It ended sooner than expected. Then again, who’s really counting the days? Not us (but that counter on my sidebar is). And I bet my stenchy goat leather wallet from Morocco that you guys aren’t counting either. You most definitely lost track of our trail weeks ago anyway. Or, since day 200.
Yes, at some point we intended (and attempted) to do a yearlong round-the-world trip, but nothing was concretely planned. Not the destinations, not even the dates. “Any way the wind blows” as that Queen song says.
We had the time of our lives, no doubt. And perhaps you’re asking, why the heck did we fly home on day 280?
Let me take you back three months ago when we were thousands of feet above ground, on board a TAP flight en route from Salvador da Bahia, Brazil to Lisbon, Portugal. Hubby and I were close to tears, secretly laughing at a fellow passenger who looked like Santa Claus (beard and all) on a holiday (clad in board shorts). An Israeli woman in her fifties who was on the aisle seat beside Shervin interrupted us, “Your daughter is beautiful!”.
Her remark sparked a lengthy and engaging conversation about the highs and lows of traveling with children. She’s a grandma, and an occasional drifter. One of her statements hit me real hard: “If I was Luna’s grandmother, I will be angry at you for being away.”
I imagined my mom right that very moment. Spending her days taking care of dogs and watching soap operas… Without her two daughters who left the country to chase their dreams. Without her only grand daughter she’s yearning to embrace, and smooch, and parade in front of the neighbors. It dawned on me that I got too caught up racing against time and ticking destinations off my travel bucket list. My remaining life may be short to see and experience the whole world, but my parents have fewer years left.
At Lisbon Portela Airport in Portugal, whilst waiting for our flight to Morocco, I seriously considered going home for the first time. After nine months of vagabonding around the world I thought to myself, I am still a Filipino through and through.
Although our trip didn’t last a year, I reckon we’ve achieved our goal of circumnavigating the Earth after meeting these four conditions I fished off the book Grounded: A Down To Earth Journey Around The World by Seth Stevenson:
1. Start and finish at the same place.
2. Cross all longitudinal meridians going in the same direction.
3. Cross the equator.
4. Cover at least twenty-five thousand miles – the length of a great circle around the Earth.
Another condition is to “touch two antipodal points”, which for the life of me I can’t seem to fathom, so I’m… Err… Ignoring that.
This is such an epic fulfillment for us (I just couldn’t say it enough), not only because we had dreamt about it for years, but obviously because we did it with our one year old daughter Luna. So what’s next after this? Definitely not purchasing a house yet. Perhaps a second RTW with another tot. But that could happen in the very distant future too. Okay, let me think about it and I’ll get back to you.
Now excuse me while I catch up with family and eat this pinakbet like there’s no tomorrow. Meanwhile, you could Google “antipodal points”.
This post made me feel a bit sad… not in a bad way. I guess it’s the reality of how precious and short life really is. Welcome home 🙂
I omitted the part when I actually cried cause I actually missed my mom… And my whole family. I’m sooo Pinoy!
aww… sweet naman pala ng reason ng pagbalik mo, akala ko nung una nagbabakasyon lang kayo saglit sa pilipinas 🙂
Antipodal points is hieroglyphics to me too! LOL! wow, you are back! I thought you were posting old photos…yep, I have less time ogling blogs and photos nowadays…had it not for a “slack” time while on official travel down south.
aaww, for the love of mommy! ♥
eto na ba yung pang blog carnival? sakto ha
Ding! Hope to meet you on the road 🙂
Chyng, I got a different entry for the carnival. Excited to write it!
i envy you Gay. you defined travel as a journey not based on schedules and personal dreams but on what’s essential on a particular time.
that story of your encounter with the old lady indeed was a good point. the realization of giving time to our parents is a big deal. the very same reason why i brought them to Sagada and Banaue the soonest time.
Welcome back… Yes so pinoy and so sweet !!
sweeeettt… 🙂 i may not be traveling the world pero my mom’s my reason why i decided to move back to zamboanga… now im happy to see my parents having so much fun with their apo… 🙂
awww…. kaka touch… =)
Dong, I remember that trip with your parents! Was it Xmas or New Year? Sooo sweet of you!
