Why travel?

You are with your closest friends sitting atop a dilapidated jeepney headed to that much needed respite, gripping its sidebars for support fearing that any time you could fall into that deep ravine. Your heart is beating so fast, you think you’re palpitating. The driver seems to have no inkling of what the word “break” means, causing your companions to shriek with every rough turn the jeep makes on this narrow dirt road. The chickens below are as restless as you are; unsure of the fate the journey has in store for you. Your face is now a mix of dust, sweat and grime. You are having the time of your life.

Six hours ago, you wouldn’t have imagined yourself in such a situation. You were probably in front of the TV, or on the computer, finishing that Comm paper for school or that presentation for work. After a spur-of-the-moment, forceful yet convincing argumentation by your friends, you agree to join them on a crazy roadtrip to a place you’ve never heard of. You’ve left a motherload of work back in the city: dishes undone, laundry that needs to be picked up, articles that need a serious session of editing. And in your excitement, you left your precious cellphone at home. But you don’t care.

The jeepney stops at a quiet fishing village in a sleepy little town. On the horizon, you see a small island with a streak of white sand. You look into each other’s eyes, sensing a common conquest. With just a tent, firewood, beer and canned goods to survive on, you hop into a tiny banca.

The boat slices the placid blue sea, glinting like liquid sapphires. The sun, which has now positioned itself directly above you, starts to work its wonders on your pale skin. Taking your first step on the deserted island sweeps you with a natural high. It’s as if you discovered the island, tempting you to name it after yourself.

The island grants you a ceasefire from the battles you’ve been fighting. The refreshing waters wash away all your troubles while the gentle sea breeze caresses you the way a mother comforts her son who had just arrived, torn from war. In this moment, you are unafraid to live.

You spend the night around a campfire, lying side by side with the best people in the world, counting stars and swapping stories. You fall asleep to the rythmic sound of waves crashing to the shore. The sunrise wakes you up, ahead of your friends. In a few hours, you’ll be making your way home. Back to the dishes you’ve left, back to the pile of work left undone, back to the messages that have accumulated in your cellphone.

Back in the city, struggling with sun burnt skin, you casually smile to yourself as you daydream about the way the breeze swept your face that early morning, playing with thoughts in your head on how you should be living life. Free.

Note: Published in GO! Travel Magazine's Premiere Issue