Thursday, February 25, 2016

3 things I picked up during my days in isolation

When I traveled ALONE to Isabela for work right after I came from my SOLO trip to Bohol, I thought, "Ok, enough of being alone. I'm ready to be with humans now!" But now that I'm about to go home, it feels like the end of an awesome vacation even if I had to work.

To end this AMAWZING "vacation" in a good note, here are 3 things I learned during my almost 2 weeks of isolation:

1. Everything is expensive!

Hotels, restaurants, and even toiletries are steep when you're alone [and picky].

Hotels - There are very few [good] hotels that offer rooms for 1. Of course, Agoda and Booking.com are there to help you out, but if you want nice clean private bathrooms and a change of sheets and towels everyday, you need to prepare to shell out a bit more than usual. Privacy is pricey. #SeeWhatIDidThere

Restaurants - The best restaurants (according to looloo, zomato, and tripadvisor) [around the Philippines] rarely have meals for 1. They only have meals good for 2-3 persons at the least. I couldn't try most of the yummy dish because there were A LOT per serving. Ugh. This needs to change NOW!

Toiletries - This is actually my fault. Whenever I travel with friends or family, I only bring the essentials (e.g. facial wash, deodorant, toothpaste). I don't bring the ones you can share. Oops.

2. You cannot control the conversations you have with yourself.

At first, I started talking to myself in the bathroom, then in front of the mirror, then before going to bed, then in the car, then in the elevator, then while crossing the street, then while eating in public, then while watching a movie, then while walking around the mall. JUST LIKE A CRAZY PERSON. Even smiles become uncontrollable. Whenever I remember something funny, I smile like a creep while looking into nothingness. Weirdo.

3. Small talks are no different [for extreme introverts].

They still terrify and annoy me even if I kinda seek for them. They’re even worse when you’re travelling alone because strangers suddenly small talks with you without warning.

When I decided to travel alone, I thought, "Oooh, finally a chance to meet new people!" NOPE! I still freak out when I see strangers in my peripheral vision approaching me. I swear, one time, I actually ran! (Ok, not ran. More like brisk walked.)

There was one small talk convo though that I liked. A couple of Titas approached me while I was on the Loboc cruise (i.e. I couldn't run away.) in Bohol and said, "Buti pinayagan ka umalis mag-isa. Ang bata mo pa naman. Ilang taon ka na ba?" BOOM! I awkwardly laughed and replied, "Ay, 26 na po ako." I loved seeing their faces after I said that. I love Boholanos.


I REALLY enjoyed my time in isolation. But I think it’s the perfect time to come back home. I haven’t seen my dad in more than 2 weeks (he went to the States to see my lola), and I miss my mom, sister, and bed. At least I’ll have the weekend to adjust and rewire my brain to go back to normal.

I'm looking forward to my next solo trip! This time international maybe? (Ugh, I’m running out of vacation leaves and it’s only February. <3>

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