Traveling, by far, has been my way of healing. It has made me realize that life is too short to dwell on depression and trauma. Traveling also honed my skills to write, thus I became a travel blogger. It broadened my horizons and had made me a strong-willed person that can flourish and ride the waves of uncertainty.
Traveling also made me aware that saving up is a must. Researching itineraries, asking from locals, making new friends and collaborating with fellow travelers also made me maximize my solo traveling time. 2015 was the highlight of my solo travels. It made me aware that IT IS OKAY to travel on your own.
I grew up with a family travels a lot and needless to say, while I was enjoying summers in different provinces, it opened up my own perspectives on how to handle people and circumstances. Take for instance, I traveled to Albay with only limited first hand information and just relied on local knowledge. It was not a walk in the park, but it definitely made me a wiser one. I met a lot of friends that helped me see the bigger picture.
2016 when I decided to climb Mt. Madjaas in Antique and did a solo travel from Cebu to Kalibo then to Culasi. It was nerve-wracking and fun at the same time. I was able to manage my budgeted money and didn’t have to go overboard on the expenses. It somehow made me a bit “adult-like” and faced radical changes. The travel itself made me get out of my comfort zone. Camping on a very high elevation with storm-like weather, little water to sustain the entire climb, tiger leeches flying here and there, sleeping on cramped space and wet all over, and enduring a 12 hour trek down with wounds and bruises certainly is not for everyone. After that, being able to travel from Iloilo for an Outreach to the Ati’s and experiencing Ilonggo hospitality in a military camp then moving on to Guimaras for some chill time before hopping to Boracay Island is definitely one for the books! My lesson? SAVE UP and spend wisely.
Attending travel fairs is also another way to gain savings on your upcoming travels. It is a way to meet fellow travelers and those who simple got bitten by the travel bug. Others just follow their wanderlust. I was recently invited to the media launch of the 5th International Travel Festival at Quest Hotel and Conference Center Cebu.
Spearheaded by the dynamic tandem of Stephanie Villahermosa of Divaishnavi Travel, Juliet Amazona of iTravel, iExplore and some more partners in the industry, the biggest and the craziest travel fair is set to roll in July. My fellow bloggers from Cebu Bloggers Society are fortunate to be included on the media invitees.
Here is the Press Release of the said event below:
Now on its 5th edition, the International Travel Festival is set to take center stage again on July 13-15, 2018 at the Ayala Center Cebu with the theme, “It’s All Here”. The theme is very apt as it promises to showcase the best of the Philippines and the world with value laden tour packages, irresistible airfares, dreamy cruises and amazing staycation packages all in one venue.
For the first quarter of 2018, there was strong surge of outbound travel from Cebu approximately close to half a million passengers. This is a clear indication that travel, more than ever, is a happy antidote when pursuing personal happiness.
The 1st ITF in 2014 had approximately 62 exhibitors, 2015- 67, 2016 – 83 and 2017 -112, a remarkable close to 40% increase in exhibitor count. The people behind this are truly blessed and grateful for the continued support and trust from our sponsors, exhibitors and the Cebuano community for their unselfish patronage in making ITF a part of their lifestyle.
The 5th ITF promises to be equally exciting, fully loaded and ready to take you wherever your wanderlust will strike.
IT’S DEFINITELY, ALL HERE!
Viajera Cebuana 