Okay, first I want to get it out there. I intended to publish this blog on Sag szn haha ‘coz travels!!! Haha. Anyway… here are the important lessons I learned on my trips.

I didn’t expect to travel three times this year. To be fair, one of them was a local trip. Still, that was a lot of packing and unpacking and moving from city to city and whatnot. But here we are. 

Here’s what I learned during my trips this year. :3

Solo Trips are Fun

Initially, I wrote a couple of long-ass paragraphs about where I went to and who I met. Then I realized I was rambling and saying things way too much. I went to Philadelphia and met a friend and my co-workers! I’m thankful for their hospitality and for touring me in some parts of the city. I’m definitely coming back to see them.

Let me cut to the chase and say how it was fun.

First, it was fun because you are setting your own schedule. You don’t have to wait for anyone to finish any activity. You are in control of your own time and where you’re going.

Second, it was enjoyable because I got to take more pictures of landmarks and notable locations. I love being behind the camera when I’m traveling. I would rather snap a photo of where I went and soak in whatever the view was.

Finally, I loved being in my own company and learned some things about myself. One notable learning was I realized that I loved walking by myself and enjoying sceneries. Not to brag but I walked a whopping 25,000 steps in my trip to Philly. LOL.

Do Your Research

I say this A LOT in my blogs. But of course, that was applicable to businesses only. Apparently, I didn’t do my own research for my trips.

Well, for one, when we returned to New York, I believed we went to all the places a tourist should go. But what I didn’t anticipate was where to eat. That was the same for our trips to France and Italy. We focused only on where to go that we didn’t know we ate at a tourist trap restaurant in Italy, which was expensive. Yikes. The food was okay, but I’ll never make that mistake again.

Research isn’t about the food to eat. There was also the weather. Well, this wasn’t research but I just needed to check the weather app real quick on what the weather was like. When I got to Philly, damn, it was warm. Take note I was there during winter. But it was a kind of spring day warm. I had to buy sneakers because it was toasty when I wore my winter jacket and boots. Fuck. I think it was the first time I was sweating during the winter season lol.

I am no longer making those mistakes and I’ve already done my research for some upcoming trips. 😉

Cherish Time with Others

During my trips to the US, Europe, and Boracay this year, I was with family, particularly my mother. I love and hate traveling with my family. I like it because I’m not alone. And we get to experience some sights and food experiences together. Plus, since my parents are also in their sixties, this is a time when they’re trying to enjoy exploring while they can. I can’t blame them for that.

While I’d love to say what I hate about traveling with them, haha, I’d rather focus on the positives. I’d prefer saying that even though I get angry when they ask me questions repeatedly about where we’re going and what we should eat, I know I’ll miss them. Even if they get on my nerves, I do appreciate their presence during our trips. Plus, I’m grateful they’re still around.

Wow, I’m tearing up as I write this. Fuckin’ guy. (Only those who watched WWDITS will get this reference LOL).

Rest and Recharge

A vacation is supposed to be relaxing. After all, you’re taking time out of work to unwind and disconnect from your job for a couple of days. My travel experiences this year weren’t anything like that, except Boracay. I still worked there actually, but I managed to finish my assignments in advance, yay!

Anyway, one important thing I forgot during my travels was to rest and recharge. Unfortunately, I had used up most of my leaves during the first trip lol. 

I also couldn’t find time to rest properly since my parents and brother wanted to leave the house every day. As an introvert, I hated this. I wish I spoke up to say I needed more rest.

Enjoy

I’ve never been the enjoy type of person. I don’t like enjoying since I know it’s a temporary feeling. But enjoying isn’t such a bad thing. I enjoyed my trip to France and Italy, most especially, since I’ve never been there. And I’ve longed to go there. As for my American trips, there were days I enjoyed the company of my family. But I had fun with a friend and my co-workers in Philly. I should learn to enjoy more and revel in it.

Tata for Now

Well, that’s it for what I learned during my trips. I would have said more, but this wouldn’t have been what I learned but more of what I did during my trips. LOL. Plus, I’m sure I’ve missed other insights. I’ll most likely update this, or you can wait for my year-end blog post for other insights. And honestly, it’ll be boring as fuck if I detailed every single thing. And not everything should be said lol. 

Anyway, I’ll be back with something exciting in a few days or weeks! Stay tuned, and till next time, dudes!