about me

Hi! My name is Joenil. I'm an industrial engineer turned telecom marketeer and soon to be FMCG confectionery consultant with a passion for a lot of things. Here, I'm going to talk about one - backpacking, and my own slice and take of it.

The first time I road a big plane was when I was 19, bound  to Taiwan for an educational scholarship back in 2005. Pretty late bloomer but it was my first time to go abroad, first time to learn a new language, first time to travel.

Fast forward to 7 years after, i found myself having been to 13 different countries, even going back several times to some. As a poor college student, I traveled thru different means by saving money thru my countless side jobs or by qualifying on international youth camps, as an ambassador to represent the Philippines. When I started working, time became my limitation. But I just worked around well planned personal leaves while at the same time, covering a lot of local destinations.

Pnhom Penh, April 4, 2012

My "4 countries in 15 days" journey is particularly special not just because it marked my 26th birthday in a 15 hour bus, or that I spent only a little over 500USD all-in, or that there's no itinerary exactly like what I did available online, that I just had to wing it, one day at a time.

It's particularly special because this half-a-month lonesome backpacking trip brought such a jolt in my heart & mind that in spite being well traveled prior, It's like I just fell in love all over again. Leaving as pretty contented guy and then coming back, my trip made me question and re-assess my life plans, that now & at the risk of sounding preachy, I realized  that there are other routes to happiness than the one I know.

Inside Cu Chi Tunnel, April 1, 2012

And aside from this blog to serve as my future memory bank, I'd like to share it to others how it can be done. And you know I'm talking to you if you are:

- A young employee limited to 10-12 paid vacation leaves per year; or just busy with something
- budget constrained
- obsessive compulsive - more comfortable if things are well planned
- used to and have experience limited to the typical 3-days-2-night travel tours, with friends or family

But despite such, you know that you yourself are:

- adventurous and brave
- social and would like to learn first hand different cultures
- going thru something and could really use an eat-pray-love moment

My posts will be more experiential and less nitty-gritty. In a constant effort to keep my bag light, I throw away flyers, tickets and guides as I go along the way  But I as I write about my each day, I hope you get to pick up more on the vigilance, mindset and attitude to just chill & enjoy.