Getting Out of My Own Comfort - A Hive Blog Intro

I am a Registered Nurse for both the Philippines and United Kingdom (10 years apart) settings and I used to be an Emergency Response Unit volunteer of the Philippine Red Cross Lapulapu/Cordova, Cebu and Mandaue Chapters. I had been trained with Wilderness First Aid, Wilderness Emergency Medical Response by the Cebu Outdoor Enthusiasts as well as Basic Mountaineering Course with the Mountaineering Federation of the Philippines, Inc (MFPI, Inc). But other than that, I had worked with the hotel industry for a good amount of time in Marketing Communications and Public Relations for me to know the INs and OUTs of the said industry.

Needless to say, I am a child of the outdoors, having to explore my beloved Cebu and nearby islands since I was 7 years old. I had been a backpacking kid, a teen bitten by wanderlust and as an adult who had traveled the vast islands between Central Visayas and other nearby regions, had explored Manila on my own and had made my own sojourn to find my roots in the shops of Old Binondo. I had crossed inland waters on outrigger boats even with high winds and rough waters just to satiate my passion for adventure and being outdoors.

I am a mix of both Mestiza Castilla and Chinese ancestry, which is why I am drawn into culture, history, music, food and travel. My ancestors on the paternal side are coming from the Cuico - Regis Families of Old Parian of Old Cebu, and yes, you got that right. We come from those who are considered the Mestisa Sangleys [Chinese Immigrants mixed with the Spanish intermarriages back in the day]. My ancestors from the maternal side are coming from a strong fishing and sailing background from Camotes Island, which shows that even if I am hydrophobic and didn't learn how to properly swim, I am able to still consider myself as a water baby. Check that photo above as proof. 😊

CURRENTLY, I am based here in Berwick-Upon-Tweed, a historic wall town in Northeastern England. Ain't really my choice but by sheer plot twist of fate, I had ended up working for the Nursing Profession (again) by 2019 (after 10 years of getting my Nursing License). IT is not an easy path to take, I had resisted it quite a lot of times, but Heaven's will had been more strong and prevalent rather than my own. So yeah, here I am braving the waves in a foreign territory with no immediate family and it is far from my comfort zone. Truly, being out of your comfort zone makes you resilient and adaptive to changes being thrown at you. One hurdle at a time, baby!

In my almost 4 years stay here in the United Kingdom, I had been able to venture to other parts of the country as well and had maximised train and bus rides as a normal public transport. Also, walking is an essential activity of daily living here, so I am happy that I was used to with walking long distances with a heavy load so I can just walk with ease. And yeah, as a tech enthusiast, Google Maps is my buddy when I am walking.

So yeah, instead of being frustrated with COVID and the general pandemic, I took my time to travel to heal.

You will find more of my travel sojourns in my upcoming content and I will also let you have a glimpse of what this country had shown me as a Lumad Cebuana.

I always believed in just letting things take its own course, and I also wanted to let you see how I am settling here on an unfamiliar to bloom. I am now someone who would seize the day, rather than live in regret as to not acting on something I would be relive when I am older.

Hope these travel photos would be a reminder that I am just someone who follows where the wind will take me and braves the waves to slay the dragons that I encounter, well at one point, tame all of them and have them under my command, one day at a time. 🙂 [I guess this is really why I gravitate toward the character of Daenerys Targaryen from the Game of Thrones].

Other than that, I also spend time, money, effort and skill in planning my travels. Gone are the days when I am off to somewhere without any care on itineraries and budget, here I am, #adulting as much as I can. And with the not-so-good situations of the trains nowadays, I am trying to maximise my travel time to enjoy the places I wanted to go and experience. And yes, writing about it before I forget is a means for me to practice and hone my neurons.