by Audie Vinci R. Batausa
I am often asked if allocating the bulk of my life savings to travel is worth it, and without hesitation, I have always answered this question with a quick yes. Never have I considered travelling as an expense; rather, I see it as an opportunity for me to create meaningful experiences by being exposed to new environments with different customs and social atmospheres. I see it as an avenue to see the world and understand its diverse people, as well as their culture and traditions. Someone once told me that the best investments are not in material things, but in priceless memories. Truly, memories that traveling brings, from wild adventures to minute encounters, translate to long-lasting and fulfilling happiness that I could always look back on for the rest of my life.
It has been only a year since I became The Panoramic Soul’s Travel Intern, but the journey truly changed me. Not only has it enabled me to rediscover several local destinations in my home country, but it also became my gateway to visit the world beyond the 7,107 islands of the Philippines for the very first time. In the span of one year, I have already earned four passport stamps under my belt.
Every travel assignment was a challenge – a very difficult one. At the back of my mind crept the fear of traveling alone in a foreign place where you have no connections, coupled with the terrifying idea of capturing my experiences through photographs and articles that would be shared to an audience of great magnitude. Additionally, the pressure to prove to my team, and to myself, that I am worthy of being the Travel Intern felt like I was carrying both heaven and earth. These ideas would have stopped the old me on day one. But no, I refused to give in and instead channeled these fears to fuel my motivation that drove me to go out, explore, push boundaries, and chase those stories.
This life-changing journey gave me a foretaste of how unexpected life can be. Although overwhelming at times, it brought forward my independent nature and forced me to grow out of my shell and be a better version of myself. Just like in Ariana Grande’s song, “It taught me love, it taught me patience, it taught me pain. Now, I’m so amazing.” Being sent to such travel assignments fanned the flames of my wanderlust, and it left me yearning for more.
Storytelling is now my new-found purpose. It became my platform to allow readers to have an introspective view of my experiences to which they can learn from or relate to. Creating such “shared experiences” gave me a chance to write about the reason why I travel and by how much I’ve grown from such adventures. I can proudly say that I now bear the stamp of The Panoramic Soul, which is not just of an adventurous traveler or a passionate storyteller but of a curious human being who chose to see the world in a different light.
Cliché as it may sound, remember that the world is your oyster. Take that opportunity to travel whenever and wherever you can. The world isn’t going anywhere, but it will change. Time is your greatest rival, and negativity is your greatest hindrance.
More than ever, I am now ready to bring this new-found passion to greater heights.
Now, where to next?
