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Travel Junkie of the Month: Ana Gonzales

Travel Junkie of the Month: Ana Gonzales

During my younger years (sige, to be specific mga 10-12 years ago haha) super active ko na sa social media and online shopping. One of the first online stores that offered handmade kikay products back then is Anagon.

Anagon is proudly owned and managed by Ana Gonzales. I met her through Candymag.com's online forum called TeenTalk. Surprisingly, the site is still up. Check my profile here. LOL. I remember buying stuff from her back in college, kahit nga yung sister ko namimili rin pala sa kanya before.

Anyway, Ana is one of my favorite fashion bloggers. Check out her blog: The Fashionista Commuter. Apart from fashion blogging and running her own business, ang dami ding iba pang raket ni girl.

She's one of the founders of Bloggers United, also one of the hosts for MadHouseMNL's MadTVPh and occasionally an instructor for CraftMNL. The list could go on and on but one thing's for sure, Ana is a talented person. The best part of it all, very down to earth. Siya talaga ang magandang example for someone who's beautiful inside and out! Naks! ;) And since Ana shares our love for traveling, of course deserve niya ang title din na maging Travel Junkie! Check out our Q&A below:

  • In one word, define travel. -- Discovery? Haha. :D Dami ko pang ibang naiisip, but siguro discovery - of new things, people, and even more of yourself. Okay, haba na sa one word nun hehe!

Ana spent 8 days living with the Sumilao farmers in Bukidnon back in March 2009.
  • Could you describe the importance of travel? -- There is more to life, that's why I travel. I enjoy dipping myself in things that I am not used to, in a way it can be both positive (to get to know MORE things like culture, food, fashion, people, etc), or negative (my own limits and topak)... But the thing is, I expose myself to newness and to change, which is important from time to time.

White water rafting in Cagayan de Oro
  • How often do you fly, and on what airline? -- Out of country, at least once a year, no preference! I enjoy traveling in different airlines, and discover which has better food, economy seats, even magazine and FA uniform, haha!
  • Do you have a preferred day or time when traveling? - None as well, but mas sulit for me if night travel or super early morning para no time to waste. I just sleep sa byahe, and then pag dating sa destination, sugod na agad!
  • Who books your plane tickets and lodging? Are they personal or through a travel agency? -- I have to admit I am not into pre-travel requisites so my kabarkada or my Ate will do it for me, haha. I am more of the free-rider type. Pag sinabi ng friend ko non, "Ay pupunta ako ng Davao", or "May work ako next week sa CDO", I'll go with her agad agad without thinking twice, basta ayos na ang flight and lodging. Kaladkarin, hehe. Budget nalang iisipin ko.
  • What’s the weirdest question you got from an immigration officer? -- None naman.
  • Window or Aisle? -- Any, actually. Basta hindi masikip or madikit katabi ko, lol. I am usually the type who will ask my travel buddy for his or her preference, paka gentleman lang hahaha.

Check out one of her latest #OOTD (outfit of the day).
  • Are you a light or heavy packer? -- I TRY to be a light packer na, before I have to bring so much things for my "ootd" like hats and different pairs of shoes para bagay, only to regret it kasi bibili at bibili din naman ako kung nasan ako, hehe. 
  • How do you pass the time on a flight? -- Avail ako ng avail ng lahat! First, I browse the inflight magazines. I also order cup noodles (for local flights), or request for more munchies and water. For longer travel hours, I sleep. If I can't, I watch the movies or listen to music until makatulog.

Here's Ana celebrating New Years Eve in Times Square, New York City.
  • In what country or region do you enjoy spending your favorite travel season, and why? -- I've been there once palang naman, but New York City will most probably be one of my "will go back to" travel destination. Locally, I love Boracay and Baguio talaga, hindi ako magsasawa and halos every year andun nako. Haha!
  • Tell us about your most recent journey? -- I just got home last night from a sponsored trip to Baguio with some blog friends and media people. It was super fun and sulit coz Azalea Residences (check out Ana's review of Azalea Residences here.) really prepared a good itinerary for us na different from all my other Baguio trips before. Out of country, it was in the States last December-January, a totally different experience coz it was winter, my whole family was with me, and it was the longest I've been away from home.
  • Where have you traveled and where do you plan to go next? -- Simula nung I graduated college and I earn my own money na, I vowed to "tick" a lot of places just so I can explore different sites even with different travel buddies--starting with Philippine destinations (Coron, Cebu, Davao, Boracay, Palawan, Sagada, LU, Bukidnon, CDO), Asian Countries (Hong Kong, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Singapore), and then States.

Ana getting ready to dive in the coral blue waters of Honda Bay, Puerto Princesa, Palawan. That's Dos Palmas Island Resort and Spa in the background.
  • What is your ultimate travel destination? -- Japan next year (Feb-March) for Cherry Blossoms season. Goal is to go back to the US and visit the other States and spend more time in LA with my friends, and of course: Europa! Note to Ana: Make sure you book tickets ng second week of March til April, snow season pa ang January to February!)
  • Travel Tip -- Ipon lang ng ipon, but when you get there--go and splurge! Bawal na mag tipid (you've done your part na before your trip), so eat that "wala sa Manila" dish and wag masyadong mag rely kay 7eleven, hoard sa shoppingan... bawal mag regret when you get home. And of course, document everything and wag lang yung pang Instagram. Bring a quality camera, take lots of photos AND videos. Keep the receipts, tickets, etc in one box. And of course, be a good travel buddy by being friendly but assertive, open to try new things, patient, and flexible.
Thank you for being an inspiration, Ana! Hopefully we get to travel again soon! ;)
Travel Junkie of the Month: Pam Pastor

Travel Junkie of the Month: Pam Pastor

I started blogging back in 2003 when I was actively posting entries in an online forum that's called NastyForums.com. Don't judge! It's the first domain I bought online using my hard earned money during high school.

