The Journey

I was talking to someone one day about my trip to Las Vegas a few weeks ago. She told me how she never had the desire to go there. She also mentioned that she does not want to waste the time to travel to a place she was not interested to visit to begin with. I was curious. It also made me think, why do I spend four to five hours to go to Vegas? I don't gamble - oh, OK, occasionally I allow myself to play up to $40, but it's hardly a reason to go there. I watch shows, but I could do that here in LA, too.

Then I realized it was not just about the destination, really. It's mostly about the journey. We travel a lot. But regardless of where we go or the mode of transportation, we have the most fun during our journey. There is something about being together, sharing the road and sharing our thoughts that makes the experience meaningful.

When I last traveled to the Philippines with my sister Gigi in 2007, we started talking and laughing as soon as we sat down and buckled up in the plane. In that 16-hour journey across the Pacific, I think we only stopped when one of us fell asleep or one of her twins needed something. We were laughing at the stupid movie, we were reminiscing, we never ran out of things to talk or laugh about. It was the quality of time, the bonding that happens when you are together with someone in a small quarter. That's what it is all about.

In 2009, my two older sisters and brother-in-law came for a visit and with other relatives, we took a 16-day sojourn through 10 (11?) states and Canada. In those 16 days, we enjoyed each other again. We got to know each other again. We bonded again after years of separation. We got to know Gigi's kids and they got to know us. As we shared the sights and the beauty of mother nature along the open road, as we shared our thoughts, as we shared ourselves, we found how much love we had for each other, we saw how similar our senses of humor were, it brought to light how our shared genes and values made us a family - and it was wonderful.

Yes, it is about the journey itself - wherever our destination is or whatever the form of transportation we take, it is the company that seems to make the journey matter. Yes, I think that's why I go to Vegas among other places - that's why I like to travel.

It's like life. Our final destination is the same - death. But it is the span of time between our birth and death - it is THAT journey that matters - who we journeyed with, what we saw, what we did and what we learned; who we met, who we loved, what we experienced, what we shared - and how we LIVED!

Yes, it is about the journey.

I thank you for being part of my journey.