Meet the Nomads: Grace Cecilio

Grace would probably be one of the most travelled Filipinas in our generation. She has travelled in some parts of Asia, Europe, North and South America and she’s currently saving and planning for a solo RTW trip.

A Solo RTW trip would definitely be a huge challenge for a Filipina, but with Grace’s determination and passion, I’m sure that she’ll be able to make it.

Aside from travel stories and travel tips and tricks, Grace also blogs about a variety of her other interests such as food and technology.

Get to know her more and follow her adventure at PinayOntheMove.com

Here’s my short interview with Grace.

How did you discover your passion for travelling?

“I was fortunate enough to have a dad who was able to take us on family holidays to different places. This helped to sow the seeds of travel at an early age. I then had the opportunity to be part of a short cultural exchange program in US when I was in college. It was a 2 week trip to Seattle and Vancouver where we had Filipino-American counterparts show us the “American Life”.

After those 2 weeks I went on to travel to other states in North America which was a great experience because I was with my best friend and there were no parents. I felt so free and so happy. Everything just clicked- I knew I was meant to do this all the time. More importantly, I realized that I had the capacity to travel independently and that I was addicted to the gratifying feeling of discovery. I’m a curious person and I love to explore which is why the passion for travel became a natural part of me.”

What¹s the most horrible experience that you¹ve had on the road?

“Aside form almost being a victim of a dangerous scam in Bolivia. I would say being stuck in a small town in Japan in the middle of the night without accommodations was one of the most horrible thing I have ever experienced on the road. This was pre-smartphone/wifi/3g/4g technology back in 2005. I was too cheap to take the Shinkansen from Tokyo to Kyoto so I took the local express train. I forgot that trains do not run 24 hours so I was unexpectedly stuck at some town. I didn’t have any reservations, I had no guide book and no knowledge of the Japanese language. Plus, everything was closed so I could not go to an internet café or ask anyone who spoke English. So I had no choice but to walk around town to find a hostel but some creepy old Japanese man in a white car kept following me around. At one point he came down from his car, opened the passenger door and signaled for me to hop in *shiver*. Thank god I saw an Izakaya (bar) beside the train station where I stayed for the rest of the night.

What¹s the best travel experience that you¹ve ever had?

“Believe it or not the best travel experience I had was in the Philippines =) I just came back from Japan and I decided to take a month off to stay in the island of Boracay. I rented a cottage where different batches of family and friends ended up shacking with me. I also picked up a couple of stray tourists whose travel plans were affected by the tsunami. I may have unintentionally been running an couchsurfing program in the island. In any case, it was also during this time that I fell in love with another traveler. I threw caution to the wind and ran away from Boracay with him to go to the different islands in the Philippines. This was when I truly experienced the art of backpacking. It also allowed me to discover more about my country and myself.”

What¹s the biggest realization that you¹ve got out of travelling?

“One, that we are all the same regardless of nationality (same fears, same aspirations, same things that make us happy). Two, I am much stronger than I thought I could be. And lastly, that I like being a solo traveler. It can be exhausting but at the end of the day I savor the freedom of being able to travel on my own terms.”

What keeps you going? What keeps you motivated?

“To borrow from travel writer Andrew Mccarthy, it’s all about “finding memorable moments in little details and the little connections” that makes travel so rewarding for me. Travel also challenges me to go beyond self-limitations and allows me to continuously deviate from the status quo.

What else? Hmmm…oh I am most myself when I travel. Weird, but I just feel like I am just meant to travel so I do it.”

This is a silly and hypothetical one. If you would be given a chance to travel with a popular person or a celebrity, who would it be and why?

“Hands down Jose Rizal” and Ewan Mcgregor would be my top choice. Jose because he is such an interesting man. Plus, being a multilinguist can come in very handy. On the other hand, Ewan McGregor just really made an impression on me when I watched him on Long Way Round and Long Way Down. He’s an affable guy and anyways there are no rules against bringing eye candy on the road!”

Where¹s your favourite place in this planet and why?

“I’m skipping this question for now. Once I finish traveling the world I will let you know.”

What’s your best tip for newbie traveller?

“Is to make your own tips. LOL. Seriously if there is one tip they should listen to is that safety comes first! I have recently been reading different incidents on the news where tourists or travelers are getting into accidents because they ignored safety warnings. Bad idea. Just don’t do anything stupid and you’ll have a great time on the road.”

What’s the funniest and silliest thing you’ve ever done while travelling?

“Silliest thing is rope swinging and jumping off one of Hawaii’s most
dangerous tourist spots, Kipu Falls. At that time, I did not know it was dangerous and that people had died there. There were no signs! Which is why #8 is a tip we all may want to take to heart.”

What do you think about yourself?

“I’m a quirky alone and an avant garde romantic. Which is why I often fantasize about traveling the way the first female explorers in the late 1800’s to early 1900’s did it. I also love adventure and I am not afraid to try anything at least once.”

“Aside from being an avid traveler I’m also an expat/OFW (Overseas Filipino Worker) in America =) which is why I am able to immerse myself in a foreign culture. You could say that I get most of my material from these experiences. Honestly, Pinay on the Move still a young blog so I am continuously experimenting with content. What I do know is that I want to provide a unique point of view on the travel lifestyle since I’m female and Filipina. I also want to present funny cultural observations and of course share information on Filipino heritage. In the future, I hope to be able to write better narrative stories.” – Grace Cecilio

Photo Credits: Pictures provided by Grace.

Next: Lily Leung of Explore for a Year. Previously: Samuel Jeffery of Nomadic Samuel. For more interviews with travel bloggers, check out the archives of Meet the Nomads.