Pretty Young Blood Traveler* Kate Renner is not in any way related to Bourne Legacy actor Jeremy Renner but they nevertheless share a common connection - they both have been to El Nido.   Palawan is just one of the many destinations Kate has crossed out from her list. (And no, her surname isn't Renner; she sometimes goes with Escudero too. Kidding). This twenty-something attractive Proposal Manager is happily married (sorry, guys!) with two cute kids whom she shares her travel stories with. Find out how she's able to wander around the country (and abroad) despite her busy work. 

On discovering her love for travel
A little background -I am a certified Manilenia. Born and raised in the city,I am fascinated with everything outside the metro. I used to envy my classmates in grade school whenever they'd tell me stories about their vacation in the province. My dream back then was as simple as seeing a real clean flowing river.
My love for travelling started on my first unsupervised trip when I was in college. We needed to interview the leader of a religious group in Pangasinan. The trip was a very liberating experience and an eye-opener. It got me fascinated with people and stories.

Kota Kinabalu

On what kind of traveler she is
I say a practical one. I have this three "rules" I follow whenever I decide to hit the road. I call them my 'trifecta requirements" Budget, Time, and Experience. Yes, budget is first in the list of priorities considering I am just an employee with a growing family! Anyway, back to my requirements, those three should go hand in hand.

Budget needs to be taken care of first. What I do is set my mind into where I want to go next. Then I set a budget limit on my mind and that is when I start planning my itinerary around it. Unfortunately, I cannot just travel out of whim; everything needs to be planned ahead. I cannot afford to be away for too long given my status and my work, with these reasons, I need to carefully consider how much time I need to be away.
Last, and most importantly, the experience. This is, after all, the ultimate reason you would want to leave the comfort of your home and go through all the hassles of planning and researching and waiting for that perfect seat-sale moment - to experience. I am willing to spend a little more than what I intend to if that will merit more "whoa-moments" for me.

On her best travel experiences/memories
Tough question. I cannot pick just one. Every place I’ve been to, every people I’ve met on the road, every story I heard, they all go to my bucket of "bests". But if I have to chose one, something that first pops in my head, I guess, is the memory of riding that habal-habal going to TOPS in Cebu. The ride was exhilarating in that cold late afternoon. We were able to beat the sunset when we reached the top. The view down below - city lights springing to life as darkness engulfed the metropolis - was just incredibly awesome.

With girlfriends in breathtaking El Nido

On funding her wanderlust
[I travel] with whatever money I have in hand. If you're asking me if I have a squirrel-fund or have something else aside from my work, I don't. I save, but not until I have booked a ticket nor have someone hold onto my money for me until the actual trip! I know it is stupid and thinking about it now, I probably need to set up my own travel fund!

On things she can't live without while on the road
Makalimutan na ang lahat huwag lang ang camera. I love taking candid photographs! Contrary to what most of my friends think, I am not just a camwhore, I also love being the one behind the camera! But when we talk about essentials, never leave without your ID and have someone hold onto your IT before you leave. That way, even though signal maybe lost, roaming may not work, they can always find you! Hindi naman sa nananakot but unfavorable things might happen when you travel!

Taoist Temple in Cebu

On traveling solo
I haven't tried it yet, but I will! And you will be the first to know.

On bad experiences
We experienced being ignored in a restaurant in HK. Talk about discrimination! I really can't blame them though, because our trip to HK happened about a month after the hijacking incident of the bus filled with HK tourists in Manila. Nevertheless, it does not compare with what I experienced with PH immigration. We were bound to Singapore; so obviously, you have to go through immigration first. My brother went ahead of me and he got through quickly. When it was my turn, it was a rather different story. Worse, my mom got treated the same way. I have nothing against them as they're just doing their jobs, but they can do it in a non-condescending way. The last straw was when we were about to get past the security line, another immigration officer asked for MY (yes, just mine) passport and asked again if I have a job here and what it is. I said I work as a Proposal Manager in an international company, he didn't say a thing, he just looked at me from head to toe as he handed me my passport! It was by far the most demeaning thing that happened to me.

Family trip in Hongkong

On her favorite movie about traveling
"Little Miss Sunshine" The movie is not exactly about travelling, but I love how the story and the characters play out during their journey. The self discovery, overcoming numerous setbacks, and renewing their bond with each other happened during their entire trip.

On her dream destination
Think about this, the world is full of magnificent places, people and culture, just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, everything will become glorious. I don’t want to limit myself to just one or two dream destination; I'll always want to see more.

Striking a pose at Skypark in Singapore

Advice to newbie travelers
Start small but dream big. If this is going to be your first bite into travelling, be sure you do your research and travel with a buddy. And most importantly, enjoy and seize the moment!

Ms. Universe Question: If the world ends on December as scheduled, where do you want to spend the apocalypse and why?
As scheduled talaga? Hindi ba pwede as predicted lang by some? Hahaha! 
Home. It may sound corny and lame but it's the truth. I have as much excitement every time I step inside the house as I step out of the door. Being able to be greeted with tiny kisses and start a story-telling marathon of my trip is something I always look forward to. So if the world ends on December, I'd rather stay curled up in our bed with Dayne and the little monsters, sharing stories and laughters. (Corny much? Hahaha)

With hubby in Malaysia

*Young Blood Traveler is an interview series on my blog that features young (or anyone who's young at heart) people who have passion for travelling but don't have a blog to share their travel experiences.  Want to be featured? Email me at journeyoferos(at)yahoo(dot)com