Michaela Lola Abrera's Home Page

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Hometown

Manila, Philippines

Location now

Berlin, Germany

Work published

Burmese Dreams: A Call to Action

Travel philosophy

Travel is a leap of faith, therefore jump in and let go!

Craziest place

The mystical, mysterious, and intoxicating city of Marrakesh will push you to your limits. Despite being armed with information regarding the hoard of tourists, onslaught of rug merchants, and charm of kif dealers, the city still caught me by surprise. Venturing to a hostel that was highly recommended by the guidebook, I was given a bed in a 10-person dorm. My friend and I were the only guests there. Watching scantilly dressed women enter and leave the hostel (which was surprising for a conservative country), we soon came to realize that the hostel was a brothel in disguise. Our suspicions were confirmed when police officers came to the establishment. No arrests were made. The cops left with a satisfied.

Bizarre experience

I learned how open people can be in the little town of Alor Setar, Thailand. I ventured into a tiny wedding shop where a band of Katoys (Drag Queens) were dressing up for their performance at the King's Birthday Festival. Although, many would classify as "bizarre," they were beautiful-adorned with traditional Thai costumes and jewelry-kind, generous, and most of all uninhibited. They welcomed me with open arms and invited me to their performance. The stories they shared, of their journeys and complex realities, taught me the pleasure of freedom and the importance of living an authentic life.

Advice

Trust yourself. Every decision is based upon your own sense of self-belief. With people left and right telling you why you can't, you have to listen to your inner voice telling you that you can. Alone on the road, there is no one to seek counsel or rely upon, thus trusting your instincts becomes a necessary, yet learned survival skill. If the first step of travel is to take the plunge, then walking the road alone requires leaping head first off an 80-foot cliff.

Dream destination

Iceland, whose breathtaking landscape and contemplative population, has captured my imagination. Although I have traveled extensively, I have yet to experience snow. Therefore, what better place to feel my first snowflake than the land of ice? I long to be knee-deep in snow and watch the glowing lights parade through the sky.

Traveled before

The Philippines, The United States, Canada, Australia, Malaysia, France, Germany, England, Thailand, The Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Myanmar

Going next

Anywhere and everywhere...