Personal Journal – MLE Travel Diary

Why Do I Solo Travel? Day 1 in the Philippines

MLE Travel Diary — Mon, 11 Aug 2025 14:00:00 +0000

In March I solo traveled to the Philippines, spending one week in Palawan, specifically Coron and El Nido. It was my first time in Southeast Asia and my first true solo trip in a long, long time.

Which, honestly unexpectedly, resulted in a whole lot of negative self talk and intrusive thoughts questioning my decisions when I arrived. I wanted to share these thoughts and my reflections in case you ever find yourself having the same thoughts.

You’re not alone!! What you see on Instagram is usually a highlight reel, and doesn’t always show the full picture of the ups and downs that is what travel is truly all about.

Wednesday, March 19, 2025 | 7:00 AM

As I sit at breakfast having just arrived the night before, I think to myself, why the heck am I here. And, why do I feel this urge to travel so much to the extent that it brings me to the Philippines, all alone??

While I’m waiting for my veggie omelette to arrive, I have an internal debate with myself about whether or not I wish I was with someone else on the trip.

Does being alone help me immerse myself more fully in the moment?
Or does it isolate me and enable me to stay inside and fall asleep at 6:30 pm, like I did last night?

I decide that I prefer the freedom of getting to do what I want and waking up on my own terms this morning. But that I would enjoy having another person here for peace of mind.

I haven’t felt unsafe being here in Coron, but it’s always a strange, unsettling feeling being somewhere new and unfamiliar.

Ironically, I’m probably less safe when I go for a run back home around Santa Monica, but I digress.

A small, flying insect comes close to my elbow, pulling me out of my thoughts. I swat it away, praying it’s not a mosquito that will infect me with the dengue fever.

I’ve been taking my malaria pills religiously the past few days, and am covered head to toe in both lightweight clothing and 12-Hour Sawyer Picaridin Insect Repellent. But that’s about the most I can do to protect myself against dengue.

It’s funny, the things you realize you take for granted about home when you travel.

I take a bite of my veggie omelette, reminding myself that this is just the beginning.

And that to travel is to push myself into moments like this, where I sit in a new place, questioning everything, and somehow feeling more alive because of it. I can't wait to see where the next week takes me.

Have you ever had similar thoughts when solo traveling? Let me know in the comments!

Be sure to follow along on Instagram for more travel content.

mariss

The post Why Do I Solo Travel? Day 1 in the Philippines first appeared on MLE Travel Diary.

A Day In The Life As A Part-Time Travel Blogger

MLE Travel Diary — Mon, 14 Aug 2023 14:00:00 +0000

Wondering what it’s like to be a travel blogger with a full time corporate job? I’ll be taking you through an average day in the life for me, so buckle up! And for some context if you don’t already know, I work remotely.

I love that I am able to do both: work in the corporate world, and pursue my passion of traveling on the side. It can definitely be a lot to juggle at times; I’ve learned that planning my content ahead is essential. Anything that can be automated or scheduled ahead is, so I don’t have to remember every single detail!

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5:45 AM

Wake up time! I am a huge morning person, plus most of my team at work is on the East Coast. I don’t drink caffeine, but over the years I think my body has gotten used to the early start! I’m usually out the door in ~15 minutes after getting dressed for the gym, and grabbing my gym bag and a pre-workout snack.

At the gym I have a pretty set weekly schedule that’s a mix of running, weightlifting, and Pilates. I just started doing more Pilates, and am loving it – especially on days when I have early calls and less time in the gym.

7:00 AM

This is when I post my Instagram Reel! I try to post 5-6 times / week. I have found that committing to always posting forces me to be creative and think up more ideas. I’m usually still at the gym at this time, hopefully winding down and stretching.

8:00 AM

After getting back from the gym and showering, I make a quick protein shake breakfast and check my work emails. If it’s a busy time or I have an urgent email, this is when I start my corporate job work. Otherwise, I will go on Instagram and interact with any comments, DMs and friends posts for about 30 minutes before starting work!

12:00 PM

Lunch break! I try to get outside if I can for a quick walk and fresh air after eating. This is also when I’ll work on my weekly newsletter (mini plug to sign up if you haven’t already!), writing blog posts, or coming up with captions for my Instagram Reels.

5:00 PM

Since I start work earlier, I am usually wrapping up by 4-5pm, depending on what time I started for the day. This is also legitimately when I usually eat dinner because I ate breakfast so early and don’t think I have enough snacks in my apartment.😂

Since I live alone, I have a bad habit of multitasking during dinner time. I’ll catch up on Instagram and plan out more content for the upcoming weeks. I will also use this time to research free tools and workshops to improve my editing skills, videography, blog writing, brand outreach, etc!

P.S. If this is you and you’re overwhelmed with trying to keep track of planning your content, check out Notion. I wrote more on it in my blog post here too – it has helped me tremendously!

6:30 PM

I have recently gotten involved in some clubs in Los Angeles, which start around 6:30 – 7 PM on weekdays. I love these, because they give me an outlet to socialize and take a break from all my work! If you also find yourself getting lost in your work, I highly recommend signing up for some local clubs to get yourself out of your home!

8:00 PM

Time to wind down! I must admit, I am super guilty of going BACK on Instagram, responding to more comments, and sometimes endlessly scrolling for “inspiration.” Put that in quotes here because it is very rare I’m actually getting inspired that late at night, usually just am wasting time and end up looking at Mort memes. After putting my phone away, I like to pack up my gym bag for the next day, get ready for bed, and then read a book. Then I to go to sleep between 9 – 10 PM to get my beauty sleep for the next day! And that’s a full day in the life!

It’s interesting now having my travel blog, as it feels like my brain is constantly “switched on” and in work mode for the blog, but not in a negative way. Any questions? Drop them below or send me a message on Instagram!

mariss

The post A Day In The Life As A Part-Time Travel Blogger first appeared on MLE Travel Diary.

How My First 24 Hours Working Remotely in Hawaii Went

MLE Travel Diary — Fri, 17 Feb 2023 15:00:00 +0000

arrival

Aloha! Welcome to my first travel diary entry from October 24, 2022. Hope you enjoy, and make sure to check out my Hawaii Travel Guide for my recommended list of places to go in Oahu!

After 15 long travel hours from Chicago…we finally made it! And WOW. Check out this view from the condo we rented for the month. I cannot get over this view We booked through Ali’i Beach Rentals and I would definitely recommend. Our original condo rental was actually canceled a few weeks before we were supposed to leave, as the owner removed it from their site. Within 24 hours they had found this replacement, which was a huge upgrade, and changed our reservation for no extra charge. It was really so nice of them and we were so thankful.

My best friend was kind enough to pick us up from the airport, and took us to our first stop: poke bowls! We ate these bowls from Five Star Poke on the beach (although I forgot to take pics there) and watched the sunset. It was incredible. I am sooo excited for our month long stay here

daytime

I woke up very early at 4 am to start work, which was definitely a little wild. The sun hadn’t even risen and it was pitch black. But as a result, I was able to log off early in the afternoon around 12 pm. I started off strong with a little run through Waikiki, then went for a quick dip in the ocean!!

I would also like to note that I left behind my phone when I went back to the beach hehe. This gave me some much needed nice time away from my screens.

nighttime

I then went back to the apartment for a bit and rested while my boyfriend wrapped up his work. Then we went for a little walk before sunset!

We sat down on these rocks at the beach and enjoyed the sunset. OMG it was sooo pretty!

I feel so lucky to be here right now and am really thankful this all worked out the way it did.

mariss

The post How My First 24 Hours Working Remotely in Hawaii Went first appeared on MLE Travel Diary.