Reigniting of One’s Passion

A young man was sent on a flight to El Nido to go on a bird-watching expedition. This man has prior experience in bird watching since it is part of his job to go to different places around the world on expeditions. He was at the point in his life where he was questioning his pursuit of bird admiration. It has been ten years since he began this because of his passion for seeing these flying creatures. So when he came to El Nido, he did not think much of the environment he was going to be in.

The man arrived at El Nido’s airport at the end of the day. The sun had already set, and the only lights that could be seen were the lights from the runway and the lights from the airport. When he got off the plane, the man saw a man standing by the entrance of the airport. It was the environmental officer assigned to accompany him on his expedition. The officer brought the man to his hotel to settle in, and soon after they went out for dinner. They discussed their plan for the next day, and the officer began to share the birds that they would find on their expedition. When they finished dinner, the environmental officer brought the man to his hotel for him to rest since they were waking up early the next day. In bed, looking up at the ceiling, the man kept on contemplating what he was going to see the next morning. The man was not so intrigued by the species of birds that the officer was sharing with him. He had already seen a variety of birds from different countries on his previous trips. So what would make this trip different? He was about to find out the next morning.

The man woke up overtired from his flight the day before. However, he had no choice but to force himself out of bed and prepare for the day. He met with the environmental officer at the hotel lobby, and they set off on their expedition. The man and the officer arrived at the expedition site before the streaking light of day had crossed the sky. The expedition site that the pair were going to was a local forest called Lio Forest. After preparing their equipment, such as cameras and binoculars, they headed into the forest. During their walk in the forest, the man began making unnecessary movements that made their presence known to creatures within the vicinity. Stepping on branches and twigs. Dragging his feet where leaves were gathered. The environmental officer, noticing this, stopped their walk for them to regroup.

The environmental officer tells the man that they can rest for a bit before they continue. The man nodded, sat down, and began to gaze up at the ceiling above him. Branches and leaves covered the sky as if they were in a building that was well constructed to house all kinds of animals. With the scenery, the quiet space, and his overtiredness, the man was beginning to doze off. But before he could sleep, the environmental officer tapped the man’s shoulder. The man looks at the officer, and the officer begins to point in the direction in front of them. The man could not spot what the officer was pointing at. Feeling dragged out of bed, he asked the officer to just tell him where the bird was so he could take a photo of it. The officer did not say a word. He only looked at the man with a smile. The man was confused. Why can’t the officer just tell him what he is pointing at? Then, something clicked in the man’s mind. He recalls that on his previous expeditions, the birds he was looking for were always pointed out and basically shown to him by his guide.

The man began to focus on the area that the officer was pointing at. As he continued to look in that direction, his eyes began darting in different directions. The man’s eyes were searching through the leaves and branches as if he were solving a puzzle. After a few seconds, his eyes stopped, and he began to gaze at one spot. His eyes began to enlarge because of what he was seeing. Two green-bodied birds. Each with their own colored mascara, one wearing green, the other blue. The man’s mouth began to slowly drop, and he began to feel light as if a weight had been unloaded. The man looked at the environmental officer in awe. The officer smiled, and he invited the man to follow him again. The man nodded with a grin, and then they set off. Every single location they were in, the man was quick to scan the area. This experience was not what the man was expecting. The birds that he was seeing were not as extravagant as the birds he had seen in his past expeditions. Nevertheless, each bird they saw that day was a sight to behold. He enjoyed every single moment of the expedition.

When the day came to an end, the man was brought back to his hotel. He thanked the environmental officer for the day, and he went up to his room. When the man got to his room, he fell on his bed and looked up at the ceiling with a smile. The next day, the man was picked up by the environmental officer to be brought to the airport. When they both got to the departure gate, the man thanked the officer for the wonderful expedition and said he would definitely come back for another expedition when the time came. The environmental officer shared the same sentiments as the man. The man then got on his flight back home with a new sense of perspective that he will continue to bring wherever he goes. His trip to El Nido was a memorable one because it has reignited his passion for the work that he does.