My mind was switching back and forth, hesitant if I was going to push through with a trip to Davao that I already booked months before. Sitting at my desk in the office, a lot of questions came to mind: Where will I stay? How much do I have left? Should I even bother?

It was only a day after a one-week vacation in Bangkok and Cambodia, yet I already had another ticket scheduled for the next. A temporary break in my hometown; something that was also long overdue.

I almost decided to just let it pass and continue with my work. I only paid around 200 Php for the airline promo fare so it wasn't much of a loss if I didn't push through. Besides, I didn’t even have a concrete plan.

But it didn’t convince me enough to cancel the trip altogether. I’ve been waiting for a long time to go back to Davao just to see how it’s been; without visiting people I know and just doing things my way. I already filed for a vacation leave so it was only me that was stopping myself from pushing through. But I’m glad that I did go and board the plane.

Arriving in Davao

Armed with a knock-off Lonely Planet guide book and my backpack and gadgets, I arrived in Davao without a clear sense of goal. But in the end, I visited my younger brother, met other PTB members and bloggers, and ate one of my favorite fruits–durian.

The only place I truly went for a nature-trip was Isla Reta in Samal Island; a beautiful place to spend a night with friends over drinks under Talisay trees. I can still recall the fallen leaves on the sandy beach – how they add drama to gloomy landscape.

Isla Reta, Samal Island

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and still keep your full-time job!

In one of my blog articles last month, I discussed how I was able to travel to 4 countries within 4 months and still maintained my full-time job in a BPO company. I’m writing this entry as a second part of that blog post.

Seldom do people know that apart from those 4 countries, I also traveled to 8 local destinations in a span of 8 months. It started in August of 2010 and ended during the first week of March 2011.

“Ed, I have a question; have you resigned from Company X”?

Friends and former colleagues would ask me this question because it seemed like every Facebook status message that I posted within those months, I’d point out that I was in a different place. Even I couldn’t believe the feat that I just achieved.

In the previous article, I talked about Booking Ahead, Filing for Vacation Leave, Planning your Itinerary and Saving Money. Here are some more travel tips you might find useful.

How to Travel to 4 Countries and 8 Local Destinations within 8 Months
and still keep your full-time job:

• Combine your Vacation Leaves with Your Days Off. Given that I only have an average number of vacation and sick leaves every year, it would be crazy to think that all the days that I went out were filed using my VLs. Simple mathematics would show that the number of days is not enough to cover for the acquired spots. That’s why it would be wise to use your rest days together with your vacation leaves. If it’s possible, holidays can also be combined. Let me summarize my travels during those instances:

August 2010
3 days – Bohol (August 21-23)

September 2010
9 days – Hong Kong and Macau (September 1-9)
3 days – Boracay (September 11-13)

October 2010
4 days – Manila (October 1-4)
4 days – Malaysia (October 16-20)

November 2010
5 days – Iloilo and Guimaras (November 25-29)

December 2010
Was just spent in Cebu.

January 2011
8 days – Thailand and Cambodia (January 18-25)
4 days – Davao

February 2011
4 days – Zambales (February 28-21)

March 2011
5 days – Sagada (March 2-7)

Pretty extreme, is it not? If you manage your leaves, you’ll have longer time to travel.

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You just came from a long vacation and now you're leaving again?

The expression on his face was priceless. There was no need to answer as I understood that it was a rhetorical question. I just had to smile to eliminate the moment of silence between his eyes and my smirk.

Hong Kong - Macau - Cebu - Boracay

After a trip to Hong Kong and Macau, I spent one day working at the office, and then headed to the airport to catch a flight to Boracay.

September 1-8, 2010 - Hong Kong-Macau
September 9, 2010 – Cebu (working at the office)
September 10-12, 2010 – Boracay

Thailand - Cambodia - Cebu - Davao

After a trip to Thailand and Cambodia, I spent one day working at the office, and then headed to the airport to catch a flight to Davao.

January 18-26, 2011 - Thailand-Cambodia
January 27, 2011 - Cebu (working at the office)
January 28-31, 2011 – Davao

Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong | Fisherman’s Wharf, Macau | Station 2, Boracay

Khao San Road, Bangkok | South Angkor Thom Gate, Siem Reap | Isla Reta, Samal

History repeated itself and recalling these two scenarios crack me up. It's such a crazy situation that even my manager asked me if I was alright.

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I have a friend who kept on going to Boracay as if it's just a regular destination. She said that since I'm a travel blogger, I should feature Boracay in my blog one of these days. I said I would if I could.

Boracay, as they always say, is the ultimate destination for adventure and relaxation.

Now I have a possibility to go on a free vacation in this island paradise through the South East Asian Airlines (SEAIR) and Microtel Inns Suites Boracay Bloggers' Tour. The chance to go along with other travel bloggers is also tempting because of having the opportunity to meet and bond with people who share the same interest for travel blogging.

Visit the SEAIR Facebook Fan Page for the details of this contest. Check out the SEAIR website and the Microtel Philippines website for more information.

I'm a hyperactive person who loves to travel and exudes energy all the time. For me, Boracay is the ultimate place to be. Below is my entry to SEAIR & Microtel Boracay Bloggers' Tour for a chance to go on a vacation to this paradise.
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I’ve been to Different Places, But I’ve never been to Boracay

I've been dragged by a wakeboard cable wire in Naga, Camarines Sur.
But I've never been dragged to Boracay .

I've zip lined and climbed a wall in Balamban, Cebu.
But I haven’t zipped and wall-climbed in Boracay.

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SoloflightEd will be going on a lot of trips from August, September, October and November this year! Also, I'll be having a few more on January, February and March next year.

One big problem -- where to find some money? I booked different flights due to Cebu Pacific's promo fares in different occasions and offerings but one thing is for sure, the discounts didn't cost me much. Only now I have to look for some cash for my budget. Here are my travels.

This Year:
August - Bohol
September - Hongkong, Macau
October - Manila, Kota Kinabalu, Singapore
November - Iloilo

Next Year:
January - Davao
February - Manila
March - Clark

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