ARMIE YUSON (Happy Loner Traveller’s Journey To The Philippine Blog Awards 2011)

 

 

 

           I discovered my passion for writing at the age of 9 years old and I discovered my thirst for travelling and extreme adventures at the age of 22. I’ve been touring around the Philippines, from Batanes to the southernmost tip of Mindanao for 5 years already and I have seen, felt and experienced a lot. Mostly, what our fellow Filipinos have been going through in terms of poverty. So I have built my advocacies through the shout of our fellow Filipinos, I condoled with their calling to our government. And I used what I already have, which is my love for writing, movie making, photography and travelling, I came up with my 3 missions in life and that is to promote Philippine tourism, so that I could allow more job opportunities in the tourism industry to open for our fellow Filipinos in dire need of a livelihood and to teach everyone to protect and conserve our Mother Earth & its dying Natural Resources. For more than 2 years, I’ve been blogging about my advocacies, exploring and featuring off the beaten track Philippine Destinations that would add new flavors to Philippine Tourism. And also in between, I share my personal struggles and achievements in life so that I could somehow inspire my readers that behind every pain, misery, cruelty, heartache and mistakes in our lives, there is always hope, joy, love, positivity and acceptance. I guess, Life is really like that, you always have problems, but what’s important is how you remain to stand, fight and take the challenges of those problems and when we win? There’s nothing sweeter than a Big Knockout Victory!

           So I’m thanking God for finally giving all my 2 year hardwork the recognition it deserves, because God knew all the effort I gave to built my world on what it is today ARMIEYUSON.BLOGSPOT.COM. Finally, my voice have been heard after 2 years of blood, sweat and tears. Philippine Blog Awards 2011, the most prestigious award giving body in Philippine Blogging has given me a news that would literally make me cry and jump for so much joy! And that is after 5 months of waiting, I was announced to be a finalist in 6 awards. And that is in the Reader’s Choice Award 2011, Blogger’s Choice Award 2011, Travel Category 2011, Lifestyle Category 2011, Podcast & Videocast Category 2011 and Top Single Podcast & Videocast Category 2011. Praise God!!! Just being a finalist feels like a winner already because hundreds of thousands of entries were nominated and it faced 3 gruesome processes just to be cutdown to the finalist part that comprises of 5 to 10 contestants only. It’s already a Big privilege for me just to be included in the list of the Top and Elite Bloggers in the Philippines.

           So I dressed my best and attended to the biggest event of my Life. It was held at Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium RCBC Plaza, Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines at 6 PM. When I arrived at the event, I was just so excited to meet all of my co-bloggers and witnessed how popular they were in the blogging world. I was just a newbie here starting to make my own name. So the program proper started and everytime I see my blogsite on the screen and hear my name being called by the hosts when they were recapping the Finalists, I was just plain nervous with a little expectation that my name would also be called. With me vying for 6 awards, I prayed to God that he would just let me win even with 1 award only because this has been my dream for 2 years and an award is an embodiment of me being officially announced as the best blogger in the Philippines. However, I didn’t bring home any awards, I felt a little sad but after a shortwhile I was okay again, because I realized that being a part, a Finalist in 6 awards of this National Event is already a Big Gate for opportunities, this has allowed and inspired me to keep doing what I love to do and that is to keep changing people’s lives and giving them hope. This Awards night has also given me hope to work harder in giving truthful and amazing stories that would make a difference in this world, stories that would touch lives and stories that would allow strangers to carry “Me and My World” with them. I also realized that maybe I didn’t win right now is because I was built for a Bigger purpose, it all comes with God’s plan… I already won because I won the hearts of my readers who became my dear friends. That for me, winning the hearts of my readers is the greatest and priceless award in my Life and there is no sweeter victory than that…

           So hopefully, with God’s grace again, I could be nominated on July and be included in the Finalist on late November and be announced as the Winner in December of next year in the next Philippine Blog Awards on 2012… I just would like to say thank you to the 680 people who supported & voted for me in the Reader’s Choice Award 2011 Category. To all the people who shared the voting site especially to Samuelle… I also would like to say thank you to the Board Members of the Award Giving Body for placing me in the Final list of the 6 Categories. And thank you to Kathrine Ibal for accompanying me, being my photographer and capturing memories of the most important event of my Life…

- Happy Loner Traveller