All those
prayers about winning the HK DISNEYLAND PRIZE in a raffle at CENTRAL WAREHOUSE CLUB
when I was 9 come to me like a thunderbolt.
WHEN I THINK
OF HONGKONG…
I get this
familiar tinge of excitement.
I feel the giddiness
that envelops me when my sister screamed, “we’re booked!”
I was 21 then.
It was my first overseas trip.
It was a trip
that I financed fully after being employed right after graduation.
Yes, it was a
reward to self, you see.
I can vividly remember
that night when we spent some time trying to access CEBU PACIFIC AIR website,
as they offered a PESO SALE. We tried several times before being confirmed and
it was the sweetest, most glorifying moment ever!
I mean, I used
to hear it when artistas say “oh, nagkita
kami sa hong kong” or when a classmate says “yes, sa HK Disneyland kami mag ki-Christmas”. Wow! I mean, how I wish
I have the power to do that too.
Arriving in
HONGKONG was every bit of a dream come true.
Those pictures
give justice to the bright neon signs scattered all over downtown Hongkong.
The movies intricately
described Hong Kong, the way it actually is.
And hey,
DISNEYLAND? My childhood dream at 9?
I just couldn’t
contain my disbelief that I was able to actually step into the bricked floors
of Disneyland, meet Mickey and Minnie and had a grand time riding all that I
can inside the theme park and yes, I literally cried while watching the
DISNEYLAND fireworks. Haha
To this day, whenever
I think of HONGKONG, I still feel a bit sentimental.
I am in awe at
the thought that my childhood dream had come true and so much more came after
it.
It was that
very thought that made me realize how possible it is to achieve goals. I’ve
always thought that my dreams were so much bigger than who I actually was.
I wasn’t born
rich, My family never really had the luxury to travel when I was young because
NEEDS do come first—ALWAYS. And traveling involves EXTRA money after the NEEDS.
Raffle contests were my only possible means, then. Haha
BUT understanding what we are JUST capable of, gives me the acceptance of the status we’re currently at and it was okay, but at the same time, at the back of my mind, I yearn to see more… in my own fabulous time.
BUT understanding what we are JUST capable of, gives me the acceptance of the status we’re currently at and it was okay, but at the same time, at the back of my mind, I yearn to see more… in my own fabulous time.
Who would’ve
thought that seeing HONG KONG became instrumental to all my travels that came
after.
The thought occurred
to me as though, because I have travelled
to HONG KONG, all the other places wouldn’t be that hard anymore.
Visiting HONG
KONG was the gateway for me not to rush into responsibilities like having a kid
or being married because admit it, it will be harder to get away when you have
someone to look after to.
When I travel
to HONG KONG these days, I still feel ecstasy.
I love Hong
Kong and what it represents to my life.
Although, I never
really won the raffle at 9 and I grew disappointed from joining all the raffle
contests that came after… Life has a funny way of surprising you. I just asked
for a trip to HK Disneyland and I won the raffle to trips of a few more! Dreams
do come true! J
