2013: Go Somewhere You've Never Been and Do Something You've Never Done

"May your coming year be filled with magic and dreams and good madness.

 I hope you read some fine books and kiss someone who thinks you're wonderful, 

and don't forget to make some art -- write or draw or build or sing or live as only you can. 

And I hope, somewhere in the next year, you surprise yourself." 

-Neil Gaiman-

Neil got it all in. Well almost. He left out something important to me -- to travel. I hope to travel massive this year. I hope to do more crazy and adventure-filled travels, to meet more interesting people, to chase more sunsets, to surf and dive more, to visit other Philippine churches and mosques, to have more bus and RORO rides, to be able to swim well, to ride a bike, to fly a kite (again), to score a mountain or two, to eat more exotic local dishes, and to have more relaxing beach bumming experiences.  And maybe, just maybe, somewhere down the roads of 2013 I’ll be able to find the love that will travel with me for a lifetime! (yihhaa! confetti and wine!!)

In terms of travel, 2013 is a big one for me. Hopefully this year I’d be able complete my 80 before 30. This is my personal challenge to travel to all 80 provinces of the Philippines before I turn 30 years old. As of now, I've been to 52 provinces, and still have 28 to visit. I’m ecstatic with this year’s roster of provinces because I'll be visiting less touristy and some off-the-beaten track destinations like Abra, Apayao, Quirino, Marinduque, Romblon, Biliran, Tawi-Tawi, Sarangani, and Dinagat Islands.

Schedule permitting, I plan to complete the list within the first half of the year so I could spend the remaining months catching up on blogging and doing some more leisure trips to some places I would like to go back to. And here's the thing, just when I thought that I'd go solo in some of the trips, someone of kindred spirit expressed willingness to take this challenge with me! Yey! I can't wait to hit the road. :)

And since traveling opened my mind to a lot of social issues in the country, I hope to help out and give back in my own simple ways. In the coming days, I'll blog about a project I've been planning with some of my closest friends. Tentatively entitled "Tawid-Dagat: Braving Philippine Seas for Literacy," this project aims to bring books and to share to children from far-away islands the values of reading. As planned, our first destination will be Palumbanes Island in Catanduanes.

I can't tell you enough how excited I am with this project. I hope you can share this excitement with us and be our partner in bringing smiles to these children!

2012 was a breakthrough in blogging for me, but I feel 2013 will be more epic! I have a lot of brilliant ideas in mind, and I can't wait to share it all here! I hope I’d be more inspired to write – to allot less time to day-dreaming and spend more time actively romancing my keyboards. I also hope this year, I’d be able to publish a write up for a magazine or be featured in a travel program! (still day-dreaming...hehehe) Just stick with me and continue reading on. I’ll keep you posted and I'll tour you around this beautiful country the backpacking Pilipinas' way. 

Personally, I hope I could read more books (lessen my book-abandonment rate), walk more miles with Anchi (to stay fit), listen to more music, watch more films (attend more free-admission international film fests), get enough sleep on weekends, visit more museums, attend more Sunday masses, grow plants in my veranda, lessen my pork intake, replace coffee with tea (this will take time), to cook healthier meals (yeeeeeehh!), and go back to practicing “religiously” the Meatless Mondays.

One year, 365 days. Tons of things to be done. But unlike the previous years in which I felt I've raced with time, this year, I'll take things at my very own pace. To eat slow, to walk slow, to laugh harder, to appreciate more.  This time, I'll allow things to simmer down and take in everything there is to feel and experience. To live life and not just exist.

I feel good vibes radiating this new year. As if pushing me to sail away in this year-long journey that's going to be filled with surprises and happy adventures. Here's to you 2013, bring it on!

This post is my entry to Pinoy Travel Bloggers' Blog Carnival for January 2013. With the theme "New Beginnings," this carnival is hosted by Roj Braga of Adventuroj.com

Visit Estan Cabigas' langyaw.com to see the archive of Pinoy Travel Bloggers' Blog Carnival! :)