From opening ourselves up to new wonders and sharing great moments with loved ones, travel will always be a beautifully moving experience.
And after a series of stifling and suffocating months, we can finally step out and reclaim the journeys and adventures taken from us. Many magical things are finally within reach, just waiting to be seized.
To inspire everyone to enjoy a summer journey or two, we talked to 9 incredible Pinay travelers and asked them why they travel and how it reshapes their views on life.
Colz Vidal is a former CPA who loved traveling so much that she had to build her own travel agency. Keep track of her adventures via her Facebook and Instagram.
THE TRAVEL CLUB: What does travel mean to you?
COLZ: When I travel, I get the chance to gain more experiences, explore different attractions, try out local food, and of course — meet new friends. So ultimately, traveling for me is about discovering things about the places I visit and in the process, discovering new bits and pieces about myself too.
THE TRAVEL CLUB: How does traveling inspire/empower you?
COLZ: I started traveling as a hobby until I fell in love with it and developed my passion for it. Eventually, I was able to put up my first ever business out of that passion. So not only traveling inspired me to take risks and create opportunities for myself, but it also gave me the courage to become the best version of myself — and to really do something about it. If I hadn’t discovered my love for traveling, I wouldn’t be who I am right now.
THE TRAVEL CLUB: What’s the best lesson you’ve learned from traveling?
COLZ: That every experience is a chance for us to learn and grow. Traveling is not always as glamorous as we see on social media. We’ll encounter mishaps and challenges along the way. When we do something about how to get out of a bad situation, we learn to think critically, solve problems, and build connections. If we’re traveling alone, we learn to be independent. If we’re traveling with someone, we learn how to get along with others. Our travel experiences will be different each time but in every single one, we’ll learn something valuable that we’ll take with us when we go home.
Sophia Chua is a lady rider sharing her devotion for the open road via her moto adventures. Her two-wheel getaways can be seen on her vlog and Instagram.
THE TRAVEL CLUB: What does travel mean to you?
SOPHIA: Travel means allowing both physical and mental exploration. It means greeting the unknown face to face and accepting its invitation to create new and lasting memories. It means meeting new people, new cultures, and new ideas.
THE TRAVEL CLUB: How does traveling inspire/empower you?
SOPHIA: Through traveling, I am both humbled and empowered. It makes me realize my strengths and capabilities by overcoming struggles that come along the way, and humbles me by showing how diverse and different each path a person takes. How each person's way of traveling is different from the other. And that's okay! A rainy day can be gloomy to some yet enjoyable to others. There are so many ways to enjoy traveling , and you just have to keep doing it to figure out which one fits you best.
THE TRAVEL CLUB: What’s the best lesson you’ve learned from traveling?
SOPHIA: The best lesson I've learned from traveling is that life has so much more than what you see on a day to day basis. I've learned that if I find myself tired of where I'm at in life, I can stop and think that there are so many possibilities and places that I've yet to see. And I just have to step out and find them. There's always a corner to discover, a rock to uncover. Somehow, that gives me hope.
Tia Lacson is a devotee of stylish travels. Watch her chase her passion for lovely escapes at Facebook and Instagram.
THE TRAVEL CLUB: What does travel mean to you?
TIA: It means everything. I work hard so I can travel. I travel for work as well. I simply cannot imagine what life would be like without the thought of seeing and experiencing new places.
THE TRAVEL CLUB: How does traveling inspire/empower you?
TIA: Travel helps me see things from a new perspective. Aside from bringing inspiration, it also helps me relax. Travel is a teaching moment for me, and each place being unique, also brings about a different insight and lesson as soon as I get home.
THE TRAVEL CLUB: What’s the best lesson you’ve learned from traveling?
TIA: Although I have been taught a myriad of life lessons from travel, I have in the bigger picture also realized that traveling is who I am. It’s essential to my being. It’s a joy and a learning experience at the same time. Travel is love. Travel is life.
Jenica Canaveral is a young woman filling her days with special travel moments in her magical home of Palawan. Follow her adventures on Instagram.
THE TRAVEL CLUB: What does travel mean to you?
JENICA: “Travel is food and women love food.” Travel has a bearing in my life — it just means a LOT to me as I find joy in discovery and learning. With travel, I get to understand things, have fun, meet new people, and just be ‘lost’ and be ‘found’. Travel is like a virus with no antidote and will make you want to have and to do more and more filling the ‘gaps’ in your life and finding your peace.
THE TRAVEL CLUB: How does traveling inspire/empower you?
JENICA: Traveling inspires me by teaching me how to be independent and to learn things in-depth with no SCORECARD — the good and the bad. Life isn’t all about those acad books and calculated learnings. In light, traveling empowers me to see & appreciate not just the beauty of life but also the lessons it offers. Traveling gives us self-awareness and shapes us to be better, to find our passion, to shift how we see ourselves and how we see the world around us. And a point, for us to be well-rounded, an open mind is needed, which travels plants and nourishes.
THE TRAVEL CLUB: What’s the best lesson you’ve learned from traveling?
JENICA: By far, the best lesson I’ve learned from traveling is that taking risks are all worth it — even if you’re a WOMAN. Life offers us a lot of opportunities yet we’re too afraid to pop our own bubbles and get out of our comfort zones. We tend to forget how to breathe and just panic. Remember, God knows who, what, when, and where to give us and we just have to trust the process. #fempower
Chezka Carandang knows the sky is the limit. An aviator, a stereotype breaker and an avid traveler, catch her latest adventures on her Facebook and Instagram.
