just begun. After my short vacation in Davao last week... Oh wait, it wasn't really a vacation per se since I was soooo busy reviewing for our final examssss. Honestly, I did not expect that it would be THAT hard.

The Island That Vanishes: Sanipaan Shoal

Vanishing Island of Samal

Sanipaan Shoal, Island Garden City of Samal, Davao del Norte

This is probably one of my most favorite places in Davao. I fell in love with this island when I first went here last 2008 for a laboratory field work in Botany. Indeed, the island (technically, it's a shoal) vanishes when the tide is high.