TGIF—Thank God it’s the finish line!

Four years ago when I stepped onto college, I was a clueless boy wondering what new challenges stood awaiting my curiosity. Like everyone else, I was excited to attend my classes and listen attentively to discussions with an expensive binder at hand to write notes on.

My college education was a very big blessing as I got the chance to study and take up the course Mass Communication which I really wanted—for free because of the presidential scholarship offered to me. To maintain it, I had to endure sleepless nights, drink immeasurable amount of coffee to stay awake, and experience the harsh stress derived from piles of tasks (not to mention the extreme pressure caused by professors and instructors ).

Experiencing Albay

Upon stepping down from the plane, we grabbed the opportunity to have our pictures taken with the Mayon Volcano in the background.

We weren’t able to take many pictures, though, when the guard shooed us away already. We then proceeded to the arrival area and looked for our service. A van from The Oriental Hotel Legazpi, the venue of the conference, stood waiting for us. We hopped in and off we went to the hotel.

In the cabin

The take off

“Cabin crew, prepare for departure.” Then the plane zoomed up to the clear blue sky.

I was Wright (pun intended). The feeling was as euphoric as that of the inventors of the airplane when finally, I was flying up in the sky, over white fluffy clouds. Waiting for four hours for the check in counters to open, and then another hour for the boarding gate to let the passengers in, was all worth it.

Yes, it was my first time on a plane, so I savoured every bit and inch of the ride. Among the nine of us, only three had previously experienced it, but they were as excited as the rest of us because of the majestic Mayon Volcano awaiting our arrival.

Early birds

The day that I have been waiting for has finally arrived! It's been one of my life long dreams to ride on a plane that will take me wherever I want. I can only imagine how euphoric the Wright Brothers were during the first successful flights of the Wright Flyer.

1903 Wright Flyer

The 1903 Wright Flyer made four flights at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, on December 17, 1903, the best covering 852 feet in 59 seconds. It was the first heavier-than-air, powered aircraft to make a sustained, controlled flight with a pilot aboard.

The Wrights used their proven canard biplane configuration which was rooted in their initial 1899 kite design. Key to the Flyer's success was its three-axis control system, which featured wing-warping for lateral balance, a moveable rudder, and an elevator for pitch control.

The right wing was four inches longer than the left to compensate for the engine being heavier than and mounted to the right of the pilot. The wings were rigged with a slight droop to reduce the effects of crosswinds.
Gift of the Estate of Orville Wright
http://airandspace.si.edu/wrightbrothers/

Getting high...literally

“Cause I’m leaving on a jet plane... I don’t know when I’ll be back again...”

This song has recently come to my mind as two weeks from now, I’ll be riding on a plane for the first time!

On February 10, I together with my colleagues in our student publication will board a domestic flight to Legazpi City in Albay for a three-day journalism contest. That’s the next level of the competition after winning at the regional level in December last year in the City of San Fernando, La Union.

This is one of the few perks I enjoy as an editor of the publication, going places with colorful historical relevance in the country and having a taste of their rich culture. This time, I’ll be seeing Mayon Volcano in person, that volcano with the almost perfect cone shape that I’ve only been seeing in pictures since childhood.

The trip’s still several days ahead and I’m excited. Meantime, “I’ll pack my bags and get ready to go.”

More on Balungao

Well, forgive me for writing too much on this trip, but I just would like to share more adventures that I experienced at the Balungao Hilltop Adventure.

The first time I went there, I wasn't able to try the bungee trampoline because it needed to undergo some maintenance. I thought I would never ever get the chance to jump on it, but on January 9, there I went flying high in the air.

These pictures were taken before the rubber harness (which would aid in sending you up in the air) was attached to me.

Zipping away in Balungao (again)

For the second time around since the taping of my segment at the Balungao Hilltop Adventure in Balungao, Pangasinan last August, I went back there for another taping, this time for TalkTV Global's TravelDotCom which I am hosting. I tried all the amenities once again and enjoyed them as if it were my first time.

That tarp in the background is the same tarp that you will find along highways, one way of promoting the tourist destination.