Kissed by a Travel Bug

Staring on what clothes I'm wearing, my grandmother would ask me "pakain kaw yan?" annoyed as I am, my whispering trolling answer was always "manglungsulan inah hadji" and I would quickly kiss and her hand and disappear right away.


It was really hard to cross the border of travelling alone back then.


I can't at first contain traipsing in a far away land from home, alone. Imagine staring on traffic signs, posters, menus and food labels written in a language you are not familiar of. Or rather the cunning antics of the locals as they have absolutely no idea on how to answer your queries. Not to mention the touts swooping on tourists, ever clever in every way shredding a part of your dearly frugal trip. The never ending barriers and hindrances from one point to the other can be such a lump as you go along your way.


Growing up in a conservative family defies the urge to go out and explore as I age. A lot of reasons eventually popped despite the no-travelling-solo-policy in us. I must see what is there for me. Coming from a prohibited travel nation Sulu, no risk left was there for me to fear. 

My first dose is still vivid in me. I took it without any prejudice. Setting aside my obligations and with proper composition I flew alone. That attempt was successful as I managed to come home with my sanity intact and heart back to its place again. Travelling has become my Prozac since then.

What more delight would I savor if should I leave without heavy loads? I thought. To actually ride bemos with locals and not minding their scents. To gulp their native coffee, to engross with their dainty cuisine. To trace the past with their ancient ruins. And though, separated by language orientation, the mere sharing of a smile with them is immeasurably divine. The comparison from their cultures, tradition, orientation and religion to what I behold is endless. 

The world is on my feet, so I might as well walk on it. The desire is overpowering the fear. Time is ticking. I got to master the art of monologuing. All these nuisances can be prevented and if you can't, they will solely depend on how you would take it for the show must go on. Geared with guts and passion, nothing would go wrong.

Having been kissed by a travel bug, with all my heart I would go. I could not promise when to stop and if there is really stopping at all as long as I live.

A gypsy, a nomad, a solitary wanderer, a wanderlust, a rugged derp clad in torn jeans, old shirt, filthy shoes with a pack on her back. A Tausug with Sulu pride in my heart, to elsewhere in the world.