This Mt. Talamitam climb is unique in the sense that it somehow mirrors how it’s been for me, academically and professionally, in the last few months (& years).
I had seen Mt. Talamitam's exquisite beauty and secretly dreamed of conquering it from afar during a Mt. Batulao Climb in 2013. Since then, zero attempts were actually made to make it there until this year, randomly but risk-calculatedly. I have known all sorts of graduate scholarship opportunities abroad – Fulbright, Chevening, Erasmus, & so on – all these years, yet the faintest idea of trying it out (particularly the lattermost) never occurred to me, not until circumstances actually, badly called for it.
Fast forward to eight years later, I finally had the chance to experience Mt. Talamitam's grand, up close and in details – a mix of tropical forest stitched with a wide open Trail leading to a prized peak. Long story short, I sort of made a bold decision to take a leap of faith for a chance to fly. And proudly, I’m about to finally realize some of those long-hidden career desires to actually happen in the next few months.
At the beginning of the climb were all just trees offering much needed shade against the furious sunny heat. The same way my 2021 started, the hike was all exciting walking yet another familiar trail that offers comfort in gradual uphill slopes and shady comfortable trails. This prelude of the hike lasted for a while until that point leading to a barren field was reached. I was basically living the first quarter of this year as boringly as expected, until the news of me clinching a scholarship offer broke like a balloon bearing the confirmation in a baby gender reveal party. It was wildly pleasant but called for a lot of hard work shortly afterwards.
At the end of that forest-y comfort zone portion of the trail was an open track overlooking the distant peak, with views so exquisite, though subject for a long walk under the scorching heat. It’s a crossroad in a sense but with an obvious logical choice. As the news signaled for a major change in course, the amount of effort that needs to be done, the price I had to pay, and the lengthy times of uncertainties were unfortunately and inevitably all part of the process. The opportunity’s a gold but the odds to realize it were equally great. I moved forward anyway.
From that point of the trail, the peak proudly sits at a distant end inviting for a glorious trek across green slopes and rolling fields enveloped in talahibs overlooking the vastness of the Batangas province. It was quite overwhelming given the contrasting beauty of the trails, the thought of reaching the peak, and the tiring part of the entire hike progress. For months, I have been silently eyeing, eagerly preparing, and hardly working towards this major move of embarking on a journey painstakingly taxing which I deeply hope will be worth it in the end.
