As a Filipino, it’s only natural to crave something beyond the familiar. To choose a place that contrasts the rhythm of my own hometown. The weather, the spots, the food, the people — I wanted to experience something new. Having a third-world passport kind of limits my expectations, so going abroad doesn't really excite me that much. I would always imagine European and East Asian countries, but boy, they all require a visa, and not to mention, they're expensive. The options become narrow when money is the main character.
I know life demands payment for every dream. But still, a part of me has always hoped to set foot on a foreign land. Not for luxury, but for the quiet proof that it is possible.
I'd like to think I still have choices.
So I read. I watched. I scrolled. Through travel blogs. Through YouTube. Through TikTok.
I compiled all these stories and tips. Until I've fully decided which country I really want to go to first.
Took me many years, but it was all worth the wait.
One night, I came across a video online where I saw a train moving steadily through a backdrop of vast mountain ranges. It looked like something out of a postcard.
The valleys are nothing short of breathtaking. They stretch endlessly and shimmer in shades of green and gold depending on the season.
I thought, "This probably isn’t an Asian country". I read further in the comment section.
Got surprised by their answers.
"Sapa, Vietnam"
"No way, so Vietnam looks like this too?!"
"So we've just all learned about this in Vietnam?"
I felt stunned. I’d never imagined Vietnam looking like this. Misty, green, peaceful. It wasn’t the image that travel ads usually showed us. But that’s what made it even more magical.
I didn’t hold back. I went straight down the rabbit hole, looking it up. I just knew I had to learn more about it. I knew I wanted to be there soon.
I already imagined the train ride, the way the fog hugs the hills, my cold hands while I'm sipping my coffee. I picture myself wandering, riding a motorcycle from here to there, no clear destination, just following the road as I gaze at the beautiful scenes around me.
I never stopped clinging to these thoughts for so long until one day, I was on my laptop, and the right opportunity just came at my fingertips. A few clicks, and I was already typing my name and my husband's. The date was settled, and the payment was too. I was only waiting for that one email.
"Your transaction was successful. See you on board soon!"
Finally, I'm on my way to my first foreign country.
I'm on my way to Vietnam ❤