Hello everyone!
Sometimes I feel that my timeline is always delayed compared to everyone else's. I know it's not good to compare yourself to anyone, but there are times when I can't help it, especially during those times when I feel stagnant while my peers are moving past me at a speed I want for myself. But to be grounded and grateful, I always remind myself that everything I have now is what I dreamt and hoped for before.
I know that my dreams are unlike the conventional ones like having a car, getting married, or having a family. As funny as it sounds, my dreams when I was young were really mundane like being able to eat rice daily (because eating rice was a luxury, we ate corn instead of rice and I hated the rough texture of stone-milled corn) or to be able to see an airplane on the ground (because we only saw flying airplanes and I wanted to see how big an airplane is when they were on the ground) or to be able to work in an airconditioned establishment (this was when we were in Zamboanga City and it was my first time to be in a mall). When all those mundane dreams were fulfilled, I dreamed of bigger things while being satisfied with the life that I had.
See where I'm getting with this? I just want you to know that no matter how long or hopeless, you never stop dreaming. You dream of bigger things while being satisfied with the life that you currently have.
There's just one dream that I was not able to fulfill until last week. It was a dream that started the travel bug in me. I wanted to explore the world no matter how long it takes. I reached the peak of the highest mountain in the Philippines because of that dream, but I felt that this dream should have been fulfilled a long time ago. I've always wanted to climb Mt. Talinis before climbing any mountain, but the opposite happened. I'm almost done climbing the Top 10 highest mountains in the Philippines before climbing the mountain that started it all.
For those who didn't know, I spent my childhood years in a mountain barangay in Amlan, Negros Oriental, and Mt. Talinis can be seen in all its glory, especially on clear days. When we were herding cows or going to the river for a swim, I often wondered what would it take to climb the highest mountain in our area. As the name suggests, Mt. Talinis is sharp or pointed. Climbing that mountain would require some physical and mental preparation.
One dream was finally fulfilled! This is so sentimental for me that part of this post was written inside my tent in Lake Nailig. It was raining outside, but I had a cozy yet emotional and introspective time inside my tent. I didn't feel cold because I was stuffed inside my sleeping bag, but my whole body was so sore from the hike. I have a lot of things to take about the hike itself, but I feel they should be in the upcoming posts. I intended this post to be my reminder that dreams do come true. They might morph into different forms or get delayed as life gets in the way, as long as you won't stop dreaming, the universe will find a way for it to be fulfilled.
Speaking of preparation, I only had one hike as preparation for this climb, but I didn't mind. I was a little bit worried, but the desire to reach Nacolon Peak was stronger than my worries. For context, I have been sedentary these past few months. I ditched my usual gym routine and stayed at home most of the time. I only go out when it's absolutely needed. But I never had any major issues with this climb, except that I had a stomach upset during our second day of the hike. I can't be stopped by a simple stomach upset when I climbed Mt. Mandalagan with an injury. I don't recommend you to be reckless though. I know my limits and I know when to stop if I feel I can't do it. Thanks to 
and James Glendon's Loperamide, I managed to reach the peak.
and James Glendon's Loperamide, I managed to reach the peak.
From the start of the hike at Apolong Trail to Twin Falls to Rancho Campsite to Kaipuhan Sulfur Vents to Maribuhok Forest to Lake Mabilog and Lake Nailig to Nacolon Peak, there are a lot of stories to tell. It was even overwhelming, but I'll just have to unpack them one by one someday. For some, Mt. Talinis is their first major climb, but for me, it was a fulfillment of a long-time dream. It was like a chapter of my book has been closed and a new one has been opened.
To achieve bigger things, I'm now ready to face one aspect of my life that I have been setting aside for a while. Thanks to that climb, I got motivated to confront my own self-limiting beliefs. I can't divulge all the details yet, but hopefully, I'll be able to share them here one day.
Another good thing that happened due to that climb was that my sleeping pattern has been reset. Due to my sedentary lifestyle, I have been sleeping at around 5:00 AM and I'll be awake most of the night. Due to the climb, I now sleep at around 10:00 or 11:00 PM. I feel like I should just do a major climb to fix my problems.
I guess that's all for this post. See you at the next one! Just don't forget that the universe is working for you and not against you. Remember to dream big, but stay grounded. A reminder not just for you, but also for my future self.
Kim Ybañez
Welcome to Kim's small corner in Hive. He is a chemical engineer by profession, but a blogger by passion. He is a wanderlust and an adventure seeker. Join his quests as he visits remote destinations, climbs mountains, tries new and exotic dishes, and explores his country (The Philippines). He's also a trying-hard photographer so stay tuned as he shares his photos and his thought process while creating them.
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