To my Travel Buddy,
I never liked bumpy roads before.
Until…
The two bumpy roads we were walking on met.
And just like those two bumpy roads we were walking on, my life then was all rough. It was never easy to keep walking on and to think of moving on. I needed a stopover where I could collect my thoughts and find inspiration. It was lucky that my road and your road met. And on that intersection, I finally found the stop-over I was looking for. I finally found the inspiration I was asking for. That was you – a wandering stranger like me.
Your sweet nature reminds me of the remarkable honey taste of strawberry jam in the mountains of the north, where I first took a glance of your unspoiled enthusiasm and beauty. Our first encounter was made perfect by the rough and rocky tracks we trekked that reminded us that difficulties would always be and will always be a part of something beautiful. Amidst those challenging and insurmountable tracks, I was still kept motivated for I was with you. Yes! You brought out all the energy in me to keep me going when I felt weak— when I felt like my legs were going to give and when I felt like my thirst would kill me to death. You were there, and I was like a sheep being herded by you to the top of the mountain, ready to see the perfect view of the world and enjoy the most joyful briefest instant life has to offer.
The view mas made perfect by you.
Then as we walk back to the base camp, you took my hand and led me to a place where you and I could take our photos together. It was all green and blue and white and pink. The colors were beautiful and so as you. Before I hesitated to take a selfie with you, I already heard you asking me to one. Picture perfect, it was! Then I never knew what came in my mind, and I suddenly found myself asking you to join me walk the road farther. You said yes, and from then on, I had the most wonderful trips of my life.
I told you about the troubled ocean of my past and how I was able to sail it! Everything came to the open. I told you how I found a travel buddy and how my heart was broken when she left me and how I tried to move on until I was led to the road that was bumpy – where I met you.
And then you told me too about you were led there…. to the bumpy road— where I met you.
We were not sure what that was. But we both knew one thing: WE LIKED EACH OTHER TO BE AROUND.
To be honest, I still can’t believe that I am traveling with someone else. I have been used to discovering the world around me alone. It has been fun… nobody knows me! I can be what I want to be in front of everybody who doesn’t even know me! It brings me joy! But at the end of the day, when I go back to my hostel, where friendly roommates greet me hi and hello, I end up lying down with the pillow on my face feeling empty and alone. And I know I need someone whom I can be with.. whom I can travel with… whom I can be me when I am with. And it seems that the air blowing in all the places we go to whisper gently in my ear and tells me that someone I need is YOU.
I am not sure if this is it already. This is my first time traveling with a partner. Excitement is all here, and I know I am not being impulsive.
There are just some worries in me that keep me awake at night. This makes me go out of the tent on the nights of our overnight hikes.
What if you do not like to go to the next destination I propose?
What if we found ourselves disagreeing with each other during our trips?
What if you found someone willing to go farther?
What if you found someone who wants the same adventure like yours?
We are not the perfect match. Yes we have hundreds of similarities, and these similarities are the reason why we travel together, but I realized that as we journey, we are finding thousands of differences from each other.
But—- isn’t good that we are able to work with these differences? We always find reasons to stay and stick with one another despite these unpredictable things that come our way. That’s what matters more, I guess.
You like swimming, and I’d prefer hiking. Though we differ, we still go along very well because I am willing to dive deeper and swim against the current of your phenomenal bossiness or irritation when you are getting impatient of waiting for the bus which will take us to the next stop. You are also willing to step your feet moving up to the next height of my cold and moody nature when I am getting tensed of what is to come next when we are lost and can’t seem to find the place we want to go to. Yes, we both prefer to swim and hike and shed our sweat to work out the differences between us because we are travel buddies.
Thank you for giving me so much to remember. From that bumpy road, you led me to the most wonderful ones. You led me to you. You helped me put behind my stress and worries back home. We supported one another in a foreign land where nobody understood us. The occasional glance at you made me realize how fortunate I was to have you along on this crazy adventure.
Thank you for being you. I am me because of you, and I am not sure if traveling will be more exciting without you.
I am getting used to having you as my company.
Please stay with me, my travel buddy!
