Our Love of Travel!!

As a child, the furthest I had traveled was to camp within three hours of where I grew up in Southern California.

My parents really bought into the city motto of “America’s Finest City” and saw no reason to leave. They mastered the art of a staycation before it was even a term. While I love my hometown, I couldn’t wait to explore the world. When the opportunity came to go away for college, I chose to go as far as I could while still taking advantage of in-state tuition.

The Redwoods in Northern California were so different from Southern California, and I fell in love with those differences—the green landscapes, the vibe, the food, the architecture, the weather—I loved it all. I took advantage of exploring the area when I could, but my real exploration came thanks to my grandparents, who loved a good road trip. Every summer, they would drive up to bring me home, and three months later, they would drive me back. They loved taking a different route each time, which gave us many opportunities to explore all the wonders California had to offer.

Those road trips sparked my love of travel, and after I graduated, I couldn’t wait to explore further. First, I moved to Illinois, where I lived for a couple of years, then to Georgia, where I spent a few more. In each of these places, I explored the states and cities around me. I fell in love with the differences of every place I visited during road trips—from New York City to Canada, Georgia to New Orleans, through the Low Country of Georgia and South Carolina, then from Minnesota through the Badlands to Seattle and Southern California, and finally around the island of Oahu. In every place, I fell in love with the uniqueness that represented each area and city.

Despite my love for exploration, I also missed my family, so I made the choice to move back home. But those years fostered my love for travel and sparked my desire to explore even more. I was lucky because, shortly after moving home, I met my eventual husband, who also loved traveling.

Whereas I never left my hometown until I was an adult, my husband, on the other hand, was born in the Philippines and moved to the United States as a teen. He often tells the story of flying to the U.S. with his grandparents, who didn’t speak any English—how he had to navigate a layover in Asia, just tagging along with groups that appeared to be going in the same direction. He tells of navigating immigration in Seattle with his limited English, before boarding a plane to Southern California to be reunited with his mom. He recalls how everything seemed so foreign and unusual, like it was another planet, because it was so different from everything he knew.

That first trip sparked his love of travel. While most of his travel prior to our marriage was work-related—trips to San Francisco, Boston, Seattle—that was just enough to keep the passion alive. So when I mentioned my desire to travel, he was all in, ready to pack his bags.

When we talk about our love of travel, we often speak about the same things. We believe that each area, city, and place has a story to tell, and that story often begins with food. We find that food is so representative of the area—reflecting its history, seasonal ingredients, and culture. Those ingredients are prepared in ways that uniquely highlight different aspects of the region. We find the same with the layout of cities and towns, as well as the architecture of the buildings—each telling its own unique story. These stories reveal the climate of the area before central heating and air, how people lived, and what was important to them. The makeup and layout of the cities often speak to the area’s income sources, historical development, and progression to the present day. Often, the most enjoyable part of travel is learning about other people—their values, how they spend their time, and what’s important to them.

Traveling transports me to another world. As soon as I step off the plane, it feels like I’ve entered a completely different place. And that change in scenery allows me to relax completely, whether it’s at a beach resort or in a bustling city.

Mr. Bibi

That sense of transport is what The Roaming Bibis aims to make accessible and available to everyone. This background is meant to provide a bit of credibility: We are not newbies; we know that travel can be intimidating. But hopefully, the tips and tricks we share will help you on your next adventure. Come roam with us!