Ang sweet! I’ve tried denying it before but we Filipinos have strong family ties. I wonder what did your husband say when you said the idea of going back home before the set not deadly deadline. Welcome back! 🙂
Josiah, the hubby couldn’t wait to have a break from baby sitting! Haha! Coz finally, family can help take care of Luna.
Thanks Marie!
Chamimay, lolas and lolos are so happy with ze grandkids around 🙂
Great 280 days! Thank you sharing your wonderful trip with us.. ^__^
Welcome home! 🙂
family is very important… which is why i can’t seem to leave my son behind for every long trip i make, no matter how hard it is to bring a child during long travels. and now that my mom is getting older, she’s being dragged too to all my travel escapades!
You’ve hit a very sensitive spot in me, Gay. I thought I was the toughie i-will-never-ever-miss-home type, but somehow talking about families break me down. I’ll be home soon . . . and hope to bump into your gorgeous family, if I get lucky. 🙂
Gladys, haha! I can sooo relate.
Reiza, thought I was a toughie too. But yeah, I got acquainted with my soft side during our RTW 🙂 Hope to meet you soon!
Welcome back! Actually, yung family part din ang isa sa reason why I cannot really go on long-term backpacking trip. Gusto ko umuwi pa rin ako kahit papano. Either umuwi ako sa grandparents ko or sa piling ng aking mother and brother. It is ok to stop from time to time and give time to our beloved family 😀
True Mica. And… We’re sooo Pinoy!
Beautiful post Gay! Indeed, even though it is corny at times, it will always be our parents who will pull us back and will make us realize what reality should really be is. I’m glad you made this decision for your folks but most especially for Luna. It will definitely be good for her. Congrats on the RTW feat and welcome back! Enjoy the food! I’m sure namiss mo yan ng sobra 😀
am still fighting the urge to go home to take care of my parents and be there for them. i know they are not getting any younger pero ewan…*sigh* i’m happy that you made the decision to go home gaye. nothing really beats those home-cooked meals our parents make and also the joy you see in their face knowing that they can rest well at night not having to worry about you since you are there with them…safe 🙂
Thanks Drew! Pig out talaga ako, hahaha!
Doi, it’s verrry hard to fight that urge 🙁
I know how you feel 🙂 I am currently in bukidnon with my mom n dad after years of being away from them 🙂 that makes us REAL PINOYS family first, family matters talaga 😀 welcome home!
You were away from them for years?! Aww. That must have been real difficult 🙁 Happy to hear you’re now reunited with them!
Gay, thank you for taking me with you on your travels. 🙂 I’ve been to Macchu Pichu na through your pics. haha..
Seriously though, life is really short indeed. The past week, 2 friends and a close family tie died of cancer. It hit me hard because I realized that our short time here on earth should be spent more with what make us happy. And with our family. There’s always a next time for a Round the world trip. Kaya ok lang na you cut off yours to spend more time with your parents while they’re still here.. 🙂
So touching, I was teary eyed with the part when you we’re imagining your mom taking care of the dogs.. I’m sure she’s very happy that you’re back. 🙂
Lea, yup, we’ve had our fun. Now it’s time to share fun moments with the parents!
Welcome back and yes congrats on your RTW achievement! I know how you feel, mga 2 months ko din hindi nakita family ko. Anyhoo..pinakbet din ang ni-request ko na ulam pagbalik.hehe
mommy gay nakakatouch naman itong post mo. im sure sobrang miss na ni mommy si luna! 🙂 ako kahit na matanda na din parents ko lagi ako nagpplan ng lakad namin.kahit na lagi sila naiihi every hour hehehe.. iba ung pakiramadam.
awwww. na miss q 2loy parents q.
ang galing Gay.. hats off sa mga puntahan mo. idol 🙂
wow this such a nice read and a great way to report of one epic journey around the world! of course there’s no place like home and more than the destinations, it is the time with the people we love that we actually count as “real” experience. I am soooo happy for the achievement you have made so far. Cherish it for now with the people you hold dear and embark on another one later—
awww…that exchange of thoughts with the Israeli grandma hit a nerve…napatigil ako bigla sa pagbasa at napaisip din…ayus si lola, words to ponder
Welcome back! I guess you were bitten by a serious case of the homesickness (much as you won’t like to admit it. Hehehe! I know I currently am experiencing huge doses of it recently.)
