Meet the Nomads: Jerik de Guzman

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Jerik is one of those soulful travelers who travel to get inspired by seeing the beauty of different places and the diversity of cultures.

He dares to go to places that are not usually on the tourists trail.

His spontaneity and fun-loving nature make him a great person to meet on the road.

If you want to know more about Jerik, visit him at http://jerik76raverz.blogspot.com/.

How did you discover your passion for travelling?

"I think I was born to travel but fate definitely played a huge part. You know how things happen for a reason. I actually started traveling a few years back, back then I had a broken spirit and an unpredictable future. I traveled alone to a remote island south of my country, the Philippines where I don't know anyone and I had no plans at all. I just wanted to get away. As I look back now. I think that's where it all started. It made all the difference. I never stopped traveling ever since."

What’s the most horrible experience that you’ve had on the road?

"On my way to Boracay from Kalibo, the van I was I riding crashed into a jeepney. I was seated beside the driver, good thing I was buckled up, but my sister was badly injured and the worst part was the driver of our van just fell asleep. I couldn't forget that. So now, whenever I travel I talk to the driver to make sure he's wide awake. You'll never know if your driver is a sleepy head."

What’s the most outstanding travel experience that you’ve ever had?

"To be honest, I couldn't name one. There's always something great happening whenever I travel. As simple as a local girl buying me a drink in Bangkok, to getting a free presidential suite room upgrade in Antique, to watching the best sunset to date in Guimaras, to cruising Phnom Penh at night riding a motorbike. I have very simple joys you know. I am a very simple person."

What’s the biggest realization that you’ve got out of travelling?

"That sooner or later I will live not in a big city but in a simple laid back province, where afternoons are spent not in the mall but in the park, where nights are spent not in a trendy club but in a small time sari-sari store drinking cheap beer. I love living the simple life, where I will wake up in the morning with a view of rice paddies, swim in a clean white sandy beach and watch as the sun sets from my small time bamboo house. I already have a vision of my future and its not at all complicated."

What keeps you going? What keeps you motivated?

"I think each person has a choice in life. Some are happy where they are, I on the other hand together with the many adventure seekers and world explorers chose to see the rest of the world. God created a beautiful world and I chose to see it."

This is a silly and hypothetical one. If you would be given a chance to travel with a popular person or a celebrity, who would it be and why?

"Anne Curtis and Heart Evangelista for obvious reasons that any man on this earth would travel with them in a heart beat. I could literally travel with them forever!"

What could stop you from travelling?

"As much as I like to say nothing could stop me from traveling, we don't know what the future holds for us. Family still plays a big part in my decision making, and maybe in the future, my wife and kids. Now that I am still young and single, I will go where the road will take me, wherever it maybe. Ask me again after ten years. we'll see!"

Among the places that you’ve been to, which one fascinated you the most?

"I will never forget Guimaras, Philippines for its magnificent sunset, the feeling of being lost in the world, the beautiful and friendly people besides eating the sweetest mangoes on Earth.

Marinduque, Philippines because even if its close proximity to Manila, it still is relatively untouched by commercialism. I have experienced riding on top of a jeepney, walking in the middle of nowhere with only the full moon as my light, guided by an uknown local who was friendly enough to find my way back home and basking in one of the greatest beaches I have ever been in my life."

What's the best travel advice that you could give for a novice traveler like me?

"One is to travel alone. Nothing beats doing whatever you like whenever you like it and still not having to explain why.

Two is to never complain when you're traveling because if you want a hassle free trip, then head to the mall instead.

Three is to take it all in. Embrace the experience. good or bad, missed ferries, lost money, etc. Don't you think it would be boring if everything is just perfect?"

What do you think about yourself?

"I travel to enrich my soul. I travel to learn about the world. I travel to share it to the people I love. I am a very simple man with very simple dreams. I just want to see the beauty of the world."

"Pinoy Boy Journals is my online travel diary. I write about my backpacking trips around the Philippines, Asia and beyond to help me remember of the places where I've been to. I also write travel recommendations so readers will get fresh and honest reviews of hostels, fun things to do, must visit destinations, etc." - Jerik