TO escape the heat of summer, my friend purpledsky tweeted us girls on a Friday, "Road trip tomorrow. Be ready at 9am sharp."
It was last minute and as vague as a cloud on a hot summer day. But it never crossed my mind to say no.
I just love the spontaneity of jumping into a car and cruising a few hundred miles to wherever. Oh to explore new towns, visit amazing vistas and chase sunsets! And then in Cebu, no matter where you go, there's always a cool mountain or beach resort waiting to refresh you down the road.
Immediately, my brain shifted into high gear. There are some important rituals that make a road trip worthwhile. One, pack up - remember less is more so think light layers, swim suits, extra undies, flip flops. Two, cover up -- i.e. sunglasses and sunblock. Three, load up on the munchies. And four, bring on the music - get a good soundtrack like GLEE going to set the mood for a great trip.
TRACK 1: Just a small town girl, living in a lonely world, she took the midnight train going anywhere…
Where to go - North or South? Sometimes, it's good to know where you're going. More often though, it's not too important. Usually, we travel not to go anywhere, but simply to go, to move.
In our case, 01jan01 just wanted to go to any beach and cool off; purpledsky was revved to celebrate her birthday outside the city; bongkie craved to eat lechon; me, I just wanted to go where I haven't been to before.
So fate decided for us. North was full, so South we go. Destination: Alcoy.
TRACK 2: Ahhh ice, ice baby…
Before getting out of the city, there are two stops you shouldn't miss: the gas station and the convenience store beside it.
Loading up on munchies and drinks is a must-do in any road trip.
When in doubt what to bring, remember the rule: travel light and easy. So you can't go wrong with the monosyllabic items like chips, dip, beer and ice. Lots and lots of ice.
TRACK 3: I'm riding in your car, you turn on the radio; You pullin' me close, I just say no; I say I don't like it but you know I'm a L-I-A-R; 'Cause when we kiss oooohhh F-I-R-E…
Some of us-- give or take an hour-- usually fall asleep on a road trip. Which is a pity since Cebu's South Coastal trail is actually a sight to behold. A good way of staying awake without using any drug is either to flirt with your boyfriend, keep a lively conversation going (showbiz gossip will do) or better yet -- crank up the music, roll down the window, and sing really loudly with your friends.
And because we did sing along to the popular tunes of Glee blasting in the car, I did not miss the city mayor's controversial billboard "tweets" to the governor as we whizzed past the SRP, nor did I close my eyes to the sight of fire trees exploding in reds and oranges, the acacia trees and coconut plantations further down south.
TRACK 4: It's my life, it's now or never, I just wanna live forever, I just wanna "eat" while I'm alive…
So you've made a pact to yourself to cut down on red meat, avoid eating junk or stop eating too much. In the city, you're on a roll with your new healthy lifestyle. You preach it, you live it, you boast about it to your friends.
But then, when you reach the town of Carcar, you'll find that all bets are off. For how on earth does one resist the juicy Zugbuchon or crunchy Chicharon of Carcar? How do you stop yourself from bingeing? You eat at your own risk. For sure there'd be hell to pay at the gym once the road trip is over. But since it's so worth it, I'll take that chance.
TRACK 5: Left a good job in the city; Workin for the man every night and day; Big wheel keep on turnin', proud Mary keep on burnin'; And we're Rollin', Rollin', Rollin' on a River…
Half the fun of a road trip is also stopping where you feel like it. Because most resorts would charge us corkage to bring in food, we decided to eat our takeout lechon somewhere… nice. And lo, along the roadside of Alcoy, there is a beautiful white sand beach partly hidden by boulders. So we stopped and set up a picnic table. We ate and toasted the blue sea like an old friend. In high spirits, we joined the local boys playing beach volleyball on the makeshift net. Barefoot, we spiked, jumped and rolled on the sand. We were a mess and it was a challenge to hear the local boys speak, but roll we did!
TRACK 6: Something has changed within me, something is not the same…
The group was finally quiet as we ate breakfast in Bodo's Bamboo Bar Resort in Alcoy, overlooking the sea on one side and opening to the mountains on the other. It was so peaceful and beautiful that, for a moment, I couldn't help but wonder if it's possible for a city girl to build a life there somewhere.
As we watched magpies darting from one tree to the next, bravely defying gravity, a thought occurred to me. Perhaps it's not the destination after all, but the journey. A road trip, like a way of life, is about letting your soul fly free on an open road.
It's about pushing back the limits of your horizon, experiencing as much as you can and somehow expanding your world.
Sometimes the road takes you to new unexpected places.
And if you're lucky, you'll find moments of GLEE along the way.