As you said, you may never know what happens. Maybe this is just another stopover and there is still a “susunod na kabanata.” Cheesy but you never know. =)
Very touching. As in kasi naiisip ko ang mama ko coz I am away working and while traveling too.
Nevertheless, congrats kasi 280 RTW trip is such an achievement. And you have your sweetest doll and hubby 😀
Will be waiting for that second RTW nyo 😀
Tin, hahaha! I tell my husband everyday that I get homesick! And being homesick means… Your “home” is awesome.
KillerFillers, walang kapantay ang pinakbet! Can’t find that anywhere else 🙂
Abeng, LOL @ “kahit na lagi sila naiihi every hour”. Ako naman, mama ko nagcocomplain every hour.
At Mhe-Anne, so true! People play a major role sa experiences 🙂
Elal, thanks! sana ma-achieve ang second RTW.
Ga-ye. I am in a stage in making a decision. My mother is all alone now in her house after my father died last 2008. Everytime she had sickness, she longed for me to be there. This would be a major major decision for me, moving to another place and start all over again. :-). Take good care always.
Hi gay, congrats on the RTW! the days don’t matter as much as the experience. No need to pressure ourselves of a specific time that we should go home. I mean, it’s nice in the books, but we know ourselves better.
I can totally relate with going home kasi nasa Pinas na din ako. hahaha. after two months on supposedly at least, a 6-month trip (though there’s no actual rule). I probably have to post an update din. hehe. But Pinoy nga tayo and we value family ties. Kaya ngayon, ako ang official labandero sa bahay. hahaha.
Aww, Kuya Bonz, that’s a life changing decision nga. And so sweet of you to really consider just staying with your mom 🙂
Ed, welcome back! And good luck on your next move 🙂 A big decision-maker also is… My yearning for Pniyo food! LOL.
Welcome back Gay!
I’m currently reading some of your archives for what I’ve missed. I haven’t blog hopped for such a long time.
The number of days in your RTW doesn’t matter. What matters is that you get to enjoy it with the people that matters most to you. 🙂
*Nosebleed ako sa Antipodal Points… Di ko na ginoggoogle… lol
Hahaha! I gosh, di ko talaga naintindihan. Dumugo ilong ko. LOL.
As always, a heartfelt and engaging read.
Not only did you brave strange lands to fulfill your dream, but you came back home for love of family. If I was your momma, I’d be very proud 🙂
Cheers to your conquests and welcome back!
Gay, congrats pa rin on the round the world trip! that is indeed an achievement that so few ever experience in one lifetime, let alone one year, with a daughter in tow to boot. Welcome home to you and your family 😉 But I still am going to look forward to your next adventure : )
^^ Thanks girls!
Backpacking with two kids soon? I love it!
So many have dreamt and only a few have done it – whether it’s a month, 2 months or less than a year, inggit pa rin ako Gay!
Your mom must be so happy to see you guys and her apo once again!
Your mom should read this! I’m sure maiiyak sya sa galak. Family always comes first for us Filipinos. Cheers!
She would never read my blog! Haha! But for sure, naiyak na sya sa galak nung nakita nya apo nya.
Di ko pa rin ma imagine visiting those places with baby luna in tow..you’re one super mom indeed! so may baby luna 2 na? hehehe looking forward to your next adventure. 🙂
So funny Gay. I admit I also don’t know what antipodal points mean. hehe But I admire you for coming home early. If I were your mother, I’d miss Luna a lot too. And she also needs time to get to know her grandmother. Anyway, I still hope I can see her someday. I didn’t make it to the list of bloggers in Baguio, but maybe in another event then 🙂
As a traveler who dreams of circumnavigating the world, reading your post and photos made me quite envious! hehehe.. On a serious note, I’m quite impressed with how you’ve managed to travel with little Luna in tow.. 🙂
I love the photo you took in Morocco– It’s beautiful!!
