Taken in Phuket, Thailand. July, 2016

Three years have long gone by.

Three years since I started this blog without the hopes of getting anything out of it. All I intended was to share my stories (and maybe nourish my dream of being a writer). And since then, my reason for continuing this blog has expanded into documenting my life, and being able to connect to others.


I was more than gratified when I learnt that my personal webspace has been nominated for this so-called Liebster Award. I didn't know blogging community could be so supportive towards small blogs like mine. In a nutshell, Liebster award is given by fellow bloggers so that newer bloggers can get noticed in the blogosphere.




Rahul of http://travelwithrahul.com/ recognised and noticed my work. Although I rarely publicised my blog posts, he had very nice words to say about my blog. All thanks to him. Go, check his blog here, and you'll surely learn a thing or two.

In response to the questions posted by Rahul, here are my answers:

1. Why did you start blogging?

So I can look back years from now, of some of the (mis)adventures I had; places I visited; sceneries that have taken my breath away; books that have once impacted my life; songs that have helped me stay sane. I blog because I want to share the world my stories—from mundane to profound, and vice versa.

2. Out of all the countries, you have visited, which one did you like the most?

Definitely South Korea. Why? First, because of the weather. Since I grew up in a tropical country which is the Philippines, it was a delight for me to experience spring (and cherry blossoms!!!) for the first time. It left me wondering what it feels like living through all four seasons of the year. Secondly, I find Koreans generally friendly. During our visit there, they tried to help us as much as they could although most of them can hardly converse in English. Lastly, simply because it's a shopping heaven. Pretty much like Singapore, malls and bazzares are everywhere. South Korea is one country that I would gladly visit again.

3. Airplane or train?

I would say airplane, given that I'm seated on a window seat because it's like a VIP seat to different kinds of view. Besides the convenience it offers, I like looking at the sky, and being amaze at the vastness of it. I like the idea of knowing that you are above the clouds; that some people at the ground may be watching the plane you're in; I like gawking at the stars from my little airplane nook.

I haven't traveled via train yet, and I would love to try crossing country borders via train with a view of treacherous mountains and fields. By then, maybe I'll change my answer.

4. What’s your travel style?

Whenever I plan my itinerary, my keyword has always been "off the beaten path". As much as possible, I avoid going to popular tourist spots. I like adding a bit of adventure to my overall travel plan, and tend to be more inquisitive about the locals. Although, admittedly, I only do this whenever I travel solo. It's a little daunting, but just as what they say, courage, not fear, reaps the greatest rewards in new places.

5. What is your favorite dish?

Honestly, I cannot think of anything in particular because I'm not a very picky person when it comes to food. But I love anything seafood, especially shrimps. And oh, I just started being vegan. I will write more about it soon. :)

6. What do you hope to accomplish through your blog?

This one's a very straight-forward question. But one that I find somehow difficult to answer. When I started this blog, I just thought of just sharing whatever I find deem interesting, no particular theme.

Truth be told, this blog is not entirely a travel blog, but more of a personal blog or a journal. For the past years, it had helped me organized and articulate my stream of thoughts. It had helped me express the side of myself which I thought would not interest others. A friend once told me, "Sometimes in art, if you already have an audience, you will start to work/create only for your audience and not for yourself." It's another word for saying, you just start to please others and not do what you are really passionate about. And, I don't want that to happen to this blog.

So to answer the question, what I hope to accomplish through this blog is simply to tell my story and document my life in an empowering way. And maybe, connect to others through my stories.

In response to these award, I nominate below bloggers:

Chau's Adventure

Born Nomadic

Unconventional and Vivid

Libra Travel Blog

 Oh What a Journey

Prowling the Planet

THE RULES:

1. Thank the person who nominated you, and post a link to their blog on your blog.
2. Display the award on your blog — by including it in your post and/or displaying it using a “widget” or a “gadget”.
3. Respond to the questions provided by the blogger who nominated you for the award.
4. Nominate 5 – 11 blogs that you feel deserve the award, who have a small readership.
5. List these rules in your post.
6. Inform the people/blogs that you nominated that they have been nominated for the Liebster award and provide a link for them to your post.