A letter to my future travel buddy

Remember last night? We got into a silly fight because we missed our flight back to Manila. I thought we were on a later schedule because I failed to check our itinerary so we had to spend the night at the airport to wait for the next available flight. Then you said that we have gone places but we’re going nowhere.

Remember that time in Sagada? I’ve convinced myself that I will not do the cave connection in fear getting of stuck or falling down ravines in pitch darkness and our friends couldn’t even convince me to go. I was a big pussy. You, on the other hand, was very eager to experience your very first spelunking. So I decided to suck it up and join because I needed to make sure that you get out safe, even if I was only watching over you from afar. Because back then you still had no clue.

Remember that time in Pulag? You said you wanted to see the bed of clouds and asked me to go with you. A year before that, I was already cursing that mountain for its unforgiving temperature and made a sweeping declaration that I will never go back. But when you invited me, I immediately said ‘yes’ without even batting an eye. I figured that maybe this time the place will be a little less colder with you around.

Remember that time in Bolinao? I was in a very dark place in my life and I ran away from home, taking the first bus to Pangasinan. Without much money and only a few clothes with me, I found shelter in a humble cottage along the beach of Patar. I didn’t tell a soul where I was headed and was MIA for a couple of days. But when I woke up one morning, you were there. You found me.

Remember that time in Baler? I kept falling off my surfboard (blame it on my lack of coordination) while you seem to have no problem with yours. I was at wits end and on the brink of giving up when you told me that if I can successfully ride a wave, you’d be my boyfriend. I paid the trainer every hour until I could get it right. I should’ve paid for a whole day rental instead because it took me almost an entire day and already went over my budget. But it was all worth it because after the trip, we were no longer singles.

Remember that time in Malapascua? It was my first solo trip since you suddenly couldn’t make it because of work. That night, I went looking for a good WiFi connection just so we could video chat on Skype. That even though we were several miles apart, we were able to share the same moonlight.

Remember that time in Hong Kong? It was my first international flight and you were really concerned for me because you know about my fear of flying. So for 3 straight hours, you told me the best and worst jokes and probably all of the most random stories you could think of. And when you ran out of stories to tell, you made up your own! All that just so I would keep my mind away from the flight. I love you for that.

Remember that time in Binondo? The very first time we met when a common friend organized a food trip. For some reason, I couldn’t stop myself from stealing glances at you. I was pretty sure it wasn’t love at first sight. But I knew that it’s the face I wanted to see everyday for as long as I lived.

Remember this morning. At this airport where I am waiting for you to wake up so I could hand you this letter. We’ve been through a lot and have gone to so many places together. We don’t need any other proof except for the tales that happened in each destination, and we can only hope for better memories in our future trips together. It was our love for exploration that caused our paths to cross and it’s what’ll keep us together through any weather.

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The scenes above are fictional (well, most are), but the sentiments are not. Situations of what I wished would happen between you and me and how places could affect the story between two people. This story started with travelling, and though things may be leading to a different ending now, it was still fun to think about even the most farfetched possibilities. Now I wait for that person whom I can turn this short narrative into a reality. Because travellers can only hope for that perpetual travel buddy.

This is my  entry for the Pinoy Travel Bloggers‘ Blog Carnival.

Theme: ”Why You Should Date A Traveler”

Hosted by Lauren Gaile.