Wanderlust

Taiwan 2019 Oct – An alley somewhere near our Airbnb

Ever since I started reading books, learning about and seeing pictures of places from all around the world, and watching these sites on TV/video or the Internet, I have always had this burning desire to travel there myself, to set foot on these lands and witness it with my own eyes.

As of this very moment I still consider myself not well traveled. I mean, yes, I have been to places but not by a lot. Below is a list of places outside of the Philippines (my home country) that I have been to. Ordered by year since the first time I set foot outside of the Philippines in 2007.

Trips Made:

2007 – 2019

  • Singapore (Visit/ Leisure / 2007)
  • Hong Kong (Visit / Leisure / 2009)
  • Singapore (Relocated / 2011 to 2018)
  • Malaysia (Multiple Visits / Leisure / Between 2012 to 2018)
  • Indonesia (Multiple Visits / Leisure / Between 2012 to 2018)
  • Vietnam (Visit / Leisure / 2013)
  • Thailand (Visit / Leisure / 2014)
  • Hong Kong (Visit / Leisure / 2016)
  • South Korea (Visit / Leisure / 2017)
  • Australia (Visit / Leisure / 2018)
  • Taiwan (Visit / Leisure / 2019)

Trips Planned:

2020

  • Japan (Visit / Leisure / April)
  • Singapore (Visit / Leisure / October)

Update: Well, all international travels for 2020 got cancelled because of the global Covid19 pandemic. Boo hoo! The good thing is that I didn’t purchase plane tickets in advance. Broke my travel streak there. Hoping it won’t be the same for 2021. Not the entire year at the least. 🛫

2021

  • Japan (Visit / Leisure / July)
  • Singapore (Visit / Leisure / October-November)

Update: Looks like all international travels in 2021 will have to be cancelled, yet again. Japan was already booked. Too bad. Was planning on a late year hop to that Little Red Dot that is Singapore as well. Not anymore! Miss that place. This fucking COVID19 pandemic really sucks donkey balls big time. 🛫

In retrospect I just realized that I was already in my late 20s when I started traveling to other countries. My god! I should have started earlier. Then again, economically it was not that feasible yet for me that time. Nowadays I think the younger generation, the millenials, have it easier for them.

My goal is to travel to at least one different country once in a year. Twice if it permits me. The second time might be a re-visit. The important thing is to take trips. To personally observe and interact with places and people from all over the world. A lot may see this as an expensive pastime only for the privileged. I see it as just the same as having a goal in life for anything like everyone else.

Looking forward to go to Taiwan and Japan soon. Perhaps China. With these places crossed out from my list, that would conclude most of my “need to go to” places in Asia and Oceania regions.

Next hop would be Dubai, Turkey and Israel and the Middle East. Maybe Qatar? Anywhere else in that region is a NO-GO for me.

In Africa I honestly don’t know much on where to go. At the top of my head it would be South Africa, Morocco and Egypt. I’d like to ride a camel. Turn crispy brown under the hot African sun, and sink my feet in the timeless desert sands of the Sahara.

To go on a European tour would be the trip. France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Greece, Switzerland… alright, as many as I could. Probably take a couple months off from work to make the trip worth it. A sabbatical of sorts. The UK could be saved for another time and trip on its own, perhaps.

Unfortunately, I have not thought much about going to the Americas. Okay, that would be inaccurate. But not totally. Not for the South Americas anyway. It is not so much because of a lack of desire… maybe due to the absence of knowledge and reason on why go there. Of course, a chance to visit places in that continent would always be welcome. On the other hand, I very much would want to fall under the domain of the USA, but getting that visa has proven to be quite elusive for me. Twice! And because of that I’ve considered not caring so much about going there. For a while. It seems I’m the only one in the family who hasn’t gone there yet. Aside from my father, who had the chance but chose not to go. Canada would be another country to go to in the North Americas.

Crossing my fingers that I would get the opportunity to make it all in my list before I get too old, or responsibilities set in. Set foot on all these sites. Not just read about it, imagine it or see it in pictures, but to experience it firsthand. I mean it is not only wishful thinking. I am doing something about it. Hah!

This planet – our Earth – is such a tiny place in this vast universe. Life is short. There is so still much to see in this tiny world of ours with so little time to do it. Not being able to would be one of the biggest regrets in my life.

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