ONE PLACE AT A TIME…
by Helen Velasquez
Yes, travelling is fun… well, at least, 99.9% most of the time! But let’s be honest here… travelling, could be, at times, very challenging and stressful. Okay, don’t get me wrong. Not complaining here. I am grateful, truly grateful… that we are still – physically and financially, able to travel as family. And when I say “financially”, it doesn’t necessarily mean that we have all the money in the world to go anywhere at anytime without asking ourselves first if we can afford it. Our Filipino-Mexican-American family of three plus my mom is just like any average household working hard to survive and travel only when we have that extra money.
Travelling, no matter how long you have planned it, could be full of surprises. Cancellation of flights due to bad weather, lost luggage, missed flights, flat tires, medical emergencies during vacations are just some of the circumstances which could put anyone on vacation into a lot of stress. Our family’s situation is no different. We are always faced with our own list of challenges whenever we go on a trip – local or international. The difference in our age, cultural backgrounds, personal interests, food preference, among other things have become quite a challenge in our household. And those problems have become more eminent when we travel. My husband’s interests in museum could easily bore our daughter. A long walk could easily tire my 70+ year old mother. My mother’s preference for all-time Asian food could be a threat to my husband’s idea of all American buffet. Music preference and choosing a radio station could even start a debate between a father and daughter in a long road trip. And yes, I admit… having me as my husband’s co-pilot could also add up to the tension whenever GPS cannot help us find our destination. But hey, will that stop us from travelling together? Of course not!
Though no one wants to admit it, we like travelling in a pack! We are a “Pack of Vagabonds” always looking forward to the next family adventure – may it be local or international. The joy of being in a place where we once dreamed of visiting had become a family’s accomplishment. Every check marked in our bucket list is a realization of our dreams. And that feeling of fulfillment when I looked up in the sky knowing I was just staring at the same moon the previous night half-way across the world is just wonderful. And above all… memories built with your loved ones to last a lifetime? Priceless!
So, whatever adventures or misadventures this pack of vagabonds ended up to, we would still like to share and continue our family’s journey as we discover world one place at a time...