Random Musings

For the past days, we have been fulfilling the dream honeymoon that was but an idea early part this year. It started as a random idea that served as the motif of our wedding and has now transformed into the adventure that is Manila to Morocco. We are still in awe on how it was possible for us to have pulled this off despite having limited resources and hectic schedules. It was mostly due to the generosity of people- friends, families, colleagues and even strangers who shared not just pledges but also their time (they know that without us around, they would have to assume the responsibilities that we normally take on) and more importantly, shared the enthusiasm that further fuelled our passion for this trip. I feel so much blessed because of this and will forever be thankful.

As we go through the trip, we have written about our day to day stories and posted photos as well. You have been witness to every experience that we’ve had so far. But what we have not written is how this trip has shaped us and continues to shape us.

First it has made us realize what is truly important to both of us. We discovered that we were not into collecting stuff but collecting experiences. It was okay not to have the branded clothes, the high tech stuff nor the expensive dinners as long as we worked on making an experience happen. And this is true not just for this trip but in the way we have led our life for the past years. We enjoy meeting new people, trying out new things and hobbies, opening ourselves to spontaneity. We are particularly drawn to people who have diverse lifestyles, connectors who link us up with new acquaintances, places that have a unique vibe and experiences that enable us to meet more interesting folks. Because of this mindset, we have come to meet individuals who have made this “collection” more interesting and colorful.

We have also come to discover how we wanted to lead life for the rest of our time – to just let it flow. When people ask us if we are all set with our trip, we just say “Hmmm, more or less.” This basically means that we have fixed some parts and others are left to be uncovered along the way. And this is how we have also been, just constantly being open to opportunities, ready and agile when lightning strikes. It is different from just letting things happen to you without effort. It is an active kind of flow where you make known to the world what you are about, what drives you, what you are passionate about. It is a kind of living that is deliberate in the sense that you seek things and experiences that you love, those that make your heart sing. It is a life that is not fully planned but has a general compass of where you want it to head. Yes it is important to prepare and plan ahead but coupled with the unexpected, it gives a nuance and color to life like no other. Just like in our trip, we know we are headed to Morocco, we planned certain parts but others are made up as we go along. Things did not turn out as planned but these little bumps have made the trip more memorable.

Thirdly, we have come to the decision that we want to do this kind of trip every year of our lives, as much as we can. Now we are dreaming of South East Asia backpacking with friends next year, Central Europe (Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy), South America, Eastern Europe, South Africa, nearby countries around Israel or China-Nepal in the coming years. There is so much more to see out there and we plan to see these as we build our family. Now we are imagining traveling with kids in kangaroo packs, backpacks now filled with baby stuff and training kids to live on the road. We are also dreaming of growing old and just traveling the world all over again when the kids have lives of their own and are traveling on their own as well.

Lastly, it has highlighted that when both of us work together towards something, great things can happen. And this trip is a testament of that – a unified goal for both of us that seemed audacious at the start but is finally coming to fruition. Along the way, we have petty misunderstandings, get cranky (that’s me; Gabby just gets hungry J), get irritated with each other but we both know what we are working towards so all’s well still. We have also come to accept our differences and still working on it since this is a lifelong challenge. Whenever I feel slighted over something that Gabby does, I still am vocal about it (sometimes so much so) but I know that it happens because that’s just the way he is. And I guess he feels the same way too.

So it may just be 25 days of our lives but this trip has taught us life lessons that will continue to shape how we lead our lives in the years to come. It has fuelled yet more dreams and opened up more possibilities. It will be the experience that we will look back to as we work towards the other trips of our lifetime.