Crazy, but come to think about it, traveling didn’t actually change my life. Going on random trips, changing itineraries, interacting with locals, immersing into other culture, and communing with nature didn’t augment my lifestyle, salary, not even my relationship status. So if you’re looking for a long list of things that has changed because of traveling, you’re on the wrong site. I tell you, traveling did not change me at all; however, relative to that, traveling allowed me to discover my potentials and unleash the gifts that I already have without me actually knowing them. It made me realize that I am capable of doing things if I put my heart on it.
Traveling did not change my lifestyle.
I didn’t become a jetsetter or a highly-paid blogger. I still stay at home and read books or marathon TV series when I get broke. I still mix and match my old shirts with whatever I find comfortable in my cabinet. Looking back, there’s nothing much has changed at all. Just because one is traveling it already means he/she is capable of living a luxurious lifestyle. We often fall on this trap, but traveling does not mean going on month-long trips and staying abroad. It could just be a simple hike on the mountains around the locale or a river trek on a nearby province. It doesn’t necessarily need to be done every weekend. Because if we equate traveling with lifestyle, only the rich can afford it and I would just be staying at home and watching Kdrama over and over again.
Traveling did not change the way I view life.
Life is still unfair. It only becomes fair, in our perspective, if we’re on the upper hand. But ultimately, the cycle of life beats on the same pattern: sometimes you get what you want, most of the time you deal what you deserve. Traveling has allowed me to settle this with a positive outlook though. It taught me how to attack problems met along the trip like delayed/canceled flights, mean tourists and attendants, and how to make the most of the limited resources I have. The struggles met along the way made kept me grounded and understand the diversities of this life.
Traveling did not change my relationship status.
I’m still single and traveling has no way of mending that. HAHA. Whilst there could be people who have ignited my interest, it would always occur to me that we are on both ends of the world. He’d be the West Philippine Sea and I’d be the Pacific. He’s Batanes and I’m Tawi-tawi. Because that’s the problem with meeting people along the road; it’s like both of us are two intersecting lines who met at one point… and doomed to never meet each other ever again. But of course, there are also happily-ever-after stories of adventurers as shared by fellow travelers. And if there’s one thing that I’ve learned from them, it is to treasure whoever I have met on the road – friends, acquaintances, even mean individuals. You can’t expect to find love on every travel but surely, you’ll always find good Samaritans when you’re troubled.
Traveling did not change the world.
Traveling didn’t solve the problem on poverty, slavery, illegal use of drugs, and the like; rather, it made me realize that I can be part of the solution – that I could take part in the rehabilitation of the environment, abolishing illiteracy, and be an exemplar to others. These acts of random kindness might not affect the general issues of the world, but surely it will create ripples to the lives of others.
Traveling did not change my life but it gave me an opportunity to see life in a different perspective. It made me embrace the things that I can and cannot do. One way or another, traveling has created a massive impact in my life and to many other travelers out there and probably that is where the differences and changes come into the picture.
Dakilanglaagan 