The Courage to Begin: Mt. Buhangin
Surigao City to Mt. Buhangin, Mainit, Surigao del Norte
Every journey begins somewhere. For this one, it began in Surigao City not on the road, but in my mind, days before I finally found the courage to go.
I had been thinking about Mt. Buhangin for days. I imagined the road leading to the mountain, the view waiting at the top, and the feeling of standing somewhere far from the familiar streets of the city. The idea excited me, but the closer I came to making it happen, the more doubts started to fill my mind.
Could Miya handle the road? What if the path was too rough? What if I got lost or encountered something I wasn't prepared for? These were the questions that kept coming back to me.
Sometimes, the hardest part of an adventure isn't the distance or the condition of the road. It's the battle inside your own mind the part of you that wants to explore and the part that keeps telling you to stay where it's safe
I hesitated. I thought about the journey, the possible difficulties, and whether I was really ready for it. There was always another reason to wait, another doubt to consider. But somewhere beneath all that hesitation was a feeling I couldn't ignore: I wanted to go.
So, after days of thinking about it, I finally decided to take the chance.
On August 29, 2021, Miya and I set out from Surigao City toward Mt. Buhangin in Mainit, Surigao del Norte. It was only around 36 kilometers away, but for me, the journey meant much more than the distance. It was a step beyond my comfort zone a chance to prove to myself that I could move forward even when I wasn't completely sure of what lay ahead.
At first, the map seemed reassuring. It showed a route leading toward the mountain, and I trusted that it would guide me there. But as we continued, the road became different from what I had imagined. After a light rain, parts of the route turned muddy and grassy. What looked simple on the map became a challenge in reality.
Miya was running on ordinary road tires, not the kind designed for muddy trails or rough adventures. Looking at the condition of the road, I had every reason to question my decision. The doubts I had before leaving Surigao City could easily have returned.
But I had already come this far.
I kept going, carefully making my way along the difficult path, knowing that turning back would mean leaving the journey unfinished. The road tested my patience and determination, but it also reminded me why I had wanted to come in the first place. I didn't need everything to be perfect. I just needed to keep moving forward as safely as I could
Eventually, Miya and I reached the top.
And there it was a breathtaking 360-degree view of Surigao del Norte. After all the planning, hesitation, and uncertainty, I was finally standing in the place I had spent days imagining. The difficult road that once made me doubt myself had become part of the experience I would remember.
I stayed there, taking in the view and appreciating the fact that I had made it. It wasn't just about reaching the destination. It was about overcoming the reasons that almost stopped me from going at all.
That night, I camped at the mountain. Away from the familiar surroundings of the city, I had time to appreciate the journey and everything it had taken to get there. I had started with uncertainty, but I ended the day with a memory that reminded me how much can happen when you finally decide to take that first step.
Looking back, Mt. Buhangin was more than a mountain ride. It was a reminder that courage doesn't always mean being fearless. Sometimes, courage is simply deciding to go despite the hesitation, accepting that the road may be difficult, and discovering what lies ahead for yourself.
That journey began in Surigao City, days before the engine started and before Miya's tires touched the road. It began with a dream, a little fear, and the decision to stop letting uncertainty make the choice for me.
And when I finally reached the top, I understood something simple: sometimes, the first thing you have to overcome isn't the road ahead it's the hesitation that keeps you from beginning.
There are still countless roads waiting for me, and I know not every journey will be easy. But Mt. Buhangin will always remind me of the day I chose to begin, one mile at a time.
“The journey began long before I left Surigao City. It began with days of hesitation, until I found the courage to take the road. And at the top of Mt. Buhangin, I learned that sometimes the greatest distance is the one between wanting to go and finally beginning.”