Preparing for a grand #RoadTrip2Home

This year, I will be taking one of the greatest travel challenges I’ll ever have in my lifetime. It is what I call my #RoadTrip2Home.

After so much prayers, spiritual discernment, consultation, and self-reflection, I have come to accept that for me to embark on a life abroad I need to go back to my roots — my home, my family. More than half of my life I have spent in the capital, Metro Manila, where I attended university and eventually built my career, devoting myself to work and other activities.

Home has been reduced to a place I only visit during the holidays, spending about two weeks each year during those Christmas breaks. Though it is hard to admit, I have become a tourist in my own hometown.

But before I could go on and on about my recent decision to change course in my life, I realized that going back home is not an easy thing to do. I have to take care of lots of logistical work. One major thing is to bring to the province my vehicle. So, I thought of loading some of my stuff in my trunk and take the Strong Republic Nautical Highway through Roll-On Roll-Off (RORO) or, in layman’s term, drive and take a barge in between islands.

Thus, my #RoadTrip2Home was born.

Taking the RORO will enable me to travel through four major islands in the Philippines, passing through six ports, and drive to more than 650 km. From Manila, it will be a drive south to the Batangas port onto Calapan port. Then another road trip through Oriental Mindoro to Roxas where another ferry ride to Caticlan. From there, we will traverse three provinces in the Panay island, before we will embark on the last sea travel towards Bacolod City.

It would have been easier if I will be driving through USA or Latin America or Europe or Indochina. But, no, that will not be the case. I live in a 7,107-island archipelago, which makes things more exciting. I’ve read books of individuals who rode through states, countries and continents and it looked like a lot of fun. How much more if there is some sea travel involved.

To get this grand plan going, I enlisted the help of my uncle. He agreed to the plan and he’ll be flying to Manila a few days before we take that RORO trip. Now, I’m scouring through Google maps and various websites to get as much details as I can. And by just reading through what I’ve gathered, it looks like an exciting road trip.

Visit my site to see how this plan will unfold. If you have suggestions, I really will appreciate it. Just leave it below in my comment section. Let’s take this #RoadTrip2Home adventure together.