Mary Charie YlaganContributed by A Mary Road
Yes, I’m travelling. Yes, it’s amazing. No, it’s not always fun.
You see, my Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter are all filled with stunning photos, smiling faces, blue sky beaches, luxurious hotel rooms, exciting adventure here and there. BUT, that doesn’t sum up that I don’t have ups and downs. It does happen, I often call or write my best friends when I’m down, which is the routine of every other day. I had breakdowns just like a normal person when I’m having a super bad hair day. Sometimes because I miss my mum and my family, there are times it’s because my heart is broken for losing some of my great friends as time passes by. Sometimes, because I’m broke and wondering if I should stop travelling.
It’s only been a year, a year of full of exciting adventures, a year filled with “cheers” with other people you meet on the road, a year full of freedom, and a year full of tears.
Also read: 10 Awkward Struggles Every Solo Traveller Has To Deal With
I’m a hard headed you see, even the word “impossible” is literally right in front of my face screaming it’s not going to work, I always choose to walk past it. The travellers I met on the road telling me how much savings they have for their travels brought a small kick to my heart. It hurts, it fucking hurts. I don’t have that much money, these people are amazing, they could go almost everywhere.
One morning, no actually, every other day, I wake up thinking where should I go next, followed by can I afford it? Travelling is addicting, it’s a hell of a heroine that will make you not wanting to stop. How can you blame me? I wake up every day, feeling like it’s weekend. I go to sleep whenever I want, I wake up whenever I bloody want. Isn’t that what everyone wanted to do? No bosses to face throughout the week, no ah, the weekend couldn’t come fast enough, no bullshit to swallow when someone tells you that your work isn’t good enough even though you did your best. You see, it’s a perfect life, full of freedom and filled with adventure.
I’m 24, I rang my best friend who lives back in the Philippines. She couldn’t stop praising how fun my life is, I told her yeah, I wouldn’t trade it for the world. She’s working on the same fast food company as a Manager since we finished our Degree. And she complains about how she couldn’t travel as she doesn’t have savings. Fair enough, she’s sending her siblings to school, ah, I admire her.
After I hang up, I realised my best friend and I are in the same situation. We’re in our 20s, she has a stable job, I don’t, but we’re both broke. Obviously, because she’s doing a great job to support her siblings, to me, I did a great job to spend my last hundred dollars to buy a plane ticket to my next destination, with who knows where I will sleep next thought. Perhaps I should say, I did a stupid decision about that.
Travelling and being broke, plus in my 20s is not glamorous. It doesn’t mean you CAN’T do the same, travel infinitely, but it doesn’t mean you CAN as well.
I guess, my point here is, you just choose your path in life. To be honest, I hate those quit your job and travel the world articles but it’s true. You can actually quit your job and travel but you don’t have to. If you will quit your job, it’s the same, it’s still life, you are still human, challenges will still come your way, bumpy roads will still knock you off.
Also read: To Quit or Not to Quit Your Job to Travel?
But you will get up, you will wake up, you will get a new fresh day to figure out your next move. You might be broke when you finish travelling, odd jobs flashing on your CV, that’s fine, I’m sure Burger King will still be hiring people to flip burgers. You might look old for that job in the eye of the society, but then you have pockets filled with great stories. Imagine that you will leave the world knowing you have met the citizen of the world, knowing you have seen the world, it’s beauty.
Ah, you are wondering how I manage to travel Southeast Asia for six months with US$2,000. Or how in the hell did I stroll around Eastern Europe and the Middle East with US$1,000 for four months? It wasn’t easy everyday neither fun. But it was a good life lesson, I learnt to appreciate small things in my life.
Fine, I’ll stop talking trash. Well, I hitchhiked, taught English, volunteered, did online jobs, mostly, my blog helped to sustain my travelling. I am not earning a lot from it yet, but it feeds me and gave me shelter most of the time.
Also read: How A Filipina Became an Au Pair and Travelled the World
You see, there’s always a way, you’re travelling or not. Maybe not the way you want it to turn out, but as long as you have the energy and courage to take the wheel and drive to the next chapter of your life, YOU GOT THIS.
