My second visit to Palawan happened nearing the end of 2011. I had been thinking of revisiting El Nido since June, roughly one year since the first time I stepped foot in that beautiful paradise.
During those 12 months, I was occupied by my desire to backpack extensively around the Philippines. The plan was to see the beauty of our country first and then start visiting the rest of the world.
The experience of traveling to places I’ve always craved to visit in the Philippines (but didn’t have the freedom because I was either still in school or didn’t have enough money for it) was nothing short of amazing. It was personally fulfilling to live the life that I wanted at the time.
Before starting anew with the new year, my enthusiasm at moving on to “the next step” was dampened by, simply put, decisions. Living a free spirited life was something I dreamed about growing up. I’ve just arrived at mid-20s now and a lot of me (my perspective of things) feels different.
I wouldn’t change how I spent my life so far but I was feeling disconnected because I didn’t know if it (living a nomadic life) is still something I would find fulfillment exhausting my time and effort over the next few years.
I wanted to retrace my steps in Palawan … back to places I visited when I was just starting to travel/backpack. This time, I didn’t plan every moment of my itinerary. I just wanted to discover how I’d react to things that happen and make plans along the way.
Boarding an early morning flight from Iloilo to Manila
In the Philippine Ilonggo dialect, ambot ah literally means "I don't know." After graduating in college, I decided to hold off pursuing my profession and embarked on a free spirited journey of adventure and self-discovery. My travels have led me to many places across the Philippine Islands and South East Asia. I don't know where this path will take me but I'm certain I'll get a lifetime of stories out of it.
