Why It’s A Bad Idea To Travel With Me

I don’t usually invite people when I travel. I am quite picky with the people I go with and I can be a nightmare to people who gets on my wrong side when I am traveling. So it surprises me when I travel with people and they decide they want to go with me the second time. Never fail to surprise me.

I am not an ideal travel buddy, in my honest opinion. I think my friends would agree I can be very stressful to be with. That aside, here are some reasons why you should think twice before traveling with me.

1. OC Planning.

I don’t normally have a plan when I go. I prefer to do whatever comes first and I don’t stick to an itinerary when I travel alone. But when I travel with someone else, I suddenly become this singleminded and rigid travel planner.

When we traveled to Sagada last January, I created more than five versions of our itinerary. I double checked all details from when everyone should file their vacation leaves up to the moment we get back to Cebu. Despite that, I still have a lot of misses but it was still fun.

Once flights are booked, I start planning. I need to have a contigency for every possible scenario I can think of. I need to know where to go and what to do when something happens. I need to make sure everything is laid out and all expectations are set. I will check and double check everything until the end.

This may not stress you out but this will…

2. Constant Updates.

I will update you almost everyday about everything that has to do with our trip even when it’s still a year away. I will bug you with the smallest details from rates to schedules and to whatever else I feel is relevant.

3. No Parties.

Well, I am not a party person so if you are expecting parties while we are traveling, forget it. Unpack your bags and cancel your tickets. Or better yet, plan your own vacation.

My principle for this is simple. I’m the one who planned for the trip and that makes me responsible for your safety. As much as possible I will make sure you are safe and I will do my best to make it as exciting as possible but partying is just beyond my limits. So many things can happen when booze is involved. I am not going to risk it.

Besides, I travel to see places and experience culture. I travel to unwind and relax. Partying does the opposite for me. If you really want to go, kindly tell you parents and friends that I am not responsible for anything that may happen to you.

4. Stick to the schedule.

I can be flexible with the whole itinerary thing but when it comes to travel schedules (i.e flight schedule and bus schedules) I am very strict. Don’t be late or do anything that can get us late and we’re cool. Be late and you will hear something.

5. Complainers are my biggest pet peeve.

Are you the type who complains aboout everything? Are you the type who needs five star accommodation wherever you go? Are you the type who can’t adapt to sudden changes or delays? Then please forget about going with me. I hate you already.

Things doesn’t always go according to plan. I can create a detailed vacation plan and still hit a snag. The key is making the best out of those snags. I don’t obsessively plan to avoid snags, I plan intensively so I can be prepared when I am faced with one. If you think a flight delay annoys you, imagine how I feel knowing that a few minutes delay can make the difference between getting to our destination or not.

I don’t stay in high-end hotels so if you are expecting five star hotels in our travel, you will be disappointed, unless if you volunteer to pay for one. I am on a budget so I can only afford to travel on a budget as well. Rest assured, you will still be staying in a clean, comfortable and safety place.

….

I do my best to make sure that everyone enjoys the trip. This is what mainly stresses me out. I get anxious when I am traveling with people because I want to make sure all expectations are met. You spent for it afterall, you should enjoy it. However, I will not risk anyone’s safety just so I can tell people how exciting our trip was.

So, you think you should still go with me? You might want to think again.

P.S
Photos in this post aren’t mine. Got them from Google Images.

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*I apologize for any spelling or grammatical errors. Proofreading via mobile is a challenge for me.*

Have a nice day!

I don’t know who you are or where you are from. I don’t know what you are going through, what makes you happy, what makes you laugh. I know nothing about you. But I hope this makes your day.

We all go through something that others may not understand. We all have things inside us that we hide from everyone else because they may not understand. It’s alright. Just take your time. Enjoy your day.

I hope the universe makes you smile today. Have a wonderful day!

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*I apologize for any spelling or grammatical errors. Proofreading via mobile is a challenge for me.*

Not as sweet as you think

One of the challenges of being an Ilongga in a non-ilonggo speaking region is forcing myself not to be offended when people greet me with profanities in a forced ilonggo accent. And one of the most enduring mysteries I have ever encountered in life is how most people react when they are introduced to an Ilonggo.

In my experience, it doesn’t matter where you are and what background the person you are talking to came from, they mostly react the same way. The moment they find out what language you speak they respond with variations of, “So, Ilongga ka? Ay yudiputa, ka linti guid!” What baffles me is they usually do this proudly, like they are so proud to show us how good they are in cursing a person they just met. Correct me if I am wrong but I believe in a civilized society, this is considered rude. Imagine that you’ve only known that person and in less than five minutes you are already calling his mother a bitch. *insert slow clap here*

Hiligaynon is a sweet language.There is more to it than profanities. Our vocabulary is not limited to cursing, we are civilized people. Besides, cursing in hiligaynon doesn’t really give you the badass appeal you probably aim to acheive. Ilonggos are known for being sweet not because we really are but because of how we speak and how we sound when we speak.

I used to think that when people talk about how deceptive our accent is, it is nothing more than a stereotype. Having lived for sometime in a non-ilonggo speaking region and being exposed to different accents, I realized how true this is. Hiligaynon and the Ilonggo accent really do sound sweet. When we speak in our language, we sound so non-threatening even when we are angry.

Don’t take this as a permission to offend us though. We may sound sweet but we are still very much capable of hitting you in the face when it calls for it.

If you really want to learn the language, do it with respect. Don’t make fun of the accent and stop using words you don’t understand. Greeting us with profanities doesn’t impress us. You only succeed in showing us how rude you are.

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*I apologize for any spelling or grammatical errors. Proofreading via mobile is a challenge for me.*