Sooo, I’ve been thinking, what if I stop climbing mountains? What if I just make myself an ordinary girl who likes staying at home, reading books and sleeping at ease on her comfy bed? Or a normal working girl doing her job at the office and spending overtime work on weekends? What if I stop camping? What if I start being conscious and maybe even insecured about how pretty I look?

I left those questions unanswered and decided to be a part of a Traveling group who helps local communities instead. Okay, I’m not girly or pretty or sexy or cool or “well-behaved” girl. I don’t actually care. Being who I really am and doing what I really love PLUS helping people - well that’s more important for me.

I had a day hike with Crusade last month. It was my first time, actually, to join an event with a Mountaineering group. I honestly thought it was going to be boring, since most of them yeeeaaars older than us. But when I joined their “socials”, I knew I found the craziest gang on Earth. (Well in my life, at least.)

We lined up our tents for one night of encampment and it was just when we got back Manila and I saw all pictures we’ve taken, I was “WOWed” by the view of our campsite. Maybe it was the cows and horses that caught my attention when we were still there which is pretty cute and fun because we literally can hear the mooos and neeeighs all night.

I enjoyed our socials so much. After we had our wonderful dinner (thanky, ate Amcy ans tito Ching) and LNT (Leave No Trace) discussion, they started the drinking session and kwentuhan and kulitan. Me and my friends were supposed to isolate ourselves and play UNO but insisted at least some of us should join the larger group since they are the hosts and we are just joiners. My friends decided they should take some rest but I didn’t want the others to think there’s distance between us and them, so I joined them instead.

But it was not just their company that I loved. I was also got interested by their passion and advocacy in mountaineering. They don’t just climb mountains. They don’t just travel for fun. They don’t just post funny pictures and try to market their pages.

Their passion in mountaineering is faaar different from the “passion” we think we have in traveling. Before hearing these people, my purpose in traveling is just for myself, to see the world and maybe explore more. With Crusade, (and I believe there are other groups out there with the same thinking as well), I realized how lucky I am that I can travel whenever I want to. I realized though some of the times I’m tearing my pocket, I have the time and energy to travel. And that I have the resources that I would need in traveling.

Traveling is actually not a need. We just say it so because we can afford it. Well, not everyone can afford it. So it is not a need. It is a luxury. And it pained me when I realized how much money I spend in traveling while the local people in the mountains have nothing in their pockets.

The kids can’t even go to school with proper apparels or even school supplies. Most of the people don’t own their lands, and basically don’t own their earnings, they give it to the higher class which acquired the lands and made them slaves. Some of the parents just can’t help but cry when asked how their life is going.

Maybe some of you call yourselves “climbers” or “mountaineers” or “travelers”. But I bet most of your interests are fixed to how much of a paradise you are expecting to see. I am glad my eyes are now open to an equally important part of traveling - knowing the locals.

I’m not recruiting you or whatever. I’m still a newbie. I need two more counted climbs to graduate and be an official member.

I just wanted to share my thoughts. I’m already 25. Some of the people around me are already expecting me to invest on different assets as a professional would do. Some are already asking when I’ll get married. Some are just waiting for me to show more surprises a 25-year-old woman could show. And here I am just starting to discover myself.

But I think the things I’m just learning now is waaaaay more noble than the rush of getting yourself successfully wealthy. I believe discovering your real passion, advocacy, and true love weighs more than getting a car or a house or a boyfriend. Agree?