Why nasty? I was so hooked with the Destiny's Child song Nasty Girl (2001) that my first ever email  add back then was nastygirl28[at]yahoo.com.  Go and click the link to see how it looked like back in 2003. If I'm not mistaken it's a porn site now or something. Moving on...

After graduating from high school, my love for online forums gradually disappeared and moved on with blogs. Our next Travel Junkie of the Month have been or will always be my favorite blogger in the whole universe. Please give a warm applause and cyber hugs to Ms. Pam Pastor!

I have no idea how I ended up in Pam's blogspot but it was the first link I'd visit after I'm done checking my Friendster. Her life was an open book back then, she literally blogged about anything under the sun. From lovelife, family, travels and even her obsession with flipflops, nandun lahat. I love her writing style, very engaging, it's as if I'm reading the diary of a close friend.

Pam influenced me on a lot of things. First, I remember collecting limited edition pairs of Havaianas and wearing them to school kahit na bawal. Second, I also tried doing that 365 photos in a year project. Of course I failed at first but then succeeded few years after, check out my own version of The365DaysProj. Third, her latest blog Polish Police is all about nail polish. As expected, I'm slowly upgrading my nail polish collection to Chanel ever since I read about the Peridot. Paolo (my boyfriend) was very supportive too when he got me a Chanel Taboo. O, di ba? I am obsessed with Pam Pastor. Buti na lang she agreed to be my next featured Travel Junkie of the Month. Thank you so much Pam! :) Di ko na papahabain pa 'to, check out our Q and A below:


Here's Pam on the movie set of The Lord of the Rings, Hobbiton in New Zealand.

  • In one word, define travel. -- Adventure. 
  • Could you describe the importance of travel? -- We get such limited time in this world so I feel that it's necessary to see and experience as much of it as we can. 
  • How often do you fly, and on what airline? -- Several times a year. When I travel for work, the airline choice isn't up to me. For personal trips, I usually fly Cathay. 
  • Do you have a preferred day or time when traveling? -- I like really early flights (they usually mean that I stay up all night and then relax during the flight) or really late flights. Red eye flights are sexy. Or maybe I'm just weird. 
  • Who books your plane tickets and lodging? Are they personal or through a travel agency? -- No travel agency, everything done online.
  • What’s the weirdest question you got from an immigration officer? -- "Are you auditioning?" When I said I was going to LA to visit the set of CSI. I wasn't but yeah, I've always wanted to play a dead body on the show. I've met some really funny immigration officers over the years. Luckily, except for a couple of people in South Korea, they've always been nice. 
  • Window or Aisle? -- Window. Comfortable sleep is more important to me than toilet access. 
  • Are you a light or heavy packer? -- Neither. I like packing all the things I need (plus a few extras, just in case) but I also make sure I leave space for shopping.
  • How do you pass the time on a flight? -- I sleep, read, transcribe interviews, write and watch a lot of movies and TV shows.

    • Pam at the Brooklyn Bridge.

  • In what country or region do you enjoy spending your favorite travel season, and why? -- New York in the fall. Or spring. New York anytime. I used to say three weeks in New York weren't enough, then I went for six weeks. Still not enough. I love how you can never run out of things to do there. Anything can happen in that place. I'm crazy, New York is crazy - we're a good match. 
  • Tell us about your most recent journey. -- I spent three weeks in New York in April and May on vacation. And then I went to London for nine days in May and June for work. I really enjoyed both trips. In New York, I joined the Easter Parade, stalked Dominique Ansel and the cast of Orange Is The New Black, ate my way around Brooklyn, met John Green, Gillian Flynn and Ruth Reichl and geeked out at Random House. I also spent a couple of weekends in Atlantic City and Philadelphia. In London, I watched West End shows, did a lot of interviews, discovered strawberry beer and joined the Harry Potter and Jack the Ripper walking tours. I also took the train to Great Missenden to visit Roald Dahl's museum. -- OMG, I LOVE YOUR JOB!


    • Shopping with friends in London at The Harry Potter Shop, Platform 9 3/4.

  • Where have you traveled and where do you plan to go next? -- Cambodia with friends. And possibly Florida for my birthday because I really really want to go to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter World in Universal Studios. 
  • What is your ultimate travel destination? -- Strangely, I don't really have a travel bucket list. I'm up for anything and I'd love to go anywhere I haven't been to before. I enjoy falling in love with new places. 
  • What kind of souvenirs do you buy? -- I've never really been the ref magnets or touristy t-shirt kind of person. I usually buy things that are unique to the place. I always always buy books (Strand Book Store in New York is one of my favorite places in the world. I can spend hours and hours there.) I also try to buy Doc Martens in every destination - they become my souvenir. I like wearing shoes that remind me of special places. 
  • Travel Tip -- Don't let other tourists make your plans for you. Yes, everyone wants to see the Eiffel Tower and the Golden Gate Bridge. Go see them but don't be afraid to veer away from the popular attractions too. Research! Discover your own treasures, find your own secret spots. Enjoy every second. Leave stress at home. If you don't let little annoyances bother you, you'll be a happier traveler. Don't be afraid to try new things. Eat new things. Leap from your comfort zone. Say yes to adventure.
Photos provided by Pam. To be honest, I haven't formally met Ms. Pastor. I've seen her in person though, mostly inside the mall. Kaya lang I'm too shy to say hi! That's why I'm so thankful that she answered random travel questions from a stranger like me. It goes to show that she's a really nice person not just online but in real life. Thank you so much, Pam! Please continue inspiring and spreading good vibes to everyone. I hope I get to meet you someday. :)
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