One of the perks of having a boyfriend who works with planes is getting a free monthly subscription of the in-flight magazine (from him). For me that is a biggie! In the August issue of Mabuhay Magazine
handed to me by Yan when I came back from Mauritius, I stumbled upon this so cute, well-written, and truthful (yes I am biased as can be) article by fellow blogger Aleah Taboclaon.
 |
| Cebu, Philippines |
Date a girl who travels. You’ll recognize her by the
backpack she always carries. She won’t be carrying a dainty handbag; where will
she put her travel journal, her pens, and the LED flashlight that’s always
attached to her bag’s zipper? In a small purse, how can she bring the small
coil of travel string, the wet tissues, the box of cracker, and the bottle of
water she’s always ready with, just in case something happens and she can’t go
home yet?
Yes, a girl who travels knows that anytime, anything can
happen and she just has to be prepared with it. Nothing takes her by surprise;
she takes everything with equanimity, knowing that such things are always a part
of life. She’s reliable and dependable, traits that she’s learned while on the
road.
You’ll also recognize a girl who travels by the fact that
she’s always amazed at the world around her, no matter if she’s in her home
town or in a place that’s totally new. She sees beauty all around her, not just
the ones featured in travel guides or shown in postcards. A girl who travels
has developed a deeper appreciation for life. She won’t judge you, or pressure
you to do things you don’t want to do. She knows too much about the importance
of identity and self-efficacy, and she will appreciate all the more if you
won’t pretend to be who you’re not.
You can make mistakes with a girl who travels, and you can
also be as idiosyncratic as you can be. Trust me, she has seen so much worse in
her travels, and knows firsthand the vagaries of human nature.
 |
| Sunway Lagoon, Kuala Lumpur |
Mekong Delta, ran by the streets of Saigon, or went skinny-dipping in the caves in the Philippines, she still retains that humility that is the mark of a real traveler. She knows she’s been to a lot of places, but she’s humbled by the fact that the world is still a big place and she’s only seen a small part of it. Seeing this in her can make you feel all right with yourself too; there’s no need for you to do more, to be more. What you are is enough.
When you meet a girl who travels, ask her where she’s been
and what she’s going to do next. She will appreciate your interest, and if
you’re lucky, she may even invite you to join her. When she does, do. Nothing
bonds people better than traveling. On your trips, you will both see each
other’s best and worst characteristics, and you can then decide whether she’s
worth fighting for.
It’s easy enough to date a girl who travels. She won’t want
expensive gifts; you can buy her (or both of you) cheap tickets to Thailand for
the weekend, and she’ll be more than happy to take you to the longest wooden
bridge in the country. You don’t even have to go overseas; you can take her out
on day trips, caving or hiking, or treat her to a full body massage.
You can also buy her the little things that she keeps
forgetting to buy for herself; that carabiner that will attach her backpack to
her seat so that she will feel easier about sleeping on her bus trip, or a
backpack cover, a small alarm clock, a money belt, or maybe another sarong that
will replace the one she lost in China.
She won’t mind if you get lost on your way to a date. She
knows that oftentimes, the journey is more important than the destination. She
will help you see the lighter side of things. She’ll walk along with you, not
behind you, pointing out the interesting bits of things you’ll see on the way.
Before long, you’ll realize that yes, the journey has been more memorable than
the destination that you’ve planned to take her to.
 |
| Sunset at Kuta Beach, Bali |
Is a girl who travels worth it? Yes, she is. So when you find her, keep her. Don’t lose her with your insecurities and doubts. Because when she says she loves you, she really does. After all, she’s seen so many things, met so many people, and if she had chosen you, better grab that opportunity and thank the gods that you were lucky enough she’s chosen you and not that bloke she met while watching the sun rise in Angkor Wat, or while whitewater rafting in the Padas Gorge in Sabah.
If she says she loves you, she must have seen something in
you, something that can always call her back from her travels, something that
can anchor her to the world in the way that she wants to after weeks and months
of being on the road.
Date a girl who travels. Make her feel safe, warm, and
secure. Make her believe that no matter where she goes, and however long she’s
gone, you’ll always be there for her, the one that she can call home.
Find a girl who travels. Date her, love her, and marry her,
and your world will never be the same again. ♥
Aleah wrote this article in Copenhagen, Denmark during her 70-day solo backpacking trip in Europe. This was first published on her blog, SolitaryWanderer.com, where it became viral with over 30,000 shares in Facebook and Twitter. (Courtesy of Mabuhay Magazine August 2012 Issue)
I love this! ♥
ReplyDelete