by Audie Vinci Batausa

It has really been every number cruncher’s struggle to strike the balance between work and life. We have been used to working for at least 10 to 12 hours a day. With deadlines looming around the corner and obstacles on our every path, working under constant pressure can sometimes take its toll.

Travelling was my sweet escape. It enabled me to get out of my routine and step into a world full of spectacle. It made me look at things from a whole new standpoint, giving me a fresh appreciation of the wonders around me. When presented with an opportunity to temporarily break free from pressing deadlines and horrible bosses, I knew I had to give it a shot.

Unknown to many, this is actually my second time to join The Panoramic Soul’s (TPS) search for The Travel Intern. I tried my luck way back in season 1, but unfortunately, I did not make the first cut. I did start to second guess myself. I thought that maybe, my writing still lacks flare, or maybe I’m not just the one they are looking for. Good thing that my friend, Fratri Edson Silva, emerged as the Season 1’s victor.

Part of his perks was to be able to refer someone to be automatically placed as one of this season’s finalists. The offer was initially given to me, but I humbly declined. I thought that it would be really selfish if I grab on to that opportunity while I personally knew some of his friends who have greater actual chances of winning. I just can’t let that wonderful opportunity be put to waste. This lack of confidence and low self-esteem made my journey of becoming the next The Travel Intern a beautiful struggle.

ACT I

Come September 2017, the gates were finally opened for the applications for Season 2. This was my chance to redeem myself from the minor setback I had during the prior season. I had to reinvent myself. I knew I had to put in a lot of effort. I had to work my fingers to the bone. It was game time.

The problem is, I didn’t have a game plan.

I was extremely frantic that I was able to down countless cups of coffee while composing my letter of intent. Coffee was literally flowing through my veins. I spent hours and hours browsing through hundreds of webpages in search for new ideas and ways for me to tackle the competition. Days passed, and my entry started to take shape. Just like a puzzle, everything started to fall in place.

The final day of submission came. I started to have doubts. Was I ready? Was my entry good enough? Would I finally be one of the finalists? With roughly two hours left before the deadline, I finally mustered the courage to hit the send button.

There was no turning back.

It was October 5, 2017. It was just like any other day at the office. Mountainous piles of documents were waiting for me atop my desk. The smell of freshly brewed coffee permeated the air. All my colleagues were in their normal routines – either with their faces buried in their Excel sheets or busy buzzing around the workstation just like bees in spring. Everyone that is, except me. I was out of focus. The competition was all I could think of.

That day was going to be the grand reveal.

The first batch of semifinalists was posted at around three o’clock in the afternoon – those who ranked 21st to 32^nd. My name was not on the list. I started to feel anxious. Beads of sweat started to form on my forehead. At three fifteen, the second batch was announced – those who ranked 11^th to 20th. I was already hoping for a miracle, but still, my name wasn’t there.

I thought it was game over.

At exactly three thirty, the final 10 semifinalists were announced. I can hardly believe what I saw. My name was on the list! I placed eighth! I was on cloud nine. Act I was finally over. I was in!

ACT II

I was en route to Bacolod for an audit engagement during the course of Act II: A Test of Photography. At this stage of the competition, we had to submit a photo with our chosen travel word and then write a caption containing strictly 100 words. Five percent of the scores will be taken from likes and reactions on our entry.

My chosen travel word was Selcouth, which means everything seems strange or different.

You know that feeling when you start seeing something strange from the familiar? When something that is very ordinary exudes something that is magical? That’s exactly how I felt when we went camping at Mt. Naupa in Cebu. The view of the mountain ranges sparked something inside me as the sun slowly rose from the horizon, lighting everything it hits with a perfect shade of yellow, with the morning breeze slowly caressing my cheeks. Everything felt so surreal. It felt like it was taken straight out from a movie scene. And I was glad that I was able to preserve that breathtaking moment in a single shot.

The official like campaign started towards the end of October. I already had a glimpse of what my fellow semifinalists can bring to the table. I was trying to size up my opponents, and they were indeed intimidating. They were a diverse group of individuals: alumni of prestigious schools, professional photographers, seasoned writers, and the like.

With my 5’11” build, it was the very first time I felt like a dwarf.

I never really had the chance to focus on the six-day public voting period as there was still a lot of work to be done in my audit in Bacolod. We were asked to work for extended hours, and even on weekends. I was only able to manage sending links to my entry during lunch breaks or right before going to sleep. So you can just imagine how defeated I felt when I saw the likes of my competitors going sky high.

