Street but Sweet

THOUGHTS, TALES, AND TRIVIAL THINGS

Friday, August 18, 2006

Now it can be told

One month ago...

You've seen Josh bungy jump, Renee perform Chinese opera, and Gabe eat fried scorpions. Are you up for a similar challenge? Here's your chance to do all that and more as a Travel Journalist in the new season of 5 Takes! If you have a passion for travel and making friends and telling the world about your adventures, we want to hear from you. Join 5 Takes now!

It was a casting call for a travel show on Discovery Travel and Living. I submitted my application and just completely forgot about it. I figured they were casting all over Asia and Australia, so what were the odds? When I checked my mail after getting back from Bohol, I had a surprise message waiting in my inbox. The gist:

Subject: We want to see more of you!

Dear 5 Takes TJ hopeful, Congratulations! You've made it through the first round and are just two steps away to becoming a TJ on the new season of Discovery Travel & Living's 5 Takes!

From the Discovery Travel & Living Team

The e-mail went on to state the requirements. I was thrilled! I didn't think I would make it that far, and I was just so happy and thankful that I did. I figured my chances of making it through the next round were pretty slim, but hey, it was worth a shot. I was totally OK with not making it through to the next round. I was that happy. I read the forum, and some people were just devastated because they didn't make it, so I considered myself lucky.

I enlisted Rene to help me with the video requirements. H helped me shoot some additional footage (and, man, was he tough to please. Rene was basically a tripod. Haha. A very good-natured tripod whom I dragged around Ateneo. Haha. H, on the other hand, would critique me all throughout! Perfectionist!). I have to admit, while I was ecstatic that I made it through the first round, I couldn't help but begin to really want to make it through the next. The deeper I got into it, the more I wanted it. And it was an uncomfortable feeling--the greater the desire, the greater the chance of disappointment. Which was why I was trying to convince myself that I didn't really want it. (Yeah, right.)

And so I turned in all my requirements on the last day of submission. And for days, I couldn't get it out of my head. It was hard not to think about where I could possibly get sent, what adventures I would have. I just wanted to forget about it, but the more I tried to, the more I thought about it--forgetting (or at least trying to) is funny that way.

When I found out I didn't make it, I was just so disappointed. I watched the entries of those who did make it, and I was like, "I could so speak better than she does!" And then it hit me, "She made it, and you didn't, so just shut up." Haha. I kept thinking about what I could have done differently. There were areas for improvement, and it kills me that there's nothing I could do about it now. The chance to travel for 12 weeks--and get paid for it!--was gone.

After a bit of reflection, I did realize some things. Maybe this experience wasn't about me getting to travel--maybe it was meant to show me that I've got some really awesome people in my life. I had a couple of friends who were ready and willing to help. But H and Rene were just so incredibly supportive--it wasn't because they were obligated to be there. I could sense that they really wanted this for me. And it touches me no end to know that I've got such a solid support system.

Maybe next year.

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