Finding the itch to travel again

One thing that changed in the way I want to travel is how I want to take things gradually, especially in places I’ve been to before.

“Where would you like to go once this is all over?” Answering this question was what often got me through most of the pandemic. I’d dream about traveling with my husband and taking girls’ trips with my friends. No set dates, just what we’d do, the food we’d get to try, and all the things we’d see once all this is over and we could finally hop on a plane again and travel without restrictions or worries.

We’ve seen more countries opening up to travelers since last year yet I found myself putting it off unless it’s for work. I found myself quite content and—dare I say it—having fun by staying put in Manila. Shocker! I did get to do a lot of traveling while we lived abroad for six and a half years. People found it weird but I did miss this city. While most were happy to have their noses poked, experience anxiety while waiting for test results, and then jetting off to whichever nearby country or island was accepting guests, I was perfectly fine with my inertia. I’d take my dog for a walk in the neighborhood, attend intimate events in the city, and do a quick drive to Batangas or Pampanga to try a restaurant on weekends.

I guess it was the ever-changing requirements, the hard-to-keep-up-with restrictions, and having to go on quarantine that made travel shed some of its appeal to me. I didn’t want to lose several days, cooped up in a hotel, before I could go out and explore.

Thankfully, things have changed and I’m starting to feel that all-too-familiar itch to go and see the world. Knowing that travel is slowly regaining some of the convenience we used to enjoy.

I’d love to find myself in Havana for a week, pretending to have traveled back in time. I’ll take a classic car and get off at La Bodeguita del Medio and immerse myself in the environment where Hemingway wrote The Old Man and the Sea and For Whom the Bell Tolls. There’s something about being in the same place and taking the same steps as my favorite writers. It often inspires me to put pen to paper (aka fingers to keyboard). I did it in Florence during a trip, imagining what it was like during the time of Dante and Machiavelli. It’s one of the most effective ways to get out of a writing slump. I’d drink rum from a box—it’s another way to fight writer’s block—and walk Havana Vieja where I’d keep pretending I’m in the ’50s. I’d watch the sunset at El Malecon, and force my husband to finally have some oysters.

Morocco’s another dream destination but I’d probably need two weeks. It’s a bigger country, after all. I’d stay in a riad, get lost in the souks of Marrakech, and get scrubbed within an inch of my life at a hammam. I’d visit the artisanal shops in Fez’s medina and eat as much tagine as I please. Calories don’t count during vacation. I’d wear white and head over to Chefchaouen, where the old town’s awash with blue, and make a stop in Tangier.

The journey itself is my home. —Matsuo Basho

I’d be a happy woman once I find my way back to Tokyo. Japan is a country I know I can visit over and over without getting tired of it. There’s just so much culture to digest, which takes you from their age-old traditions and catapults you straight into the future. We visited back in 2016, spending New Year’s in Tokyo and taking a train to Nikko. I’d do it all over again, but this time slower and maybe take another rail ride to Kyoto. I’ll finally be disciplined enough to wake up early and see the Tsukiji Market come to life. I’ll have sashimi for breakfast just because I can and eat my way through cities. I love food and how it tells you so much about a country and its people. I’d stop by the Yamazaki Distillery to see how one of my favorite drinks—Suntory whisky—is made. I’ll entertain my inner child by making sure to drop by Shining Moon Tokyo, a café dedicated to one of my heroes while growing up in the ’90s: Sailor Moon. I’ll see my friends who call Japan their home and pretend that not much time has passed since we last saw each other.

One thing that changed in the way I want to travel is how I want to take things gradually, especially in places I’ve been to before. I’d love to go back to Seoul, spend an afternoon at a coffee shop, or just walk around neighborhoods, admiring the architecture. Given the chance, I’d do the same in Italy and France. I can’t wait to get back to finding new places, meeting new people, experiencing new adventures, and enjoying new flavors.

These rich experiences make coming home sweeter after all and will last me until I get to go on yet another adventure.