Alone Together

Travelling solo rarely equates to being alone; as I’m sure you’ve heard before. You may begin alone but you forge friendships quickly in hostels, through Couchsurfing, Workaway or just chatting with a beer on a beach somewhere. So often you form fast and real bonds with people that endure whatever time they are meant to endure.

This photo represents a moment in the Philippines during New Years Eve 2018. Travelling solo in Ilo Ilo City, I wanted to experience ringing in the new year authentically – not at a hostel. I reached out on Couchsurfing where I connected with a local who said I could spend New Year’s with his family. He would meet me at the mall, and I would need to buy a red shirt. Why? I had no clue. Edcel was smaller in stature with a smile that took over his face. His demeanor was warm, welcoming and friendly. Although if you’ve ever traveled in the Philippines, you know that’s not hard to find. We shopped for our red shirts talking about rock climbing, Canada and the Philippines.

Finally, we crawled inside a Jeepney en-route to his family home and a barangay tour quickly began. Tables were lined on the street across from the basketball court where, in a few hours, there would be a magnificent feast laid out. I met his parents, brother, sister, cousins, nieces, nephews, neighbors… everyone! The whole barangay was out in preparation for the evening. One that I still had zero clue on what to expect. I just knew I had a red shirt on and was completely in awe of the level of hospitality and togetherness of everyone I met. Kids were roaming around giggling and smiling at me. Edcel’s grandma was missing the same tooth that I was and his cousin, “Perfect”, was preparing some sticky rice. I took photos with Edcel’s family despite having only met them a few hours prior. But it appeared not to matter; I was there which meant I was invited to feast, drink and join in family photos.

I won’t pretend to remember the enormous spread of food that took over an endless line of tables. I do remember being asked, “Do you like rice?!” before a plate was being made for me with sticky rice, noodles, different meat dishes, fruits, veggies and “Perfect” shouted “Duriaaaaaaaan” at me. He enjoyed how similar my name was to that lovely, aromatic fruit. The food was amazing, the beers were flowing and everyone was out in the street laughing and completely enjoying each other's company.

And then the games began. Literally. A fashion show was ensuing. Children vs adults. A game where creativity was key. Coconut husks were being fashioned into bras and hats, banana leaves were skirts and people were pulling out an incredibly questionable selection of makeup. 'Blow the balls' was being set-up, and kids were digging through plates of flour with their mouths for coins. Have you ever tied a piece of string to your big toe with the other end tossed over a broom handle with bread tied to it and attempted to eat the bread? Yeah, it was a hilarious first for me too.

The night carried on and the closer to midnight we got the more firecrackers, sparklers and cheeky children were running about.

Finally.

3… 2… 1…

Happy New Year!!!

The street exploded with shouts, firecrackers and the sounds of red horse clinking. Every single person was hugging, kissing and entirely happy. I seized an opportunity to have a quiet moment amongst the chaos and went to the roof of Edcel’s house and was presented with a 360° firework show. I was alone on this rooftop but could hear the togetherness on the streets below. And I could imagine the togetherness of everyone lighting those fireworks throughout the city. I decided being together felt far better than being alone that night. As I left the house to join the festivities, I found the kids in this photo. They were lighting their sparklers together. Working in unison instead of searching for some source of heat alone.

I think that’s the joy of solo travel. Finding togetherness. Although it’s something I never sought out to learn; it’s something that this photo constantly reminds me of. And children are often our greatest teachers, aren’t they?

Luck, as I learned, is the reason for the red shirts on New Years in the Philippines. Every time I look at this photo, I can’t help but feel incredibly lucky to have the opportunity to travel and be filled with joy and togetherness from strangers around the world.

*The photo was shot with my Iphone 5 and was edited within Iphones photo app. The only light source was the children’s sparklers.*