It was November 5. Announcement day. Thirty-two finalists will be narrowed down to sixteen.

My mind was already made up that I wouldn’t make the cut. I was preoccupied wrapping everything up with my audit findings and reports for my exit conference the next day.

But God has other plans.

They posted the results at around six in the evening. To my surprise, I saw my name on the fourth spot. Did they accidentally post my name instead of another semifinalist? Was this another case of a Miss Universe–Steve Harvey fiasco?

I was still in my moment of disbelief when The Panoramic Soul’s Editor-in-chief messaged the TPS Finalists’ group chat.

We were all summoned for a challenge.

ACT III

The EIC challenge was composed of two parts. Part one was to give your opinion on the statement, “Every destination has a story to tell despite how un-touristy it is.” While in part two, the finalists were asked to listen to a particular piece of music and then relate, in strictly two hundred fifty words, where the music took us. All of these should be submitted within the next 24 hours.

The scores for the EIC challenge will constitute fifty percent of the total score for Act III.

I was extremely baffled.

With heaps of audit findings to prepare and a boat to catch for another audit engagement the next day, my mind was in shambles. How could I possibly create a compelling article and a moving story with all of these on my plate? I needed to pull myself together.

I managed to write my entry on the one-hour ferry ride to Iloilo. I tried to squeeze out every remaining ounce of energy that’s left in me and harness it to make my final piece for this competition. I have reached the of point of no return. Despite being mentally weak and physically tired, I had to fight back. Like a crazy, drunk madman, I was typing away in a trance. With only a few minutes left for revisions and review, somehow, I made it through.

The results for the EIC challenge was revealed to our TPS Finalist group chat that very same night. To my astonishment, I was able to garner an exceptional score of 99.90%. For the very first time in this competition, I believed that I could actually win this thing. I was brimming with confidence. I saw myself in a whole new light. For once, I was Superman.

It all boils down to the Final Interview.

Having had some ideas of what happened during the interviews back in season one scared me a little. I was terrified of the idea that I would space out and make a fool of myself. But I remembered what my mentor once told me; he said that honesty and sincerity will always come across. Despite my sweaty palms and thundering heartbeat, I tried to answer every question as authentically and as honestly as possible. I was simply being me.

The public voting commenced in the early part of December. The finalists’ portraits were posted, along with an excerpt of the entry they earlier submitted. I wasn’t getting as many likes as the others, but I hammered my faith on my performance in the EIC Challenge, as well as on the final interview.

I held on to that one glimmer of hope.

The public voting period ended on December 14. I was glad it was over.

The Final Judgment

It was January 1, New Year’s Day.

While the rest of the world was merry making, my mind was somewhere else. I can’t believe that the long, torturous wait was over. This day culminates my four-month battle to become the next travel intern.

They started announcing the results at almost eight in the evening. I was on my way back to Cebu, from my hometown in Bohol, as work immediately resumes the next day. I wasn’t really getting real time updates from the TPS Facebook page, as internet connection in the ferry was intermittent. I was agitated. My heart was in a frenzy. My shoulders felt tense. I can feel my stomach churn every time I get a decent internet connection and catch a glimpse of the results. As my ferry boat battled the big waves brought about by typhoon Agaton, I was also battling my own demons in my head.

By the time we arrived at the port, I quickly ran to the nearest bench with my phone clenched in hand. I quickly sat, said a little prayer, and opened the TPS Facebook page.

“Audie Vinci Batausa. Winner, The Travel Intern Season 2.”

The journey to becoming the next The Travel Intern was a crazy one. It was one hell of a roller coaster ride. At first, I felt inadequate as a writer. I thought that the characteristics to become the next The Travel Intern were beyond me. But my challenge scores and the feedback I constantly received from my family, friends, and colleagues proved otherwise. It was a testament to how hard I worked to have come this far. The journey made me believe in myself. It made me realize my self-worth. It provided me an opportunity to express myself and put myself out there for everyone to see. I wouldn’t trade this beautiful struggle for the world.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who was there to support me from start to finish. I definitely owe you big time. To my family, my constant companions, thank you so much for the endless love and support you have given me. To my closest friends and colleagues, thank you for the constant words of encouragement and for helping me in my public voting campaign. To the one who broke my heart, thank you for being the inspiration for my final entry in the EIC Challenge. I wouldn’t have scored a phenomenal 99.90% if it wasn’t for you. And for the people comprising the core group of The Panoramic Soul, thank you for believing in me and for making me part of your family. You made my dream a reality.