Today, we’ll be sharing a short interview with travel blogger Colleen Vidal of colololz.com. You might have encountered her tips and travel escapades shared on your news feed by your wandering friends. I learned about her when I saw her Pinto Art Museum trip, one of the places I want to visit. After that, I’ve encountered more of her posts, from my news feed to travel groups we are both part of. Something about her told me “hey, get in touch with her.” So I did.
Let me tell you one thing I got from our email exchange: she is human.
Talking to her felt like she can be a friend, not a celebrity that I need to bow down to like some of them feel. Nowadays, when people get a little famous, they tend to dismiss others. But Colleen? She didn’t powdered up her message, you know, to sound better. Her first reply to me was “Your message is nakakakilig like oa!!!” If I knew her personally I could imagine hearing her voice with that, and what can be realer than that?
Who is Colleen out of colololz.com?
Aside from being the writer and owner of colololz.com, I can also consider myself as your ultimate travel buddy. Charot! Well, what do travel buddies do ba? They don’t just travel with themselves, they share experiences together. And that’s what I want my readers to feel. I want them to experience, even just by reading, the adventures I had on my travels. I want them to feel the thrill, the joy, and the cravings on travelling. As a travel buddy, I also want them to realize that traveling is fun and uncomplicated as others see it. Kaya i really want to push everyone to get out of their comfort zone kasi baduy don!
Why do you travel? How do you see traveling as part of your life?
Traveling is not just an activity for me every week. It’s more than that. It’s actually part of me. OA man pakinggan but it really completes me. Kulang si Colololz pag walang travel hehe. And I can never imagine myself get tired of traveling. Never.
Did you aim for your name to be out there or did you simply want to record your travels somewhere?
Super no! I never actually expected that I could reach this level (if that’s what you call it) Jusko until now, there’s a part of me that still can’t conceive that fact. Hindi rin comfortable sa’kin isipin hahaha. Basta I just want everyone to love travel as much as I do. I just share travel guides as well as my personal experience para maisip nila na madali at interesting talaga ang traveling- and that ma-appreciate nila lalo ang Pinas!
What main struggle did you have to go through which wouldn’t have taken you where you are now if you have given up then?
Probably balancing my studies and travel. I was an accounting student when I started traveling every week, and will be taking my CPA board exam eventually. As an accountancy student, and a CPA board taker, you have to really study HARD, or else in no time you’ll be dropped out. And I can say, in my school, being a BSA student is HARDER compared to the other schools since trisem kami, and the level of training isn’t easily explainable- ang hirap like OA! So I really have to study like EVERY SINGLE DAY. So gets, it’s really a struggle for me to include traveling in my weekly life. But of course, if there’s a will there’s a way- i truly love traveling so I always make a way to balance both of my priorities.
If you are not in your current profession, what would your professional work be?
With no doubt, I’ll be a professional traveler! Hahaha earning money from that profession seems hard but dude there are a lot of professional travelers earning BIG BUCKS by just doing what they love. So yep I think I can be one like them.
What inspiring slap of truth can you advise someone who wants to travel and blog about travel?
Life and Lemons 
Yesyes. She is so down to earth. Lagi siyang nagrereply sa lahat ng comment and pm ko. Ganun siya sa lahat ng tao. Super nakakahanga sya with all her travels and achievements in life. My one and only favorite travel blogger ❤
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She is. Never thought of these ‘famous people’ as someone you can be friends with. Pero siya very humble, nakakatuwa.
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aaaww!! I La la lOVE HER TOO!!
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