Postcards from Batanes

They say that Batanes is the most beautiful place in the Philippines, it's also the most expensive. So when one is given the chance to visit the province, s/he has to take as many photos as s/he can. When I went to Batanes last March, I did not grab the chance of capturing the place. Not that I'm too lazy to take photos, it's just that being there made me sentimental and sensitive about everything. I was reading a little bit of Alain de Botton before going there and it somehow affected my thoughts not just of Batanes, but of traveling in general.

It is true that traveling doesn't necessarily eliminate our worries. Sometimes going somewhere- even in the  most photogenic place in the Philippines- magnify our problems even more.  That's why unlike most people, I fell for Batanes not during the visit, but after the visit. Being there physically was a wonderful experience, but being there emotionally - to be able to feel things deeply- is what I treasure the most. I was so emotionally attached to the place that I would close my eyes and think of Batanes whenever I feel sad ( or when I just need to escape the dramas of the everyday life).

It's not always that places speak to our emotions. Some places come and go, but some leave us with  nothing but warmth and assurance that everything will eventually turn alright. It may not be according to our expectations or favors, but it will always be for our best.