I was so overwhelmed by the responses I received from my previous blog entry that I don’t know if I can come up with another ‘share-worthy’ post. But based on the comments, a lot of people have but a slight idea of my plans after announcing that I was going to resign in order to start a location-independent lifestyle. In reality, I don’t really have a clear idea on what I’m going to do. All I know is that I have a few tickets booked and I’ll pursue a freelance career online. Slow travel is what I aim to do. But before going on that trip, here's an event that also helped me decide to resign earlier than expected.

Lakbay Norte 3 Adventure

I was chosen by the North Philippines Visitors Bureau (NPVB), along with five other travel bloggers, as part of a media group to tour Northern Luzon dubbed as Lakbay Norte 3: Outdoor Adventures in North Philippines!

Note: Photos were taken from the bloggers’ profiles without their permission. Peace guys!

Click here to read the rest of this entry»

I wake up, take a bath, go to the office, work, clock out, go home, work online, and sleep. On weekends, I travel to let loose and stay sane. This routine has been going on for a couple of years and I've grown comfortable with my surroundings that I feel the need for change.

Somehow, this travel addiction has reached a different level that it has become a factor to consider whenever I make a big decision. Such is the case of quitting a job.

Yes, I’m resigning.

I’m saying goodbye to almost six years of working in a corporate setting and I’m transitioning to a career that will allow me to be more location-independent. Even if the compensation is not as grand, doing this will satisfy my thirst for travel.

I was so excited to share the news to colleagues that when I told them about it, some were happy for me since I'm pursuing my interests. However, there were those who thought that I was making a hasty decision which didn't make a lot of sense. When they found out I wasn’t joking, they aired there thoughts.

Never-ending Questions

Me: Guess what? I’m resigning! 
Colleague: Seriously?
Me: Yeah, I am. I've been at this for 2 years already. But now I'm ready.

Colleague: What are you going to do?
Me: I'll backpack for 6 months out of the country or I don't know. I haven't completely figured it out yet, but I want to travel and bring my work with me.

Colleague: Do you have insurance?
Me: No. But I'll work on it.

Colleague: Do you have enough savings?
Me: I've some, not a lot.

Colleague: Where will you get the money?
Me: Blogging and my online jobs. I know someone who’s already done it.

Colleague: So after 6 months, what are you planning to do?
Me: I don't know. Maybe I'll continue travelling, or I'll write a book.

Colleague: Are you sure? Have you ever had your articles reviewed by a professional?
Me: *Ouch* Why the negativity?

Colleague: I'm bursting your bubble to get you out of your delusions of grandeur.
Me: Well, if things don’t go according to plan, I can always go back.

Colleague: You'll start from scratch again.
Me: I don't mind. At least I tried.

Click here to read the rest of this entry»

2012 will be a year where I’ll go out of my comfort zone and test the waters. I’ll be travelling to different countries in Southeast Asia and if all goes well, I’ll be able to live like a nomad. I know a few people who have already done this backpacking journey and I’m inspired to take the same route since I’ve been prolonging this travel adventure for quite some time.

But I couldn’t just pack my things with me and go on a trip until I’ve settled a couple of financial setbacks. Even up to now, I’m still working on a few items that I should’ve completed a long time ago. Mapping out the locations, figuring out the itineraries, computing the budget, and basically coming up with a plan - all of which I haven’t really done yet and I’m ready to hit the panic button. I’ll probably just throw caution to the wind and make those decisions when I’m out there.

This is scary sh*t but ever since I was able to go out of the country, I’ve also been taking a step higher to see how far I can go in staying out of my comfort zone and travelling beyond boundaries. I’m an adrenaline junkie and I plan to go for those moments that get me all pumped up.

Click here to read the rest of this entry»

Every time I hear somebody complain that they don’t have enough money that’s why they can’t travel, I refer them to James and his blog. Being able to backpack for 14 days in the Visayas with only 250 bucks as his budget per day, it’s evident that this guy is out to prove things wrong; extremely wrong at that.

I hurriedly finished my work and delegated tasks to my peers. I also made sure that all my client sessions were in place before I left. I clocked out early so I could meet up with my friends outside. We were going to see the whale sharks (butanding in Tagalog or tuki in Bisaya) in Oslob, Cebu!

Whale Shark Sighting in Oslob, Cebu, Philippines
December 23, 2011

Drew’s Butanding or Tuki Encounter
photo by Doi

I'm really lucky that my day job has a little flexibility when it comes to special requests whenever the need arises. So long as I don't compromise the deliverables, then all is well.

We arrived at the South Bus Terminal station around 3:30am and the bus left after 15 minutes. It was only a 3-hour ride – a quick nap that wasn’t even enough since I didn’t have any rest.

Entrance to the resort in Cebu's Tanawan, Oslob, for whale shark watching

Click here to read the rest of this entry»