THE TRAVEL CLUB: What does travel mean to you?
CHEZKA: Travel inspires me to learn more about other people’s lives and culture. It empowers me because I come home with more stories to tell, and an experience that teaches me new things.
THE TRAVEL CLUB: How does traveling inspire/empower you?
CHEZKA: To me, travel is a way to appreciate life. The views of nature, and the experience of making a temporary home away from home excites me.
THE TRAVEL CLUB: What’s the best lesson you’ve learned from traveling?
CHEZKA: In traveling I learned to be open to possibilities & adapt to changes. Every trip is a quest & an adventure.
Kelsey Gonzales is a young creator going on very #aesthetic travels. See more of her journeys on Instagram.
THE TRAVEL CLUB: What does travel mean to you?
KELSEY: For me, traveling means spending time with your family or friends. Also, it is a chance to discover new places & people or a chance to go back to your favorite places with your favorite people.
THE TRAVEL CLUB: How does traveling inspire/empower you?
KELSEY: Traveling inspires me because it is that perfect time for me to get to know myself more outside of my comfort zone since I'll have to adjust to wherever I am and whoever I am with. It inspires me to work even harder and earn enough so I can go to places that I dream of going to.
THE TRAVEL CLUB: What’s the best lesson you’ve learned from traveling?
KELSEY: One of the many lessons I learned from traveling is to always cherish the moment. No matter who you're with or where you are, it is always important that you appreciate the privilege you have because you're getting the chance to visit the places you've always wanted to visit. Not everyone has that luxury in life. Regardless, no matter where you are it is always important that you get to spend your life with people that you love and love you as much.
Julienne Hernandez shares her love for travel with her husband. Her envy-worthy adventures can be found here.
THE TRAVEL CLUB: What does travel mean to you?
JULIENNE: For me travel is a way of learning. Learning about the world and yourself as well. Traveling has taught me so much about our beautiful world that I bet I’ll never learn by reading, watching or even hearing about them. It has opened my eyes to things I didn’t even know I’m capable of as well. It’s such a life changing experience and a great teacher—so even if you’re only exploring a city nearby or an entirely different country, I suggest every woman should (solo) travel at least once in their lives.
THE TRAVEL CLUB: How does traveling inspire/empower you?
JULIENNE: Before I met my husband, I had been traveling alone and I believe that it has empowered me to become independent and confident with myself.
Unlike traveling with a group or a friend, traveling alone will give you full autonomy over every single decision that you will make for your trip and while it’s scary at first, it’s also liberating as well. I have gone outside my comfort zone one too many times when traveling and I always come home a better version of myself.
THE TRAVEL CLUB: What’s the best lesson you’ve learned from traveling?
JULIENNE: Experiences over things. It may sound cliché but you really only need little to be happy. I went to my first cultural travel experience back in 2010 (the trip that started it all) and until today, every time I remember what I did back then and with my other trips since, I can’t help but smile and be happy. The bonds that you will form from the people you’ll meet, the skills you’ll learn, the challenges you’ll accomplish, and the memories you will make will bring you so much happiness and contentment no material possession will give you.
Zhaira Pilon is a quintessential traveler on the mission of visiting every Philippine province. Slowly but surely she’s on her 25th out of 81. Tune in on her future travels here.
THE TRAVEL CLUB: What does travel mean to you?
ZHAIRA: For me, traveling means to appreciate little things. We are often busy with our normal daily lives and we tend to forget the beauty of things like, watching sunsets, savoring a delicious meal, making new friends.
THE TRAVEL CLUB: How does traveling inspire/empower you?
ZHAIRA: There are still a lot of things to wonder about and discover. In traveling, I take my time to slow down and reflect on my experiences. I started to understand how lucky I am and I always look forward to encountering acts of kindness and generosity from other people who have far less than myself.
THE TRAVEL CLUB: What’s the best lesson you’ve learned from traveling?
ZHAIRA: The best lesson I've learned from traveling is that I am more capable than I thought. It taught me to be more confident, independent and be free. Meeting new friends, exploring new places, overcoming unseen difficult situations, reciprocating acts of kindness, etc. made me more powerful and it became one of the most transformative experiences in my life. It is not about having new phones, cars, clothes, etc, it is our experiences.
Chelsea Robato is a free-spirited woman roaming the world for new experiences. Get updates on her recent adventures on Facebook and Instagram.
THE TRAVEL CLUB: What does travel mean to you?
CHELSEA: To me, travel means being able to see and experience new things, places, and meet people.
THE TRAVEL CLUB: How does traveling inspire/empower you?
CHELSEA: Travel inspired me to work harder so I can take the time and have the funds to experience different countries, provinces, and cities. I love being able to speak to find common ground and relate to people when talking about places to see or have been to the same places before.
THE TRAVEL CLUB: What’s the best lesson you’ve learned from traveling?
CHELSEA: The best lesson I’ve learned from traveling is to be open minded to new traditions, cultures, practices, and food!
Much like these phenomenal women, The Travel Club celebrates the amazing power of travel. Every path leads to meaningful moments that we’ll be treasuring for a lifetime.
So this summer, get ready for awesome journeys ahead. Enjoy safe and wonderful travel with the best travel items from The Travel Club, the go-to shop for every adventure!
Connect to your nearest The Travel Club store here: https://campsite.bio/thetravelclub.ph .