A Diary of A Wanderer

The Journey Kick-Off

The Journey to Isla Verde (Verde Island)

It's a cold and dreary Friday morning of 2015 as I prepared to leave my place for a long journey. I really need to start my journey as early as daybreak because I have to take four rides in order to reach my destination. It's a hassle for me travelling into my destination because I don't have my own car to drive going into places.

Mother had told me last night that my older sister is about to drop by to fetch her because they are going to attend the interment of a family member in Paliparan, Cavite. The mourning bereaved ones are not different to us because they are "close to our hearts", from the side of my mother's family. Mama Ellen, as we call her as her nickname, her true name is Elena is the eldest sister of my mother.

Mama Ellen was married to Papa Arnold, the one who passed by due to cardiac arrest as I could recall the reason of his death. Unfortanately, in the long run of being with each other as a married couple they were not given a child. The reason why they adopted a son named Jerwin who happened to be a nephew of Papa Arnold in his family's side, is the only immediate family member they have. And that so much for them to introduce...

By the way, San Lucas, the place where I reside, as an entrance to a countryside, gives a feeling of quite away from the toxic scenario of the busy bustling city life in the south. It is one of the remote Barangays of Lipa City, one of the progressive suburb areas in Batangas. As starting point of my commutation, it is remarkably a distant place to my destination which is Isla Verde, an island situated in the Verde Island Passage between the neighboring Provinces of Batangas and Mindoro.

It is a nature of my chosen endeavor to be assigned in the different areas in Batangas even in the remote areas just like today that I was prompted to go to Isla Verde to visit the brethren there and officiate a worship service. Actually, I'm very excited with this journey because this is not the first time that I will go to island. This already my fourth time to go there I think as my memory recalls yet the excitement of the travel has not come to pass for I love to travel by boat. I am really excited indeed! I do enjoy a boat ride and the experience it brings being in the middle of the sea traversing through the big waves and their splashes that sometimes dampens my skin.

My older sister, Ate Grace arrived early before I leave the house to accompany my mother to Paliparan. They have to show their love and moral support to Mama Ellen and the rest of her family members as they are to send and lay our uncle into his last resting place.

Since we are going into different places, I bade goodbye to my sister and my mother to start my journey. Of course my things were already packed last night for I am afraid to miss and forget my necessities for my 3-day stay in Isla Verde. From the clothes to wear and use in performing my duties up to my prepared food for the day, especially my "baon," a Filipino term for Tagalogs which is used to refer packed lunch, as well as the 6-liter bottled drinking water intended for my stay in the island. They are contained in my big black sports travelling bag. All these things were all prepared and is a no no to be missed!