#‎RoadTripperMonday‬ – a weekly feature of our very own Road Tripper.

Happy Monday, everyone! It’s the fourth week of the year and today’s Road Tripper is Maica Ayuyao or Maris! Maris joined our very first No Bag Road Trip where you cannot bring any kind of bag whatsoever. It is one of the more challenging road trips since you only bring what it is essential for you. Maris had lots of fun and made new friends along the way.

To know more about Maica, read more about her here —

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1. What do you do for a living

I work as the Quezon City Planning Office’s Legal Officer.

2. What is one of your guilty pleasures?

Travelling. Also dark chocolates and the social media.

3. What is the title of the movie of your life?

I don’t know. Maybe, “Huli Man ay Lakwatsera Pa rin.” I really never went anywhere until two years ago. My dad have no passion whatsoever in travelling and we have to save up money for my law degree, my sister’s medicine degree and my brother’s engineering degree. We aren’t rich. Both my parents are just regular government employees like me.

4. If you could go back in time what would you tell your 16 year old self?

Tourism ang kunin mo. Maging lakwastera muna bago pumasok sa law school. Hahahaha.

5. If you can be teleported anywhere around the world, where would it be and why?

Probably somewhere across Europe na maraming world-class architectures, rustic villages and majestic castles. I think na if nature lang ang trip kasi, quota na tayo sa Pilipinas.

6. Which celebrity would you go on a “one-night-only-date” with?

Ay bawal yun. Conservative ang parents ko. Hahaha. Pero probably Alden Richards. Fan rin kasi ang daddy ko niya. Hahaha. Tsaka he seems to be a quiet and kind person pero with a big desire for adventures. At siyempre, ang pogi eh.

7. You, unfortunately have been condemned to die, but fortunately, you get to have any meal in the world before you go. What is your menu?

Siguro a really good pizza shared with family and some close friends.

8. If you could trade places with anyone right now, for a week, who would it be and why?

DPWH Undersecretary Karen Jimeno. Why does she have it all? Beauty, brains, love life, career…more importantly, a whole lot of chocolates without getting fat and travelling around the world!

9. What is the best present you ever received?

Ewan ko. Siguro, surprise me with food ‘pag birthday ko. Kasi my birthday is on May so never naghanda yung parents ko sa class ko unlike my brother and sister. I remember na I tear up nung natapos ang OJT ko near my birthday tapos nagpa-pansit yung mga boss ko. Feeling ko special ako. Hahaha. Tapos nung 27th birthday ko, inimbitahan ko yung officemates ko dati sa DAR. Bumili sila ng cake for me. Ayun. Super na-touch ako.

10. If you could meet a famous or not so famous person, who would that be and why?

My forever. Hahaha. Why? Mawawala na sa kalendaryo eh. Pero of course, I’d like to have a dinner with President Duterte. His policies are blowing my mind. I need to clarify so many things to him.

11. How old should a person start traveling?

I encourage parents that once a child could start schooling, go take him or her places. I would broaden their horizons and have a bigger understanding with humanity and God’s greatness. Unfortunately, if you grow up to be a sheltered child like me, sariling diskarte na yan once you start making your own money. After I passed the bar, hindi muna ako nakapagtravel. Halos patayin na ako ng dalawang magkasunod na work ko sa pagka-hectic. Pero when I had my first “official” travel to the Visayas and saw Bohol, I know na I had to see more. However, I want to travel responsibly. Ayoko na utang ang gagastusin ko para lang makapagtravel. Hindi rin mana magfifinance ang parents ko ng luho ko. Nag-ipon muna ako, naghanap ng better paying job, kumuha ng investments like insurance, and slowly started travelling as a joiner sa mga kung anu-ano including ExPH. Although I am challenging myself. This January would be my first solo flight going to Isabela. Tapos road trip after kami ng classmate ko na imi-meet ko. To where? Hindi rin namin alam. So yeah, going back to the question, kung kaya ng parents mo tustusan ka, start ka na once may discretion ka na. Pero if not, be a mature adult, have a job to finance it, save up for it…then go for it!

12. What is your best experience in traveling/living in the Philippines?

I really can’t think of the best experience. For me, every time I travel, I try to learn culture and beliefs of the locals. I know all about them—their diet, their faith, their economic standing, their demography, the prevailing political parties and families of their town and province, and even their gasoline prices. Being a girl who was born, raised and now part of the government of Quezon City, I am always aware that I lived in a bubble all my life. I want to know my countrymen more.

13. In one sentence, how would you like people to remember you?

I want the people who were close to me to remember me laughing because of all the silly things I did and said then cry so hard because they know that they would never experience someone else like me in this world.