The journey is always meaningful than the destination.

The above phrase sounds a cliché, but what is interesting about cliches- they are almost always true. Like any other typical human being, I get inspired if not envied those who looks care free in their socmed flaunting their adventures. I also dreamed, planned, but most of the time failed to make these adventures a reality. The failure of this spanned from the lack of time, lack of funds, change of plan, or people bailing out on me.

But for rare occasions that my plans pushed through, or with fate, I get to jump on a unplanned trip, I always realize that the destination is just the icing on the cake. When we envision of a good memorable adventure, we get excited to the possible highlights of the trip in which we can capture the "perfect" photograph of ourselves in a beautiful and breathtaking background, as a proof that we are interesting, cool and fun loving people.

As we all experience, the COVID pandemic has been one of the greatest hindrance to our dream destination recently. But as the world is slowly easing out and the people is slowly getting used to the "New Normal" the fire of going out to an adventure is surely catching up. Needless to say, I was one of the many dreamers who are determined to revenge travel as they say. The opportunity presented to me last week in the form of an unplanned trip. I always like unplanned trip because obviously it entails no preparation and less expectations.

I was woken up at 4:30 in the morning with a question if I wanted to come with my cousins for a trip to the mountains. With little persuasion, I joined in to the whim of the day. The trip involves more than 1 hour motorcycle drive. And as we drive along in slopes and ridges, I get reacquainted of that beautiful and exhilarating feeling of wonder-the one you always get when you are one and surrounded with nature. That drive will get us to the destination, but I've realized that it is the one that did it for me. It is my highlight of the trip and the reason I endure that 4:30 wake up call. I also love the simplicity of it, I love the idea when me and my cousins drink coffee and eat bread in a sari sari store because we get hungry. I appreciate the silly jokes that we share and the sudden change of route we took when we decided to leave.

This is what we came for, but I already found my happiness long before we arrive to this beautiful destination.