WHEN I started publishing my airport count this year, I just got bolder as a traveler.
I entertained more travel plans for me.
And now, I’m thinking of Europe.
***
Of course, the original plan for me was to go home to Iloilo after I’ve checked on my family in California.
But while in Los Angeles in June and July, many of my doctor-friends in Iloilo and Manila gave me the good advice of staying away for a while.
At least, until the COVID-19 numbers in the Philippines are controlled.
***
But I keep getting updates that the numbers are just getting worse.
That there is a vaccine shortage.
And there are stupid antivaxxers whose science is all derived from the Internet.
And there are conspiracy theorists, and religious fanatics of the ‘mark of the beast’ persuasions.
***
Well, news flash—
God has announced to me: Only those who are vaccinated can go to heaven!
I mean, God was saying, and quite rightly: “These people of little faith! They prayed for me to end this pandemic. I gave them the vaccine, and they won’t take it. It’s like giving them Jesus Christ, and they just crucified Him.”
***
God said, “WTF? Peter, upon your rock, you must tell them that those without the vaccine are not welcome in My heaven.”
So yeah, people, if you are not getting the vaccines when they are made available to you, welcome to Hell.
Or, prepare to build your own Kingdom Come because God is tired of your stubbornness, and conspiracy theories.
***
Science has given you the Truth.
And the Truth will set you free.
Like Jesus is the Truth, the Way, and the Life, so is the vaccine the Scientific Truth, the Way to more Life.
If you wanna die unvaccinated, go die!
But please, do not bring others with you.
***
Now, back to my original train of thought: Europe.
It’s been four years since I visited Europe.
And although I’ve said that I’ll be okay to die without seeing it again, I think that I want to rethink the idea.
Europe 2021 is becoming a great plan.
I mean, it adds to my airport count. Haha.
***
I have a sister in the UK.
And I can be holed up with her for a while.
And from where she lives, I can make side trips to some European country or another.
I have built a good fan base in Milan, and they’ve been begging for me to come back.
***
I also have an aunt in Frankfurt, Germany.
She wants me to visit her this time.
And she said that I can stay with her for as long as I want since her children have already left the nest.
***
And there’s a cousin in Oslo, Norway.
And also several families of new friends I’ve met in Vancouver, and Sacramento.
They would be happy to host me.
***
My Europe 2017 was crazy.
17 countries in three months.
That was insane.
So this time, I can take it easy.
I wanna stay in one country for longer than just a day or two.
Can I stay for a month?
***
My idea is to rent a cheap room in a less touristy town.
Observe local culture.
Meet local people.
Flirt, and be merry.
***
If it’s a COVID-19 negative town, so much the better.
Maybe I can find local boys/men who can take me to hikes, and take me the way I want it. Haha.
***
Speaking of Norway, I think I should go to North Pole in Oslo just to be able to say that I went to North Pole. Haha.
North Pole, Alaska is about half an hour drive from Fairbanks, Alaska.
And I was only at the Fairbanks airport for a layover.
***
I also think that I really should do Finland to complete my Scandinavian countries.
I only did Denmark, Sweden, and Norway the last time.
Maybe I should go to Finland to chase aurora borealis, which I missed in Alaska.
Maybe I should go to the famous Christmas village.
***
I’m a little scared with the COVID situation in Europe.
But the COVID situation everywhere is scary, too.
And I’m thinking, if COVID should kill me, it should do so in Europe, or something like that.
A large part of me would prefer to die in North Pole (albeit only in Oslo), or in Rome, or somewhere dramatic.
***
Imagine the headlines: “ThePSN dies in Vatican City.”
Or, “ThePSN dies in North Pole.”
Or, “ThePSN disappeared in the Bavarian forest.”
Or, “ThePSN went missing in Transylvania.”
***
And all that you will remember about me is that—
He died seeing the world beyond his hometown, beyond his home province, his home island, his home country./PN
