My phone got stolen today. What’s worse is that I just bought it last week.
I can go on and on blaming myself and cursing the people who did that to me. I can also cry all night bemoaning my loss, but I know no amount of regret will bring back the phone. No matter how much I berate myself for foolishly putting it in my pocket, the phone still remains in the hands of those who took it.
It’s just money, I tell myself. There are things more important than these gadgets. As the sympathetic men who witnessed my plight said, I’m lucky that it was only the phone that was taken. They could have taken something more valuable.
Indeed, my loss seemed trivial compared to the taxi driver who drove me home. His cab was probably one of the very few who is still using the old meter that flags down at Php 30. He told me about how the governing body wouldn’t let him get the new meter if he doesn’t replace his car, which is already 12 years old. Also, if he doesn’t upgrade his unit, they wouldn’t renew his taxi franchise. He’s the sole provider in his family, with two kids in college and a 3-year old who will start school soon.
Suddenly I feel so petty, being so upset about losing a gadget I tried so hard to convince myself that I needed. There are people who have bigger problems, yet they’re able to find ways to work through them.
I see this as a message from the universe, telling me that I need to simplify my life. It’s also a wake up call to buck up and concentrate my energies into fulfilling the goals I’ve set for myself. As much as I tell myself that I need money to do what I want (not necessarily to be rich), in the end what matters are the experiences and money that no amount of money can buy.
Just as I was starting to lose love for blogging, the universe decides to send me the most awesome sign. This afternoon’s experience was one of the many somethings I never expected to happen in my life. It wouldn’t have happened if I didn’t have a blog.
When I started blogging, I only did it to express in writing what I don’t have the courage to voice out. When I started travel blogging, it was to share what I’ve researched and experienced in my own travels to help people who are researching for their own trips. When I started Just Wandering, it was only so that I can earn extra money to fund my trips.
What I got out of JW wasn’t just the money. The money is now insignificant compared to the opportunities that came my way.
Getting to watch the performers in the backstage, I was awed by the passion and dedication they put into their roles. There was no one barking at them to warm up, no one badgering them to rehearse a maneuver they’ve performed hundreds (or thousands for some) of times. For us in the audience, they were already the best of the best, but for them, they are still thriving to remain on top of their game.
For some of them, they know of no life outside this. This is what they’ve been doing since they were a child and this is what they to do until their bodies can’t take it anymore. After that, they want to teach the next generation what they know.
Looking around the backstage, we were amazed at how they go about their business as if it’s another day in the office. I suppose it is routine for them, but for us, it was magic.
It makes me think that maybe the routine of our everyday lives makes us immune to the magic, not knowing that on the other side, people think that our own work is magic.
I have a mile-long backlog of entries that needs to be written in my travel blog, but I can’t seem to get started on them. It’s easy to ignore and completely pass up writing about past trips, but it’s hard to ignore writing articles I’ve promised to blog.
If you look at my blog now, it looks like it’s mostly advertorials, promotions and sponsored trips. That’s not really what Just Wandering is supposed to be. As time pass, it’s getting harder to write about personal trips because I want it to remain just that — personal.
That phrase suddenly popped into my head as I stared at the random thread on one of my Facebook groups. Though I’m stuck in the city while others are off to exotic locales, my staycation was a choice (albeit a semi-forced one) and I much rather prefer to stay in Manila while everybody else flock to Boracay.
No, that wasn’t the reason why I suddenly wanted to go to the beach. I have actually been to the beach a number of times this since January. I’ve been to Subic Bay’s beach in Zambales; Matara beach in Gonzaga, beaches of Palaui Island, Buguey beach, Lakay-Lakay beach in Claveria, Cagayan; Maira-ira or Blue Lagoon in Pagudpod, Ilocos Norte; Donsol beach, Subic beach and Dancalan Beach in Sorsogon.
A jolt of realization hit me: I never really had time to enjoy those beaches. Save for the beaches in Sorsogon, all the others were part of Lakbay Norte — work. While I enjoyed the time in Sorsogon, we were in Donsol mainly for the whale shark (the interaction is of course, done far from the shore), the waves were pretty strong and the water too deep in Subic beach, while the weather was crummy when we went to Dancalan (not to mention somebody drowned there a week before we went to Bicol).
I think I’m just a whiny ingrate. Things must change around here.
For students, April means temporary leave from school. On the otherhand, for bloggers it means it’s time for iBlog.
The annual summit, now on its 7th year, focuses on (of course) blogging, from the most basic information for those who are just thinking of going into blogging to discussing issues concerning the blogosphere.
I didn’t attend this year’s iBlog, but Janette’s comment on Winston’s post spurred me into writing.
