Levy Amosin starts the day with a short prayer. When the sun rises, she whispers a little thanks to God for giving her another day to spend with the people she loves. And then, of course, comes her daily dose of caffeine. After sipping a cup of warm coffee, she then heads out to her garden to water the growing buds and play with her dog. Having spent months at home, every day feels stiller and quieter, but for the travel blogger, adapting this morning routine helped her cope with the loss of freedom in this pandemic.
Catching flights to different corners of the world was the norm for Levy. "Prior to the pandemic, professionally, as a travel blogger, I [would be] on a work trip once per week," she shared, with her stays at a destination varying depending on the booked assignment. It's a fast-paced life that can be as exhausting as it is enjoyable, but luckily, the Star Clozetter is no stranger to travel. Since she was four, she has been moving from one place to another, following her parents as they pursued their careers and sustained their family. "They had to take me with them all the time. Safe to say I have been living the life of travel ever since." Along the way, she started sharing her adventures on her blog, Hugging Horizons, inspiring her readers to embrace all of life's journeys since 2016.
Locally stranded
As with everything, this all changed when the pandemic spread. When quarantines were first implemented in different parts of the Philippines, Levy had to hop on an emergency flight back to her home in Iloilo City at the Visayas group of islands. The journey to the comfort of her home was a long one, however. Having a hard time booking a direct flight to the island, she and her family ended up taking a plane to Caticlan in Aklan, another island in the Visayas where the famous Boracay Island is situated. From there, Levy recounted, "We had a land trip to Roxas City, Capiz, [where we] stayed at my momβs ancestral home." They had to bide their time for three months, following every quarantine protocols until the government allowed Locally Stranded Individuals (LSIs) like her to return home.
When the travel bans were imposed, her jet-setting lifestyle was, of course, put to a halt. "I was supposed to fly to South Korea, maybe explore a bit of North Korea and Greece this year," Levy said. But most of her trips and projects ended up being moved, if not cancelled.
Time at home
Stuck at home ever since, she has found more time in her hands. Five months after the pandemic broke out, the travel blogger embraced a new routine. With her prayer and time under the gentle morning sun, Levy chooses to begin the day by embracing positivity. "When the mood is set," she went on, "I open my laptop, play my favourite song and start creating content for my blog." Up until six in the evening, she'd keep herself busy. After answering some emails, she'd devote her time to study for her Psychology masters.
Aside from that, her newfound free pockets of time have also been occupied with pasta-cooking, tea-drinking, Netflix-watching, and painting. "I also make it a point that I donβt forget to take care of myself by doing yoga or skip ropes every day," Levy noted. Weekends, on the other hand, are spent on helping out with her family's business. Finally, with no fail every single day, just as she begins her day saying grace, she would end it with another prayer.
Exploring new frontiers
Being stranded in Iloilo, she's currently unable to write about her travels. So to keep her blog up and running and her thirst for adventure sated, the travel blogger has chosen to explore other forms of content during this pandemic. On her blog, she has started working on a new series of quarantine stories. To give us a glimpse of how everyone is coping in these times, Levy interviewed several men in various professions. She had a chat with lawyers, entrepreneurs, architects, journalists, and medical practitioners, to name a few. "By doing this I feel like the platform was placed into good use for relevant stories to be written and expressed during these trying times," she expressed.
Her focus isn't solely on Hugging Horizons. "I am also trying to grow my YouTube account by filming quarantine vlogs, aiming to help viewers to adapt to life in the 'new normal,'" Levy added. Aside from posting throwbacks of her past trips, she'd also share some activities everyone can try out to make the most of their time at home. So far, she's released a vlog on art therapy, the differences between homeschooling and online classes, and she even taught her viewers how to speak Hiligaynon.
Longing for adventure
Despite having all of these activities to keep her pre-occupied, Levy still undeniably misses actual travel. Thinking about her past trips and the unforgettable experiences she made along the way hit her hard. Being a digital nomad has become a huge part of her life, and being unable to go out has left her feeling a bit empty, with a chunk of her heart missing. She confessed, "I personally miss the freedom it has brought to my life. I miss how it ensured my peace of mind and allowed me to discover more about myself every single time [sic]."
Despite all this, living during the pandemic has made the travel blogger even more grateful that she has gotten the chance to explore the world. Her past journeys definitely enhanced her tolerance for uncertainty. Once the virus has been beaten and the world's borders open up, she looks forward to picking up where things left off and creating priceless memories once more.
(Cover photo from: LevyAmosin)
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