When it was too far to walk

I miss jeepney rides.

I started riding jeepney alone when I was in 2nd year high school when my dad flew to a distant country to work. We sold our car because no one knew how to drive except him.
I remember that day when I first rode my country's original, the jeepney. It was my friend's birthday and her house, the venue, was just a jeepney ride away from mine. I went there with them from our school but had to go home alone. They "para" or stopped the passing jeepney for me and told the driver to drop me to our street. I rode and was silently observing the people. The jeepney was packed you couldn't hardly move an inch. There's a deafening sound from the stereo and some head-popping-feet-tapping people. I could smell the perfume and sweat of the persons beside me. It was quite an adventure for a 15-year old me.

I started riding jeepneys everyday in college. My school was 3 jeepney rides away from our home. It's a 45-minute travel. I enjoyed it most when there's music playing, not the loud ones. Jeepney ride gives me time to ponder on things and to observe different people. It gives me a sense of tranquility somehow. I feel like I'm up for an adventure because several times had I been lost riding a jeepney. There were times the jeepney would go on a different path from the usual that I am familiar with.Sometimes it would take me farther from my destination that I had to take another ride back.  There were times when countless jeepneys would pass me by and none of them would stop because they were full. In some days I would squeezed myself in just to get home. It was quite an adventure really, the four years I rode the jeepney.

Then I started working somewhere very near in our home. My workplace is just a 10-minute walk from home and when there are lazy days I don't want to walk, I just ride a tricycle and in less than 5minutes I am home.

Last week I went to see a dermatologist in Makati. A different city from where I live. I was with my parents and it was 2 jeepney rides away. The first ride was not very fun because it was short and it was full of people and there's no decent music. The second brought back memories. There were few passengers and there's good music. The sun had set and it was cold. I felt the cool air sweeping my cheeks.

I miss those days. The days where you're just waiting to arrive at your destination while enjoying the view and the sweet breeze. The days where silence is your companion.

I miss being still in this busy world.