True Traveler

I know, I know.

Traveling has been an integral part of my life. And being a traveler has been my other identity. I keep telling this to myself in real life, in this blog, basically everywhere.

But then, there's apparently something about my kind of "traveling", and being a "traveler", that I never discovered before.

Something beyond.

I just realized about this recently. When my parents gone traveling. When a friend came visiting. When a coworker planned having a trip.

It all started with my parents' trip to Japan, for about 10 days. Only the two of them, with no tour, no relatives, no one they know. As a traveler, and as somebody who had traveled there, AND, as a good son blessed by God for them, of course, I helped them with everything. Literally, everything. From booking their flights and hotels, arranging their itinerary and ultimately, assisting them real-time by providing them detailed instructions of where to go now, after this and after that, complete with which transport to take, AND, how to ask locals. It's like I was there, traveling with them.

Then during their trip a friend from Australia came visiting me in town. He went down here absolutely unplanned, taking granted of my expertise in my own city, hoping me to suggest him with whatever. As a friend, and as a civilized human being attempting to give back to someone who was such a big help during his trip in Australia, of course, I helped him with everything. From hotel recos to food options, from just telling him where to go to actually explore with him. It's like I was the one traveling, and he was just a clueless friend tagging along.

Not enough with those two, at the same time something else happened. Remember that I once started an itinerary-making business on my own? Yea, it’s still around. And a coworker of mine kind of needed my help to arrange her trip to... London. As a hungry traveler who wanted to know more about the city, and as a professional, of course, I accepted the job. Creating her one comprehensive, detailed day-to-day itinerary as if I was writing a guide book. It's like I was a citizen of London, telling her what to prepare prior her arrival.

I just realized about this. When my parents gone to Japan and I was the one assisting them. When a friend came to Indonesia and I was the one guiding him. When a coworker planned a trip to London and I, whom never actually been there, was the one arranging her journey as if I had been there thousands of times. All counting on me with not just simple helps, but COMPLETELY counting their life on me—

And with the fact that those three happened exactly at ONE SAME TIME, well, gotta say, my value as a traveler instantly increased.

You do know that I call myself Tricky Traveler, right?

From just a regular guy who traveled,

Doing some normal kind of traveling,

Going home to make a book of travel,

From that kind of traveler,

To a true traveler