Money Talk Archives - ––Jona of Backpacking with a Book

January 25, 2016

A Developing Country Citizen’s Perspective: What’s Wrong with “Leave Everything Behind and Travel the World”

I shared the table with a Dutch traveler for our complimentary breakfast of coffee, two toasts, and few slices of melon—something that the Burmese or us Filipinos do not normally have for breakfast. But I enjoyed it, nonetheless, especially after an hour or so of pedaling on sandy paths, checking temples at the crack of dawn. When travelers meet, conversations often revolved around Where are you from?, Where have you been?, How long have you been traveling?, How long is your trip?. And I feel that one’s traveler-ness is gauged according to one’s answer. The longer your trip is, the better, […]

April 4, 2016

A Traveler’s Honest Talk on Money

A big part of me hesitated to do this. After all, our society thrives in paradox: post instagrammable photos of your travel but be mum about your travel fund. We are built on, built in the nondiscussion of taboos: sex and money. A supposed “responsible social media user” must not talk about three things online: salary, love (and sex) life, and family problems. But how am I supposed to honestly answer my fellow aspiring travelers whose primary dilemma is money? So many things have been written about it. So many travel bloggers anchored their traffic on how-tos: how to travel long-term […]

May 6, 2016

MONEY TALK | Can You Really Save by Cooking for Yourself?

Some people at work were somewhat surprised to learn that I do not only do something domestic but I actually love doing them; say handwashing clothes (no, it is not a primitive way, just a matter of preference), interior designing my little place, and cooking. Once you start wearing the label feminist (or an independent woman who loves traveling), for some, it is like an instant dismissal of anything domestic. Truth be told, I hate the laborious and boring dish-washing. But most domestic responsibilities are rather meditative and creative, something I need when writing becomes toxic. I need something that […]

May 17, 2016

Why Working Some More Instead of Traveling Europe Felt Great

Last month, I emptied my cabinet of clothes and realized I had a lot of second-hand dresses I haven’t worn yet. Sorting out the clothes—what must stay and what must be given away—was not as easy as I thought. I let my small garden at the back die. I moved empty pots after empty pots. Layers of dust piled up on the shelves of books. Cobwebs started to form in corners. My little place, which used to be neat and orderly, mirrored my mind: chaotic, confused, confusing. I was in the process of dehoming. Despite traveling constantly, having my own […]