While I have been blogging way before the first iBlog was conceptualized, it was iBlog 2 that got me to start Just Wandering. It was 2006 and I just decided to travel. In the course of my research, I came upon travel blogs and realized how useful they are in planning for a trip. I have a personal blog then, but decided to have a dedicated travel blog that I can use to share my experiences, so that other travelers can use it as a reference or resource for their own trips.
I was content with the Glorified Tourist, but I discovered that bloggers earning from their blogs. And that I can do it too. I have crunched numbers in my trusty calculator, figuring out how much I need for to backpack in Thailand and came up with an amount that I know I can afford if I disciplined myself and stop spending. But I was weak and easily gave in to temptation. I had to make a choice: to be able to afford that trip, I have to either spend less or earn more money. I chose to earn more.
Looking back, I realize that there really is a reason for everything. There was only one reason I attended that iBlog: the track on how to earn money from blogging. I can’t remember what has been discussed, but I distinctly remember that it was the time I realized that in order to focus on making money off the travel blog, I have to invest money on the blog. I remember doodling on my notebook, thinking of domain names for my new travel blog. After an informal poll with friends, I decided on Justwandering.org.
Aside from poring over travel blogs, I started subscribing to blogs that would give me hints and tips on how to earn from my blog. I was obsessed. I followed their instructions, signed up for services they endorsed, everything that would bring the money in.
It wasn’t until 9 months later that I earned from the blog. It wasn’t enough to cover the expenses of the blog, let alone my travel expenses. Nevertheless, I took that as a sign that there really is money in blogging. So I go again, obsessing over traffic and Page Ranks, getting link back and learning about SEO.
I continued to feed my hunger to travel, my expenses getting higher and higher, though unlike when I started, my travel blog earnings are partially paying for my trips. I traveled far and traveled often, making sure that I meet my at least once a week posting. Then I decided to push the limit: why not travel for 30 days and blog about each day on the road? Travel bloggers all over the world are doing, so why not?
Armed with the netbook and Nikon D40 that blogging bought, I wandered around Southeast Asia, intent to see what every backpacker have seen and blog as countless other bloggers have done before. People praised me for my discipline, and it was my ego that drove me to do it again.
Soon, I was traveling for the blog, not for myself. No longer is the blog paying for my trips, it has also paved a way for me to travel for free. It was a great boost to a constantly deflated self-esteem to know that tourism boards of other countries think my blog has the right pull and influence to convince people to travel to their country.
I quickly learned that these trips aren’t free. Like everybody else who travel for a living, a trip sponsored by an organization is work. They’re not shelling out money just so you can prance around overseas — there’s an expected output from you, and they’re taking a big gamble that whatever your output is, it will bring them a notch closer to their goal.
Traveling soon became tedious. It was no longer fun. I have unwittingly carved a different path to my original goal. In essence, I did accomplish what I set out to do five years ago: to travel more. However, it wasn’t what I wanted: I was traveling for the blog now, not for myself.
I found myself uninspired to blog anymore. Though I would often force myself to churn out the necessary number of words to satisfy my once a week quota, it wasn’t with the same zeal I had when I was blogging merely for my enjoyment. I can’t stop blogging, because when I do, it means I can no longer travel. My blog earning now pays for my trips, and as of this moment, it’s paying for my living expenses.
Blogging has come a long way from the time of the first iBlog. It has changed the way people see blogs, it has changed the way people blog. As much as I love how it has given me the opportunity to get recognition that I never expected I would ever get, I don’t like how it seemed to have stifled my voice, even if I now have a bigger audience. It was as if in knowing the responsibility and the weight of my words, I deprived myself of my freedom to blog.
Dear PR Person who sent me an invite for a product I am not familiar with, but interested to get to know,
I am always flattered when invites make its way to my inbox, but not when it was sent at 5:20pm on a Monday for an event that’s happening at 10:30am on Tuesday. Even more so when there’s a note that says I have to RSVP by Monday in big bold letters.
Though it seems I have a lot of free time with the frequency that I post useless shit on Facebook, Twitter and Plurk, I do have a life. I have a regular job that takes up 8 hours of my evenings, 5 days a week, and in between, I travel so I can satisfy my wanderlust and have material for my travel blog (which you were hoping to see your product written up on). However, the lateness of your invitation indicates that you have no consideration for my schedule. And that you’re desperate to get a couple more warm bodies for your event.
In the invite, you mentioned the name of the product you’re trying to promote, but did not take time to tell me what it is. Though a picture of the product appears in the JPG invite, it would have been great if you had taken the time to introduce your product. I suppose if you were sending out invites at 5:20pm, you don’t have time to prattle on about your revolutionary product.
You promised a day of fun and excitement, with a celebrity guest (who, again, I’m not familiar with) and promises of rides, games and a chance to win gadgets. Thank you, but I’m more interested in spending quality time with my bed and pillows.
