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Unexpected Opportunities while Backpacking

After my trip to Bali, Indonesia. I didn’t know where I was headed. I wanted to do something other than work on my laptop as I felt very unhealthy being stuck in front of a computer screen. I was still in Bangkok at the time and I was contemplating on a few things until unexpected opportunities knocked on this backpacker’s life.

Substitute Teacher

There was an opening for a temporary post as an elementary English teacher for a private school in Bangkok where my friend was working. It was a short-term gig which would’ve lasted three weeks. In my mind, I was to handle a class of grade six pupils, but the picture didn’t come out clear enough because I was hesitant.

back in the old office days

I’ve had some experience training adults and I’ve hosted calibration sessions with different clients in my previous job in a call center; but this was a little different since I’d be handling youngsters.

After a month and a half, I’m back on the road. I got past the immigration counter without them asking for much information. Compared to my experience last February when I was interviewed twice, this time was a breeze. They only asked for my return ticket and I was through. Maybe smiling at them did the trick, I don’t really know. I’m just glad I’m at the pre-boarding area now.

at NAIA Terminal 3

I started my backpacking adventure after I quit my job of six years to see if a digital nomad’s lifestyle is truly for me. I spent two months outside the country but it was cut short due to personal reasons. While in the Philippines, I maximized my time by spending it with family and friends. Being away for a while made me look at life from a different angle which made it a great opportunity to reconnect with people; especially my loved ones.

I also visited Manila, twice; and met a number of travel bloggers, old and new. It was swell to mingle and get inspired to continue this passion of mine by being with them for coffee or pizza.

with Gay, Oman, Dong Ho, Marky and Wendell

with Lauren, Rafael, Lois, Eileen, Jen and Josiah

Note: This post was written prior to my departure, I didn’t have the opportunity to publish it right away.

It’s 9pm and I’m waiting for my flight at 10:50. A flight that marks the beginning of my journey which according to my friend, is my biggest adventure so far. The initial plan was to stay for two weeks and go through the Indochina route. But with the recent turn of events, I’ve decided to stay longer and travel to more countries.

Everything is falling into place yet I’m having mixed emotions. Should I push through with the trip or am I just carried away?

typing thoughts

Note: This is not a sponsored post. I love the product so much that I’m recommending it to everyone. I usually bring a cap or hat whenever I go out of town. Aside from protecting my head from the elements of nature, it also keeps my hair from getting messed up. Call me a little … Read more

Won a Mountain Hardwear Scrambler Backpack from R.O.X. Philippines

I claimed a backpack that I won from a contest that was organized by R.O.X. Philippines. The Backpack for Bloggers was a contest on Facebook wherein participants were tasked to write about their most memorable Outdoor adventure for 2010. In my case, I shared my bungy jumping experience at the Macau tower which is hands down the best moment as I conquered my fear of heights and I achieved one of my goals that I planned for over a year. Heck, I still can’t stop talking about it as it’s always something I’m proud of doing.

I received the news that I won the bag some time in January but it took me awhile to get it since I’m from Cebu and they needed to ship it to the R.O.X. branch in Ayala Center. Recently, I just had a trip in Zambales and decided to drop by Manila before heading back home. Just shows how anxious I am to get the prize.

Mountain Hardwear Scrambler

Let me be honest here. I call myself a travel blogger as I own a travel blog. But there are number of things I don’t know about travelling and I’d like to set things straight just to show how amateurish I am about this passion in general. Sure, I’ve been to places and I’ve so many photos to prove how much of a tourist I am. But those are probably the only things I can be proud of as I have so much to learn. I call myself a Travel Blogger, but…

I don’t know my geography.

I can’t locate a country or region in a map to save myself. A friend laughed at me when I thought that La Union and Camarines Norte were near each other when they’re on totally different ends.

Met a fellow traveller during a trip to Thailand and he asked me which country I’m from. Traveller: Where are you from? Me: I’m from the Philippines. Traveller: That’s nice, I haven’t been there. Me: What about you? Traveller: Mauritius Island. Me: *I gave him a dumbfounded look* and with my big mouth, I had to ask – Where’s that?

If I had an online device, I’d turn away, Google it up and then get back to him to continue our conversation. I have difficulty locating destinations in a map that’s why I easily get lost which is a problem when it comes to budget.

Siem Reap in Cambodia and Bangkok in Thailand was fun. I’m glad that we didn’t rush into scenes and had time off to retreat. Most of my travels usually were getting to different tourist spots and other famous destinations. Sure, we also did some sight-seeing in Siem Reap and Bangkok but we weren’t in a hurry which made it all the more worthwhile.

temple-hopping in Cambodia

I was able to travel to two cities in two countries over the past week and I thought I could easily update this site with pictures and snippets just to give out glimpses of the places and things we did. However, I’m having difficulty where to start. With so many pending entries and backlogs from different trips, it’s a challenge for me to maintain this site and keep it current. But I’ll figure out a way.

fish spa at 3 USD

For now, let me just post a few photos of scenes in these countries. Each place has its own charm and story to tell which enriches one’s knowledge on how people go about their way of life.

I realized I’ve been wrapped up in writing articles about my recent trips that I haven’t been able to provide updates about my life and the things that have been going on so far. This is still a personal blog and before I get caught up with writing a bunch of entries about my travels again, let me post a few random nothings – travel and non-travel related.

Money Play

Been playing with money the past couple of months – NO, I haven’t been wasting it. I’ve been looking for ways to squeeze time in order to maximize the situation of funds and whatever’s left of it. This is not something I’d recommend to everyone because you’ll go crazy if you can’t keep up with your payables and receivables. Heck, I’m going nuts trying to figure out how I’m going to manage. But I still like to think I can.

Terra 60 Backpack

Photo courtesy of Doi

As you might have noticed in some of my previous posts, I have a new back pack for travelling. It cost me an arm to get this despite the discounted rate. There was a sale on outdoor items and because I was so curious about the items being displayed, I had to drop by the place. I wondered why the hell I did. Now I’ve conformed to The North Face backpack. But I’m not complaining as I know this proves to be useful in my trips. Besides, the Deuter bag that I have cannot accommodate the things I bring during my long journeys. I still need to work on my packing skills though.

Was able to book some flights for 3 months to different domestic destinations using Cebu Pacific’s Piso Fare! I was happy that I finally caught this promotion while browsing through some Social Networking sites like Facebook has a very good purpose after all. With Cebu Pacific’s Piso Fare, I got discounts wherein the price for … Read more

Unexpected Opportunities while Backpacking

Substitute Teacher

Back on the Road

Let the Delusions Begin

Travel Gear: How Headware Keeps My Head Happy

Won a Mountain Hardwear Scrambler Backpack from R.O.X. Philippines

I Call Myself a Travel Blogger, But…

Siem Reap and Bangkok Chronicles

Random Updates