OFF THE BEATEN PATH
Two days ago, we ushered in a new year, with a majority of Filipinos expressing hope for a better year ahead. While some experienced a great 2023, there were those who were only too happy to have survived 2023 for a number of reasons. Financial difficulties, work and home life challenges and a myriad of other factors that made their year better or worse than expected.
Inevitably, there is the list of resolutions that reflect not merely the things that we want to improve on, but the what could have been of the past year. Promises broken, plans unrealized, expectations unmet or simply things one failed to do, just because.
I am not much of a resolutions type of guy because I look at each day with the firm resolve to make it better than yesterday. There are good days, some could be better and there are bad ones which eventually shape out to be an improvement over what was. All one needs to do or be, is to infuse a healthy mix of optimism and realism into a jar full of possibilities.
Not so surprisingly, 2024 is viewed as the year of soft campaigning, as candidates position and prepare for the 2025 midterm elections. Time flies fast when you’re having fun, but not so for candidates envisioning the battle royale ahead of them. October may be 10 months away but political time lines do move faster, with alliances, re-alignments and surprises that will undoubtedly make this year highly interesting. The national and local elections promise to be an anticipated must watch for all, especially for those aspiring to be part of the President’s coveted list. With bated breath they wait, hoping that the administration’s imprimatur will give them the needed electoral edge.
No matter where you stand, whether as a spectator, pundit or would-be candidate, remember that once voter registration resumes, it is your duty to register and remind others to do so. This writer can never underscore the importance of registration as the first defining act that says, I am invested in the future of our country. Register to be counted and vote to be heard.
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Revenge travel is back and Love the Philippines is in full swing with travelers discovering unspoiled treasures all over the country. Social media presents us with a world of possibilities right within our own shores and netizens have been on overdrive, sharing their unforgettable experiences in destinations previously unknown. The top favorites like Boracay, Palawan, Bohol, Siargao and Cebu rank high in the must go to places but equally enjoyable to explore are Kalanggaman Island in Leyte, Port Baton in Palawan, Cambugahay Falls in Siquijor, Panguan Island in Tawi Tawi, Sipalay in Negros Occidental and the list goes on. Proof that revenge travelers don’t need to look far if they want adventures that are a skip and a hop away, with budgets that are pocket friendly.
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Happy new year greetings are in order for readers who visit this space for travel tips, election notes and vicarious road trip advice that this writer admits sounds more interesting as a read than as an actual all-day driving experience. 2023 was a year of rediscovery for me as I journeyed across regions and provinces, armed with an abundance of enthusiastic energy and a healthy dose of preparedness. It may not be easy and it is certainly far from the usual convenience of city living, but road trips are this writer’s own version of a new year’s resolution. I start on each journey with the hope that each stop will be better than the next. I embrace mistakes, learn from them and move on with faith that tomorrow will be better than what was. Amping kanunay!
Off the beat: Sharing a compilation of classic Rick Astley tunes, like you’ve never heard before. A fitting way to start the near year:
Visit the link to listen:
https://www.mixcloud.com/goyolarrazabal/rick-astley-reenvisioned/
Playlist:
1. Never Gonna Give You Up; 2. Together Forever; 3. Cry For help; 4. Whenever You Need Somebody; 5. Hold Me In Your Arms