Flying High

CEBU, Philippines - Sally Wong walked into the lobby of Cebu City Marriott Hotel, a slim shoulder bag dangling by her side as she navigated through the sea of people.  Dressed in nude pumps and a classic corporate dress, people would find it hard to believe that this pretty 24-year-old who hails from Hong Kong is Cathay Pacific's new Cebu Port Manager.  After all, many 24-year-olds are still preoccupied with figuring out what exactly they want to do in life.  Few, like Sally, are busy running one of the Philippines' busiest airports – few, like Sally, are busy making a business that is international in scope, fly.

Sally's travails with Cathay Pacific has been no act of serendipity.  After graduating from the University of Hong Kong with a degree in Business Administration in International Business and Global Management, Sally joined John Swire & Sons Ltd as  Management Trainee and eagerly chose the aviation business as the focus of her career in the prestigious parent company of Cathay Pacific.  This, according to her, was all for the love of travelling and photography.

"I love travelling so much that it became my reason for choosing International Business and Global Management when I studied in Hong Kong University," Sally gushed.  "I had heard before that the degree offered a lot of opportunities to travel like exchange student programs, for example, and that made me really interested to pursue the field."

This inevitably made the aviation industry a perfect fit for this petite adventurer.  Here was a classic case not of work-life balance but more importantly, of work-life synergy as Cathay Pacific literally gave Sally wings to see the world and live the life of a frequent flier. 

"What I love about travelling is the chance to learn a lot of things from the people I meet-actually, from all the experiences," Sally said.  "Travelling also gives me the chance to pursue my other passion, which is photography.  I think the best souvenir you can bring home from your travels is a photograph."

Although Sally loves to travel alone, travelling with friends has brought her the greatest joy because of the chance to share the experience with people who are dear to her.

"All of my travels have been very memorable," Sally said as she retreated back into her memory to pick out which among her adventures struck her as the most special.  "So it's hard to decide which country or continent is the most beautiful.  Each place has its distinct flavour so I would say, all of the places I went to are special in their own way."

Although each place on earth may have left an imprint in her heart a little differently than the last destination, Sally's thoughts will always drift off to Hallstatt, Austria, a quiet town sitting at the edge of a lake somewhere in Western Europe.  It's the Hallstatt's rustic charm that has enamoured this city girl so much.  Hallstatt to her is the comfort food of travel destinations. 

"I love Hallstatt because it's something very different from the places I've lived in.  I usually live in big cities like Hong Kong and London where it's always busy and where life is fast.  Hallstatt is the exact opposite and I find it very calming," Sally said.  Apart from Austria, Sally also loves Japan especially during sakura season when everything turns into a dreamy shade of rose.

For Sally, though, it isn't just the destination that matters when it comes to travelling.  Getting to where you want to go is in fact part of the entire journey which is why it has always been her mantra to never compromise one's comfort in the skies.

“How you go from one destination to another is part of the entire travel experience so it's hard to neglect that detail.  As more people have been travelling more frequently, I've noticed that they have also grown to realize how important it is to be comfortable and to be well taken-cared of on your way to your dream vacation," Sally explained.

For Sally, it has always been about getting the best value for her money when it comes to the entire travel experience.  For her, it has always been a quest for finding the experience that is well worth every cent, and in effect, every minute of her precious time.

Sally has yet to discover the Philippines, and Cebu in particular, given that she has only been here for less than three months.  While others might crumble to the stresses of homesickness, Sally simply shrugs it off, having been no stranger to living far from where her family and friends are. 

"I'm quite excited to explore Cebu," Sally said as she took a sip of her latte." I feel new places are filled with so many things to discover so I know that I will feel that my stint here in this city will be too short."

True enough, time flies fast when you are having fun.  For Sally Wong, life has always been a grand adventure built on quick, memorable trips. (FREEMAN) Photo by Aldo Nelbert Banaynal