My relationship with travel started when I was a baby (months old, really). My dad was always abroad for business trips. And my mom was a flight stewardess for Cathay Pacific Airways (based out of Hong Kong). She frequently traveled to and from Hong Kong and the Philippines, so when my mom was home, she would tell me about her travels and share the souvenirs she brought back. From being born in the Philippines, to living in Hong Kong for a few months, and eventually moving to America to pursue better opportunities in California, traveling was something familiar to me even as a young child.
After moving to California, my travel adventures slowed down. It wasn’t until my sister and I were about 10 and 11 that we started traveling again. We made regular trips back to the Philippines to visit family every 2 to 3 years during our summer breaks. When my family got too busy or had other financial matters to take care of first, we started taking shorter weekend trips instead of big vacations; venturing around the Bay Area, reaching Tahoe in the North, and different parts of Southern California. Outside of California, we’ve visited Seattle, Portland, Eugene, Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Orlando.
When my sister and I reached college, and my younger brother and sister turned 5 and 3, we started taking regular family vacations together again. Since my sister and I moved out of the house, my mom made it a point to spend time together for family vacations during our summer breaks. And so that we could also take advantage of the benefits my mom accumulated from being a flight stewardess, which included discounted rates on plane tickets for our family. Due to the discounted tickets, we could afford to take bigger and more frequent trips. Our past vacations have been to Cabo San Jose in Mexico (2017) and the island of Maui in Hawaii (2016). These family trips give me a chance to spend time with my little siblings. Given that they are significantly younger than me and I don't currently live at home, I miss a lot of their milestones and their day-to-day experiences. These trips are a chance to make memories with them and show them that even though I am much older and never home, I will always be there for them.
Last spring break, I had the chance to go on my first solo trip to Paris for a one unit study abroad class. I had such a great time exploring the city even if I was only there for a week. The trip was so rewarding and meaningful to me because it was so much more of a challenge. I was a solo traveler in an international destination, and I wasn’t going to have the security and reassurance of my parents if anything went downhill. I had to be brave and independent. I went through a lot of personal growth going on the trip. Now, I am less afraid of solo travel. I discovered more about myself, as well as learned about the history and culture of Paris. And, I was finally able to visit most of the popular landmarks I’ve been dreaming of. I came back home definitely inspired and motivated to travel more in the future.
As I'm nearing the end of my college career and getting ready to go out in the real world, I want to continue to keep travel a part of my life. I have this natural excitement and passion for travel. I want to explore and learn as much as I can by going out and seeing the world for myself. As they say, "travel now, money comes back but time doesn't".
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