Hi Gay, 280 days is awesome! i do not know any other mom who have rocked the world the day you did <3 kudos!
naiyak ako sa post mo. My mom used to stay with my cousins in Australia and I used to live in Malaysia, my brothers in China and the rest of the family in the Philippines. I called her one time and she was so happy, she said I should call her more often coz she has noone to talk to during the day and I felt so guilty, she said she’s so lonely being alone there and she miss all her grand kids. so after that I told her to go back home and just spend time with the kids.. and I’m home too and she’s staying with me.. I love my mom.
Aww… Thanks Rain!
Aww you made me cry. I miss my Mama so much 🙁 Anyway, welcome home Gay, Luna and hubby.
Wow you’re very lucky to have an opportunity to travel the world. I’m sure your mom missed you guys but understood everything. Isama na si Mama sa next trip! 😀
WOW!!! to be young, fit and adventurous! This adventure is not for the weak of heart so let me congratulate both of you for doing this. Even if you start living a “regular” life, I don’t think life will ever be ordinary or mudane for both of you…you will alays see the extraordinary in the ordinary. You are so lucky to have found each other! BTW, I am curious what is the ethnicity and nationality of your husband?
Merl, he’s Persian 🙂
Puhleeeez, you’re teasing this nerd with the meaning of antipodal! :p
Hay naku, you’ve accomplished so much in terms of your bucket list to ever consider this round-the-world-and-skewering-antipodal-points trip anything less than achieve-na-achieve! I could only dream of this. So which antipodal points are you referring to, a ver? :))
So, are you here??? As in Luzon? Hope to see you in the flesh soon. 😉
Can’t really match 2 antipodal points coz I’m not even sure if they’re antipodal. Hahaha! Anyways, yes we’re somewhere in Luzon. I actually asked Lauren if we could meet up 🙂 Yes, with you.
Ang galing. di ako maka pag comment naisip ko ang magulang ko naguguilty ako sa mga ginawa ko huhuhu.
such an extraordinary experience you have. At such a young age at that as well. And the rest of the world is still waiting for you to explore.
whew! i envy you with all your trips and travels plus with your family.. how i wish i could do the same as well 😐
have a safe trip always! 🙂
Sweet! Coming back… it’s the best part of leaving! There are times when we feel sad that the trip has ended… but most of the times we cannot clearly describe the feeling of coming back home! Ilalagay ko sana “to the place where we belong” kaya parang tunog channel 7 haha!
Haha! That’s true Duni. Now I can work on my blog posts too. Tambak ang labada 🙁
Aww… I feel sad but happy for you at the same time. 280 days is already a great experience for you. Not everyone can do that (especially a family) to travel the world.
I was wondering yesterday when I saw you in a photo with PTB in Baguio..
It’s true then, The Pinay Travel Junkie is back.
I kind of agree with the woman in the plane..
Grandchildren is really a delight especially to grandparents!
I don’t care to know what Antipodal is.. hahaha!
but one thing, I hope to see you on the road one of this days!
welcome back! 🙂
Wow! Ang Sweet mo naman Ma’am Gay..
Sana may uuwian din akong Nanay na tulad mo.. 🙁
Welcome home po at Advance Happy Mother’s Day..:)
Francis, hope to see you on the road too!
To Joan and the rest of tripsiders, thank youuu!
you should also visit your mom, gay. your right, you still young and time is more with you than your parents… isama mo kaya sya? lol… suggestion lang naman. Yahweh bless.
ah, so a prince of persia, (now Iran). One of my extended family is also married to an Iranian dentist whom she met in Cebu. Their kids are studying here but the parents are based in Iran.
Now that you are back in Philippine soil, maybe you can start exploring our 7,100++ islands 🙂
Ralph, that’s why we went home… To be with her. She’s currently playing with Luna.
