Early Morning at Nacpan-Calitang, December, 2015.

"i just mentioned the ??? word!"

23rd, February 2016

For some people, a journey to another place is a deeply personal thing.

It may seem trivial and nonsense for others, but for some people,

It is where they heal the scars in their minds,

It is where they deal with their personal demons,

It is where they cleanse their souls.

I was accustomed to seeing half empty bus stations and busy ports.

I enjoyed the long rides and I do not mind the vacant seats or the strangers who come and go.

I enjoyed the tranquility of the ocean because for me, there are few places as peaceful as the sea.

I enjoyed hearing the waves and feeling the cold sea wind on my face.

I walked alone and felt the solitude without sadness.

I felt the sands on my feet, the cold waters and the salty air.

I felt the heat of the sun and appreciated the shades provided by the trees.

I have loved the smell of the leaves and the wet earth.

I watched the beautiful sunsets and thanked whoever or whatever it is that we hold holy for the passing of another day.

I listened to the silence of the evenings, the solemnity of finally going to rest knowing it was not the end of another day but the preparations for a new one.

I waited for the sun to rise and marveled at the burst of a new light and a new hope in the vast sky.

I have read the poetry of life written in the stones and rocks, mountains and grasslands,

I have seen its words beneath the ocean and in the vastness of the blue sky, reflected on the waters and carved in limestone walls.

Well, now, I do not want you to be a part of my journey…

Because, long after the journey has ended,

Long after, the bags were unpacked.

The thoughts of you will continue to haunt me endlessly and on my next journey.

I would feel the emptiness of a vacant seat and resent the strangers that would seat beside me.

The long rides will be filled with boredom.

The vast ocean will be an empty space of silence and longing.

The coldness will torture me and will make me beg for the warmth of another soul.

The evenings will be filled with silence, numbing silence.

I will see your face in the reflections on the waters and on limestone walls, throughout the vastness of sea and sky.

The memories of you would fill my solitude with sadness.

So, no, you can never be a part of it.