We all have inner struggles we don’t want to talk about. In silence, we feel our hearts slowly tearing into pieces, our souls wandering aimlessly, our minds drifting to oblivion. Behind the limelight of social media and the mask of optimism we show to the people around us are battles fought in secrets. Battles that are too difficult to disclose. Battles that are may seem trivial to many. Battles that others will never understand. For quite some time, I have been dealing with this burnout. For some inexplicable reasons, I got tired of being on the road and hitting the trails. Weekends no longer inspire me and marvelous photos of adventure didn’t spark anymore. I felt empty inside. What’s there more to do?
I was in this catastrophic state when I was notified by Glister (Chasing Potatoes) that I was one of the finalists of this year’s Best Cebu Blogs Awards 2018, Travel Category. Quite ironic for someone who’s currently in conflict with traveling, right? But life has its ways of surprising us. Getting shortlisted gave me a chance to recall why I started traveling, why I pursued blogging – to learn, share, and create an impact to the lives of those whom I encounter. Dakilanglaagan gave me an opportunity to meet people from different walks of life – people who I thought would never cross paths with, people who taught me good and the not so savory lessons. It allowed me to conquer my greatest fears and brought me to places I’ve only seen in books. It opened my eyes to the reality beyond what’s shown in media and dictated by society. But most importantly, it gave me a venue to learn more about myself and to share these insights to people who are struggling as well. Getting this recognition brought me back to my senses and for that I’d be forever grateful to whoever nominated and supported me (including you reading this).
Of course, I’d also like to thank the amazing people behind Best Cebu Blogs Awards who kept the culture of recognizing the blogging skills of Cebuanos for eleven years! Thanks also to the sponsors and partners of BCBA 2018 for making this possible.
Surely, there are days when life gets tough. But the best view always comes after the hardest climb. Probably what I felt then was necessary. It wasn’t exactly what I wanted but it was what my soul needed so that I will recover the “amor” and enthusiasm I once had for traveling and blogging.
Now, I return renewed, refreshed, and recharged. So I guess, see you on trails?
Dakilanglaagan 