A PetiX Life

The foreign trips, the sumptuous meals, five-star hotel accommodations, freebie gadgets and the fascination of being able to try out new computer technologies before other people find out they even exist are some of the many things I miss about being an IT journalist. I’ve been away from journalism for a couple of months now. I’ve temporarily parked my journalistic pen and hopped a ride towards a different career path. I’m pursuing a new story, one that is certainly life-changing. Some people still can’t imagine me doing something else but writing, although I tell them that writing will always be with me. I’m just chasing a different adventure this time, working out a new lead, developing a new angle and hoping for a new ending.

It’s a bit strange actually how easy it was for me to make a transition and leave journalism behind. I’ve been breathing the journalistic air since high school through college and I even thought it was the only way for me to live my life. That last thought is probably the biggest worst assumption I’ve ever concocted, bigger than thinking I was That’s Entertainment material back then. Way, way much bigger.

This is not to say that I’ve sucked at being a journalist. I’d like to think that I’ve done my fair share and contributed humbly to the development of IT journalism, a niche area, in the 10 years I was at it. This is just to say that I’ve longed to do something else but didn’t quite know exactly what it is until this past year.

It can be argued that it took me a while to realize what I wanted to do. That may be true, but I’m just happy that I’ve done so while I’m still alive. Some people never get a breakthrough and labor endlessly until their very last breaths, not ever being able to taste what they really want. I’ve gotten a new lease in life, a fresh start, and I’m happy with that.

Leaving journalism is a decision I had to make not because journalism sucked, but because I found something else I wanted to do. There’s a difference between leaving behind a regrettable past and an experience that you will cherish until all your gray hair have fallen off. I’ve had ten wonderful years in journalism. My former roommate, Ram, used to tell me I had the best job in the world. I had new gadgets all the time, I ate at the fanciest restaurants, slept in the best hotels, and traveled to the best places in the world! How could you not like sleeping at the Ritz Carlton, bonding with Mickey Mouse and company in Florida, riding a Segway even before it started selling in the market, battling waves in Maui and kayaking in Palawan all for free! Back when I shared a flat with a couple of friends from UP, I was embarrassed to tell them I was leaving for a short trip out of the country because I’d be leaving again shortly when I come back. Sometimes I wouldn’t see my roomates for a week or two and I was embarrassed to say I just got back from two different countries. I never imagined being a jet-setter but I got to experience that as an IT journalist.

Life as a journalist wasn’t all about that of course. The most memorable moments in a journalist’s life are when one’s works are recognized by other people, when you feel you are relevant, when you are respected and trusted by your readers. There were awards given by peers and industry groups, but the more unforgettable experiences came when people came up to you to say that they appreciated your work.

It may sound strange, but the things I loved about my former job were also some of the reasons I decided to leave.  The frequent traveling as a journalist ignited in me a passion to try and discover the vast treasures of the world. This is probably the single most important reason I left journalism behind. I want to explore the world, I want to go backpacking in Europe, buy a house in Italy or Greece, discover the pyramids of Egypt and spend a night or two in any of England’s hundred castles, and paying for them with my own money.

This is probably the new life story I’m trying to pursue. I want to conquer the world and write about it. There is so much to discover about the world and I’m hoping I’ve taken the right path to experiencing it.

This entry was posted on Thursday, August 17th, 2006 at 1:32 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.