Lot of love,
Nina
P.S. I am actually quite interested about your product. It would have been much better if you just offered to send me products to try instead of inviting me to battle with Manila’s worsening traffic conditions. That would have been much cheaper for you, too. Of course, if you’re going to do that, be sure to e-mail first instead of just sending me stuff without proper introduction or consent.
On the way to the MRT yesterday, I found myself looking out at the streets I passed through for 30 years. A lot has changed over the years, but none as prominent as the two high-rise condominiums where there was once uninterrupted views of the clear blue sky.
As the taxi makes a turn, I look out the other window and see the new LRT line that wasn’t there two years ago. As a train whizzed past, it struck me how change is inevitable. We can try out best to postpone it, but at the end of the day, we have to realize we have to change to move forward.
In January 2006, I woke up with a resolve to stop talking about traveling and actually travel. I have just turned 25 a little over a month before, and I was feeling the onset of a quarter life crisis. While my classmates focused on building their careers and settling with their families, I decided to pursue what I have always dreamed of: to travel.
I’ve traveled before — to some parts of North Luzon, to some of the islands, to Sorsogon where my parents are from, to Indonesia and Singapore, where my siblings are — but never on a trip that I planned and funded by myself. The grand plan was to backpack in Thailand on my own. I had five months to prepare. Apart from researching extensively, I also invested on a trial run: a solo trip for the weekend in Cebu.
If I seem to sound like I am completely comfortable traveling by myself now, that’s because I’ve had plenty of trips under my belt already. When I first started, I was uncomfortable being on my own. Gradually it became better; I’ve learned to love being by myself.
It has been said that when you set your mind to something, the universe will throw plenty of opportunities your way. Since 2006, I’ve traveled around the Philippines, Southeast Asia and even Australia. I’ve visited placed that I thought would always remain in my list of dream destinations like Batanes, El Nido, Cambodia and Laos.
Just Wandering played a big part in my travels. What started out as a travel blog aimed to be monetized to help me earn money to travel, became a place for me to share my stories, provide travel information and inspire those who also wish to travel on their own. In 2010, I believe I’ve already fulfilled my goal: I have traveled a lot more than I thought I would and my travel blog has helped fund my travels. It seems that this is the end of my travel and blogging stint, it just gave way to a new goal. Everything is under wraps at the moment, but as soon as something concrete’s up, you’ll be the first to read my new blog.
Dear PR Person who sent over the shampoo + conditioner and whitening lotion + candy pink umbrella:
Thank you for sending me these goodies. It flatters my deflated ego that in some universe, I still matter.
Unfortunately, your package arrived just days after I left for a 2-week trip, and just a week after a balikbayan box full of groceries arrived from Australia. Among the relief goods my sisters have thoughtfully sent us was — you got it — several (industrial size) bottles of shampoo and conditioner.
There are now only five of us living in this household, with the four of the most vain in the family leaving the coop earlier this year. My dad is old and his hair is now very thin due to his age. My mother has always sported a short ‘do, same as my sister. My brother has recently shaved his head, while I have decided to keep my hair just up to my shoulder.
Have I mentioned that I also have decided to go organic with the products I’m using on my hair? So while your product may just be the best in the market right now, I’m not exactly willing to go back to that territory because my hair had very little exposure to chemicals for the past 3 months.
As for the whitening lotion… let’s just say I’m not the girliest of the lot. I go to beaches and purposely bake myself under the hot sun. I don’t think I’m the right person to be using or promoting your product. Thank you though for the candy pink brolly, it’s absolutely adorable. I won’t be using it when it’s hot out though, as the card suggested, because I think it’s just too darn silly (even for me) to be walking around during the hottest time of the day under a clear umbrella. But rest assured, it will be getting a lot of mileage when I get to venture out in the rain.
Lots of love,
Nina
P.S. My main blog focuses on travel. It’s hard enough for me to write about non-travel essentials without having this additional pressure to write about your product which you so graciously (and unconsciously) shoved into my face. I honestly do not know what to do with them. What do I do with these beauty products? Is it ethical to give them away without writing about it or is that considered bad form? Should I return them to sender? There wasn’t even any clue in the package who sent it, apart from a name and mobile number in the parcel’s address sticker. I shall be sending a SMS soon, and I hope I get my answers.
P.P.S. PR Person who regularly sends me bottles of olive oil, I really really appreciate the gesture! I was thrilled when I first got them because it was the brand that I always buy, as was the canned mushroom. I’m sorry that it’s taking me a while to write about it, but you’ve been so nice to keep sending them to me even if I’ve been such a bad, negligent blogger. Rest assured that I have cooked plenty of pastas and Macanese seafood rice with it. I do have a (rather neglected) food blog and a hearty (definitely not neglected) appetite after all.
