I have somehow acquired the reputation of a man permanently in transit.

Fill your feed with airport check-ins, road trips, hotel rooms, and race bibs for a decade, and people stop seeing travel as a hobby. They start treating it like a personality trait. And naturally, everyone is always breathless to know: “MJ, how on earth do you manage it all?”

Here’s the truth: every trip begins long before I pack a bag. A good itinerary takes time. Flights, hotels, transfers, backup plans, restaurant lists all have to fit together well enough to make the trip feel worthwhile.

My colleagues would probably call me a Type A traveler. They’ve watched me run international coverages and high-stakes business trips entirely off spreadsheets. Spreadsheets!

Timed down to the exact micro-second, complete with contingency plans for every possible disaster short of an alien invasion.

And they are completely right. For work. But personal travel? Oh, darling, personal travel plays by a completely different set of rules.

The luxury of letting go (and the panic that follows)

A month before departure, I am all about securing the basics. But once the flights and rooms are locked in? I completely let go.

I would much rather leave room for fabulous, unexpected curiosity than fill every single hour with another rigid destination.

Part of it is sheer decision fatigue. I spend so much of my professional life making executive decisions that the last thing I want to do on vacation is have a minor existential crisis at 2:00 p.m. over which artisanal café deserves the honor of my afternoon. I want to wake up, look at the sunlight filtering through the curtains, and let the universe decide.

Of course, ironically, that absolute freedom can spiral into its own fabulous brand of panic. I know I want to go somewhere chic. I just have absolutely no idea where.

Which is precisely how Grab’s 5-Star Travel Guide quietly became the most indispensable accessory of my latest getaway.

Finding somewhere to spend the afternoon

I recently flew to Cagayan de Oro to spend some quality time with my long-term, long-distance, low-commitment, casual boyfriend. (Yes, it’s complicated, but the mystery keeps it glamorous.)

I arrived with absolutely zero plans, and this was entirely deliberate. If there is one thing a strong, independent person must never do, it is rely on someone else to dictate his day — even if that someone is technically his own handsome, local tour guide.

Instead of waiting around for an itinerary to be handed to me, I simply opened my Grab app while I’m in downtown and slithered over to their Travel Guide.

My fabulous friend, Syra, glided over from Midtown, and we agreed to rendezvous in Uptown to finally check out H Proper Coffee, which was practically screaming at me from the top of the Grab list.

It’s the city’s legendary third-wave coffee pioneer — complete with a deeply impressive roastery — and it has recently, thank goodness, expanded to Makati.

The guide also flirted with other familiar, delicious names like Milestone Coffee (where Syra and I had gossiped over lattes just six months prior), alongside Bowerbird Coffee, Fukuro, Apostrophe Café, The Lone Wolf, and Grae Coffee.

I must say, the recommendations were utterly spot-on. They weren’t just highly rated by random bots; these were the actual enclaves that the city’s stylish locals genuinely know and love.

Dinner dilemma (solved!)

The Travel Guide came through yet again when the sun began to set and the crucial question of dinner arose. Now, I absolutely adore discovering hidden neighborhood gems and family-run eateries. They possess a soul that no luxury restaurant could ever replicate.

That said, every proper holiday demands at least one evening where you put on a sharp blazer, splash on some Tom Ford, and indulge in a truly beautiful meal.

Unsurprisingly, Cucina Higala seduced me all over again. Look, I am a creature of habit. If I know an establishment delivers perfection, I will return.

Seeing it sitting proudly near the top of Grab’s curated list felt like a delicious little pat on the back; a quiet validation that my impeccable taste is worth trusting after all.

Beyond the plate

Refreshingly, the guide doesn’t stop at flat whites and fine dining. Grab’s Travel Guide also highlights local luxury hotels.

Though, fair warning, a few of them are the sort that make your credit card wince slightly. (But darling, they are five-star for a reason.)

It also curates actual experiences. Browsing through the app, I found options for everything from heart-pounding whitewater rafting and sharp Pilates studios, to a world-class pottery atelier, a folkloric museum, and a sweeping, adventure-filled mountain retreat.

Some were already on my radar, but others? I would never, in a million years, have stumbled upon them myself. And that is the thrill of traveling this way. You leave just enough empty space in your diary to be utterly surprised.

For the spontaneous traveler

Let’s be clear: planning every detail down to the last centavo is not a flaw. When you’re younger or traveling on a strict budget, every single peso counts, and a meticulously plotted itinerary ensures you maximize both your wallet and your time.

But eventually, thank heavens, you reach a stage in life where the itinerary matters just a little bit less. A stage where time and budget stop being the terrifying monsters standing between you and a boarding pass.

You learn that not every single meal requires three weeks of intense counter-research. Not every hour requires a reservation confirmation number.

Sometimes, the most breathtaking, unforgettable moments happen simply because you wandered into a doorway you weren’t even looking for.

So, book the flight. Secure the hotel. Figure out how you’ll get around. Then let your feelings, and Grab’s Travel Guide, decide the rest.