My Life In Airports

I’m on my way to my next adventure, which will take place about two weeks from now, on November 3rd. I have been fascinated with planes, airports, and the traveling lifestyle for as long as I can recall.

My excitement for the airline industry began early, in the mid-1970s, when I was about 5 or 6 years old, and my family immigrated to Guam from the Philippines. I flew on a PanAm clipper. Now, that is a name that you no longer hear about, a relic from a bygone era.

This view never gets old, no matter how many flights I take

It would be several years before I traveled again. About seven years later, we traveled to San Francisco. I fell in love with the city immediately. There was something about the crisp, cold air that drew me to that type of environment. Interestingly, I was also enamored of the many different kinds of people I was seeing. Up to this point, Filipinos and other Pacific Islanders were the primary groups, with little diversity beyond that.

1982 marked the next milestone for me, and this time, the family was moving to California; for my 14-year-old self, it was a dream come true.

My next significant trip wouldn’t come until 1986, when we traveled back to the Philippines. This trip was a meaningful one for me. My family had immigrated from the Philippines to Guam to escape martial law and the Marcos regime, seeking a better life there. This would be my first return to my homeland in over 12 years.

The timing was extraordinary. We arrived during the inauguration of President Cory Aquino, the first woman president in the Philippines, and our travel group had arranged to meet with her.

The feeling hasn't changed since that first flight in the '70s

Traveling opportunities were few and far between when I was growing up, but I never lost that feeling - the desire to explore, see new places, and meet new people. On the return trip to the Philippines, I decided that travel was only a part of that story.

The ability to create stories from my travels was the bigger motivation. The pictures of the places, the food, and the people I had met along the way—these weren't just souvenirs. I needed to share the stories behind them with others, whether they wished to hear them or not.

“I’m off” is written in bold on my calendar; on the 3rd of November, I begin my journey to more adventures with the intention of gathering photos, calories, and stories, so be ready for the stories in all forms—long-form videos, short-form vids, and still art.