I should be preparing for two major climbs at this moment. I should already have enough pocket money for an international trip by now as well. But all these plans, the same as yours, were all put on hold (if not cancelled) because of this pandemic called COVID-19 – a virus strain that was first identified in Wuhan, Hubei Province of China which has now physically and economically paralyzed the whole world.
But a true wanderer can never be strained from conquering the world. So, despite lockdowns, community quarantines, and curfews, we still managed to travel to undiscovered places despite the threat of corona virus disease.
How to travel despite COVID-19 Threats?
So this is how we traveled to undiscovered places despite the COVID-19 threats. Witty, right? As per suggested by the president, “Ikot-ikot muna kayo sa bahay, baka mayroon pa kayong hindi napupuntahan”; we really did took the time to go around the house (and the workplace), did some productive things, and voila! There are indeed places that we haven’t been to for ages (if we look at it in a different perspective).
You see, the current state of affairs has obviously changed the way we view traveling these days. Yet this does not limit how we allow our creative minds from wandering. Without us knowing it, we have become more interconnected with world, more concerned, more culturally inclined, and more understanding – some of the reasons why we love traveling, right? May we all find a silver lining on these turn of events instead of complaining, ranting, and going around circles with the blaming game.
Coincidentally, today marked the anniversary of that Lake Bensis dayhike – which generated so much hatred and earned a great number of negative reactions from our fellow hikers here in Cebu. It’s difficult to move on from those exchange of hurtful words and wrongful accusations. But looking at it right now, I’ve seen so much growth within me and in this blog. If not for that incident, I wouldn’t be able to recognize wolves in sheep’s clothing among my so-called friends. Through those critics, I was forced to do a self-evaluation on blog, forced to edit previous posts which could be subjected to further scrutiny, forced to realign the direction of this platform, and finally, finally, forced to purchase this domain. Most importantly, it taught me how to choose my battles and how to go about them. Dakilanglaagan wouldn’t be as it is now without that pivotal moment. (We even won an award for this. So, thank you, haters.)
And probably the same thing goes with this world-wide corona virus problem. This is history in the making – a test of faith, good governance, and social responsibility. We can’t deny the gravity of what we’re currently facing. We are making history. But maybe in the near future, when everything subsides, we would all be looking back at this moment – all these worries, panic, anger, and downfall – as a necessity to what the universe is preparing for us. All we have to do right now is to keep the faith and remain vigilant and proactive citizens; to become a part of the solution rather than the problem.
Still, I’m hoping to see you soon on trails. For now, let’s practice social distancing and update each other on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Keep safe!
Dakilanglaagan 