Summer Bliss: My 2013 Summer Adventures

In the Philippines, summer is synonymous with frolicking in crystal clear waters on any of the country’s gazillion beaches. Beach bumming, island hopping, mountain climbing and more are just a couple of things one can do to make the most of the wonderful weather given after enduring torrential downpours all year long. People from all walks of life make sure they take part in celebrating summer and this is evident from the surge of local (and foreign) tourists travelling to different parts of PH. As for these travelling feet, I’d have to say that 2013 is one epic summer for me. Apart from experiencing one of the hottest season in this lifetime, I was blessed to be given the chance to enjoy summer in ways I never thought was possible.

Freediving

My addiction to freediving has given me the opportunity to go to the beach whenever I want to. Yes, whenever I want to. Whenever I’d sense my invisible gills’ hunger for the sea, I could easily find my fins dragging me to the nearest beach in our place, which is just 30 minutes away, making me push my limits to dive deeper on one single breath.

friends and I on one of our recreational freedives

Going on out-of-town road trips

Adventures are best experienced when it is unplanned. That’s what makes the trip more fun and epic. And except for my trip to Siquijor, which was planned in less than 2 weeks, I have absolutely no idea how I managed to travel to different towns in Cebu and it’s neighboring island with a very limited budget. It was like having a whirlwind romance with travelling because I was always out of the house most of the time. The best part of it was the universe conspiring to make this one unforgettable summer experience for me.

Believe it or not, I really didn’t make any travel plans this summer. In fact, I thought I would just be moping in my room while looking at photos of friends enjoying their summer escapades. Because of a limited budget, I closed my eyes every time I got word of cheap airfares lurking online, which could bring me to dream destinations in the Philippines and abroad.

Siquijor, Moalboal, Camotes Island, Apo Island, Terra Manna and Kawasan Falls…
some of the places I visited this summer

But for someone like me who never made plans on how to spend summer in Cebu, freediving in Boljoon and Dalaguete, travelling at dawn to catch the 1st ferry to Camotes Island to shoot a spoof music video, making impromptu trips to freedive and search for a plane wreck in Moalboal, visiting Kawasan Falls in Badian, surveying the sea bed of the Terra Manna Camping Resort in Badian, going on a road trip down south of Cebu just to go swimming with sea turtles at Apo Island then going on an island hopping adventure at Pandanon Island was more than I could ask for.

Meeting new and old friends

The best thing about summer is that it also gave me the chance to reunite with old friends and meet new ones. Ah, the perks of today’s technology…it allows you to connect with people from different walks of life.

meeting new and old faces during my travels this summer

I’m happy that summer brought me new friends, those like-minded souls who share the same passion as I do – the love for travelling and freediving. I never thought it would be possible to meet these wonderful individuals and I am glad to be given the chance to travel with them.

And just before summer ends, my travelling feet will be gliding again to 2 more destinations soon – a last hurrah before the clouds cry on us. But mind you, just because summer is about to end and storm clouds are about to ruin the beautiful weather we are enjoying doesn’t mean one’s thirst for adventures has to end. You get to decide what you need to do to lead a happy and fun-filled life. Just because one door closes does not mean you have to go back to your daily boring routine. Remember that you have the power to do anything. You hold the key to your future so go have fun wherever your feet brings you.

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Summer Bliss: My 2013 Summer Adventures is my entry to Pinoy Travel Bloggers’ Blog Carnival themed Summer Epilogue which is hosted by Jona Branzuela Bering of Backpacking with a Book.

To access a list of interesting topics about the Philippines through the eyes of each Pinoy Travel Blogger, click here.