Finding Home

What did Frost mean when he said, "I took the one less traveled by"? How does one define roads? And what is it to travel? I haven't been to many places. But I do know that in the few places I have arrived at, I take to heart the small details: fern colors that are not green but maroon, the air smelling of fresh Chinese pechay, rocks piled up creating this tapestry of texture, bird call amidst th e roaring falls of Tres Aguas, soda crackers and 3-in-1 coffee lovingly served to warm our shivering bodies while the wind and rain continues its tirade outside, our breath forming white smoke from the cold. And best of all, goodbyes that promise an inevitable next time. So again what did Frost mean? I don't know. But for me, roads are paths that call me out, to notice life more. And travel is one that leaves my body aching in all the muscles that ought to ache, my quads and hamstrings (ha! am I feeling it now!) and of course, the most important muscl

The conditions were far from ideal. Rain, wind, mud, more mud, slippery trail. The cold, oh the cold. Seeping right through the bone. Like love in the throes of eternity. But we promised ourselves. And we followed through. So yes, also like love that refuses to be denied, Alto Peak, we will come back for you again very soon. March 30th, 2017 Alto Peak, Site D Brgy. Cabintan Ormoc, Leyte

"I've lived here for as long as I can remember and I have never been to Mt. Aminduen." a local said.  I've lived in this city for more than a decade and I have never been to the mountains, I thought to myself. We chose a middle of the week day. We hoped the sun would finally come out as our good, old, reliable weather forecast system predicted it would. But of course it didn't. Torrential rain drenched us to the core.   "Leave no trace," the sign right at the bottom of Site D was spelled out in bold letters, but barely visible because of the fog everywhere. We trudged onto the peak. Mt. Aminduen, there you are, I breathed. The rain continued to beat on our backs, our faces, our ears. The wind gusts were strong, tremendous, painful even like needles pricking our skin. We had to stay low on the ground or else we would be swept away.  White density embraced the air. All we could see was each other's faces if we we were close enough. I clos