Noelfy (read as no-el-fee) is one of those travelers that I envy. At 26, she has already traveled to 61 countries, couchsurfed even before Couchsurfing became famous, and immersed herself in learning each country's culture and language. Her blog, Noelimits, is a fitting name for a girl with dreams as big as the world she tramps.When the news came out that she was visiting the Philippines and thinking of heading down to Cebu, I asked her to drop me a line if and when she came to the city. And she did, so the time to finally meet her came.
We met on a Monday night. She was dressed like a gypsy, had slippers on, and moved like a little girl being floated by hundreds of balloons. Noelfy has been trying to become a vegetarian; supportive person that I am, we headed to Zayka. Unfortunately, it had disappeared. (Anyone know where they transferred?) I thought of Mr. India in Gaisano Country Mall, but it was too far. So the nearest Indian restaurant was the next sensible choice: Firozian Indian Tea House.
Memory serves to be my ally on this, but memory also deceives. What you'll be reading in this interview isn't verbatim.
Name? Noelfy.
I don't think that's your given name. How did you become Noelfy? A mix for Noelia and Elfy. I love the environment, trees, elves. I was called Elfy also.
What's a world without travel? Sh*t. When I travel, there's always something new.
How did travel change you as a person? I didn't have a good time when I was in highschool. I traveled to Italy when I was 17. Then started traveling to other parts of Europe. After that, I could not see myself having a normal life anymore (like being stuck in one place and having a boring job).
Best travel experience? Every travel. But the best places were Central Asia, Caribbean, and Malaysia-Borneo.
Don't you get tired of moving from place to place?I do. But I'm still in my life where I want to travel and travel.
What do you imagine doing after ten years? 30-40 years old. I'll be having my own business. It has something to do with helping the environment. I'll be doing work that will help change the world. It's written in my life plan on my blog.
What do you think of El Nido? My first time there was two years ago. Super lovely place. The prices were cheaper then than it is now. I was there recently and I couldn't work on my blog in El Nido. The electricity was up only for a few hours at night and my laptop's battery life is only an hour.
What do you think of beauty pageants? I'm not against that. There are people who fit joining pageants. What I don't like is people judging a person by their mere looks. Because every person, regardless of their looks, has something to offer.
Favorite color? Animal? Comfort food? Green. Koala. Sushi.
If you can travel to any period of time/generation/era, when would that be? Medieval times. I'll be fighting dragons. I'll be a conqueror!
What question should I refrain from asking you? Please don't ask me about football! ...That's unusual for someone who hails from Spain (currently No. 1 in FIFA rankings). But I know how to play. Last time I played, I was the only woman in the team and even played better than some of my teammates.
How many languages can you speak? More than three. In every country I visit, I make sure to speak the local language. Although it's harder for me to practice Filipino since everyone I talked to here converses with me in English.
I'd like to learn another language. Should I start learning Spanish? Yes, you should. It can be very helpful. In other countries I visited, I earned by teaching Spanish part-time and proof reading Spanish articles. Spanish is also widely spoken in South America. Cool! I'll take note of that. Even in my native tongue, there are still unfamiliar words I need to know. The great thing about language is that it's something you can never stop learning.
What's next for Noelfy? I'll go back to London. Then I'll be doing the Santiago Trail.
Honestly, this interview had more laughter than talk. If I include the hahahas, the article length would double.