Set for departure
Appreciating acquaintances
Aside from vaunted vicinities, going to places outside our territory will surely enable us to bump into foreign people—from asking for directions to having all night talks—who could later on become part of our new circle of friends.
Happiness is like an infectious virus; our friendly vibes and smiles can definitely lighten up their moods. In fact, according to professor Amerie Joy Teran, a faculty of International Travel and Tourism Management Department of Lyceum of the Philippines–Cavite (LPU-C), travelers offer a welcoming spirit that diverts social tension resulting from the differences amongst people. The peculiarity each of us have may let us understand the various walks of life, which traveling permits us to experience as we meet new circle of friends likewise searching for new ideas and experiences, sharing a goal for camaraderie. Whether that means camaraderie between interracial or intercultural people, it doesn’t matter—because that’s what travel essentially does. It makes us realize that we are all equal yet unique.
Considering adventures abroad, we tend to overlook our family and friends at home, yet we always appreciate them more when they’re out of sight. At the end of the day, there will be no one as excited as they are to listen to our stories, and no matter how far we go, there will still be no place like home.
Learning from experiences
Traveling isn’t just about planning our itineraries to maximize our stay, but also the struggles and successful attempts that highlighted of our voyage. As an anonymous centenarian with more than 100 years of memories once mentioned, “Travel while you’re young and able. Don’t worry about the money, just make it work. Experience is far more valuable than money will ever be,” which put into words the genuine wealth that no one can take away from us.
Beyond the dictionary definition of traveling, Teran of LPU–C stated that wandering is an art capturing the beauty of the world. As youths are still in the process of learning, crossing territorial boarders will yield our vital knowledge that can’t be taught in school. Yet as people become more eager to personally visit some must-see places, the more polluted and damaged these areas can get—and that’s when our responsibility to take care of these tourist spots should step up. Also, our old-school education only provides basic knowledge on speaking and comprehension, but as we explore the world away from our community, the learned-communication skills teaches us to let go of our perceived concept of control. Apart from these experiences, we can also gain skills and knowledge in culture that we were once unaware of and languages that we didn’t even know existed.
Our youth lets us still have the ability to travel the highways and byways of the four corners of the universe, all while the experiences we acquire along the way will leave real-life lessons that will be cherished till our last breath.
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Our hearts beat fast when we plan for a trip, even more so when we’re holding the tickets in our bare hands. While we’re still young, nothing can hinder us from fulfilling our dreams of crossing the Earth’s skylines while we still have the full freedom—and no signs of aging in the way—to have an unforgettable trip and stock up our homes with the memoirs of youth.
Photos by Jose Mari Martinada
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