For the next two weeks, I will be traveling the historic roads, marveling at the centuries-old ancient sites and modern wonders of Türkiye and Greece. So I am cramming this article, as well as succeeding ones, on the fly between pit stops and sightseeing. And hopefully, I will be able to faithfully share with you folks the wanderlust thoughts of a baby boomer squeezing whatever juice life still has to offer.

Traveling has always been a life-long aspiration for me but like most ordinary mortals, the dreams were always tempered by inadequate resources, the elusive luxury of leisure, and the responsibilities of tending to family and loved ones. But as one finally crosses the minimum threshold of post-retirement comfort, the discomfort of age ever accompanied by aches and pains constantly battles with the hunger to finally clear the bucket list as the conflict races through my mind and debates on what should prevail.

A few months ago, the wanderlust prevailed and so here I am, on the road to Ankara, the capital of Türkiye and Cappadocia in the middle of this mountainous country very similar in terrain and greenery to the countryside of the US, eagerly looking forward to the once in a lifetime experience of soaring high up in the clouds like a Blue Eagle.

My Eagle’s flight, however, didn’t quite take off as smoothly as I would have wanted for one reason or another. First was the snafu with the wrong departure date which put in doubt my travel authority that is required of all government officials, followed by the more worrisome concern of a clerical error regarding my Schengen visa, topped off by the most infuriating of all, being bumped off a prepaid bulkhead seat!

I found myself momentarily regretting that I had opted for this Mediterranean sojourn instead of a Guadalupe pilgrimage, particularly since I didn’t know anyone among the small band of fellow pilgrims after some golfing buddies backed out of the trip. It was beginning to feel like a blind date of sorts that might descend into the pits.

But thankfully, as the conversations started flowing, humorous anecdotes and mutual relationships gradually surfaced. I realized that other than the thrill of the sights and sounds of discovering new countries and experiencing novel cultures, the best part of this journey was the fellowship that would surely develop starting with the pilgrims’ spiritual leader, Fr. RP, our newbie parish priest in Ayala Alabang.

He has been a diocesan priest for the past 20 years, well loved by his parishioners in Parañaque and now by Alabangers, a CPA by profession, who had worked with top-notch companies like BPI, Globe and the Meralco Foundation until he realized that instead of fretting over balance sheets, he had to account instead for the countless souls he had encountered.

He is my roommate on this trip, thus I am guaranteed daily confessions on call and spiritual counseling and he will no doubt be a blessing and my constant conscience hereon. I will never let him forget, however, after the drudgery of a sleepless 19-hour flight from Manila to Abu Dhabi, he mistakenly woke me up at 4:30 a.m., a full hour before our scheduled wake-up call! He made sure, however, that I put the extra hour to good use by teaching me how to serve at mass starting with the mass for the day.

Another interesting personality is Ms. CJ, an outstanding parishioner of several Parañaque parishes and now as well of St. James, who generously shares her resources and precious time with anyone in need with the silent support of her hubby, Mr. G. Then there is the loving, but at times arguing, tandem of father-daughter Mang BD and accomplished chemist Ms. MD now in reverse roles with Ms. M taking on the responsibility of a doting mother watching over a stubborn child.

I couldn’t help but compare their situation with my own daughter Patricia who watches over me like a hawk, at times treating me like an errant son!

Then there is the mother-daughter duo of Ms. V and Ms. M, who also happens to be a Blue Eagle and a batchmate of my daughter Anne. Ms. V and Ms. M look, walk and talk alike that you could easily mistake them for twins.