No one can be beat the place called HOME… you’ll always return to a place where you’ve started. What an adventure!
Traveling around the world in 280 days ain’t that bad if you ask me. Though its a couple of days short of 365 days, I’d still envy you as for me, It’s pain hard even to travel outside manila.
And besides you could do it again when Luna is all grown up don’t you think? ^_^
swak sa mother’s day to… or any day in that case…
ang sweet ni granny on the plane pero mas sweet ka gay to really drop everything and just go home… i can only imagine the joy of your mom the first time she saw luna and you and sherv after a long time 🙂
Bliss was written all over my mum’s face when we saw her at the arrivals area in Clark. Priceless!
Being HOME at last!!!
I’m so envious with those trips you just had
with your one year old kid… and having her
in your travels is just amazing! I wish I can
have that chance too.
Awww..that is so sweet.
I tried staying in a different country for 3 mos. na homesick kaagad ako hehehe 🙂
wow. what an adventure.
kakainggit.haha
the paragraph where you sited your longing for your parents’ presence really hit me hard!
it’s true that as we travel our own paths in this journey called life, we often forget to give back and celebrate with the most important people who brought us out to life.
cheers to you who reminded us all that!
and as i have been constantly mentioning when i comment in most of your posts, luna must have been one of the luckiest and the extremely blessed wonder kid of her generation to have set foot at those place we mere mortals have been dreaming to explore.
your travels savored with your family are and will always be an inspiration!
hindi ko alam kung ano icocomment ko. tagal ko ng nabasa tong post mo. Nakakaiyak naman kasi e. hay! Na-iimagine ko ang eksena sa airport. I’ll just give you a tap on your back. You did the right thing gay. Anyway, for us, your readers, mission accomplished naman ang family mo e. Nag-uumapaw na nga. And we’ll always be tuning in kahit kwentong Pinas na ang mga susunod mong entry. Ang saya kaya dito.. ^_^
kaya pala bumalik ka na ng Pinas, akala ko stop over ka lang dito. That encounter with that woman is for me, something that would totally change someone’s life or plan. Bigla ko tuloy naisip na planuhin na ang byahe kasama ang family ko, kasi matagal ko ng plano yun dati, hanggang sa nadeds na si daduds eh hindi ko pa nagawa. this post reminded me na I should start planning soonest.
Reading posts like this Gay reminds me of my thoughts every time I am away from home but honestly, this kind of realization makes us to travel more and explore the world the most! We are dreaming and every dreams just makes every desired destination closer to reality!
I am happy to have met you already! Cheers and see ya again!
Darwin, shoulda been a quick stopover but we chose to stick around for a while.
Sooo happy we finally met Doc Wendz!
what an inspiring journey! i’d only ever backpacked in our country, and i’m thinking if i should hurry and do a europe trip (ideally rtw trip) before i get hitched. building the funds will take some time, though.
i know that families have traveled around the world before, but you’re the first filipino family i heard of. that assures me that i can do it with family too, should i get hitched earlier than expected. i’ll be checking out your other rtw entries. thanks for the inspiration!
Hi Claire! Would love to read more of your adventures too but perhaps once we’re off the road. My family consists of a Pinay, a Persian, and a Filipersian… But we’re as Pinoy as a family could get! Good luck with your plans. Will read about your Euro adventures someday!
you are super awesome pinaytraveljunkie!!! God bless u and your family! regards to gabe!
I just wanted to tell you that you are such an inspiration. More power to you and your family!
Aww… Thanks!
im so inspired with your posts and your traveling stuffs 🙂 .. but i am quite curious of thing, how about your job?
Hi Mariecar! The hubby is a computer programmer, while I write articles for a living (sometimes other online gigs too). We can work while traveling as long as there’s internet 🙂
poor me, its been a year since you replied on my comment, and I just read it only now, 🙁
well anyways, Ive been wanting to travel on my own, alone, but i am afraid i might get lost or lack money, could you give me some advice thank you 🙂