Hi Ma’am Wendy,
Tell us about yourself - where you from, how old are you,
places you’ve been, etc.?
I am Wendy Valdez-Garcia
from PBB (Pinoy Big Brother) season 2. I’m 33 years old. I have been to Bangkok
(Thailand), Bali (Indonesia), US, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, East Timor and
many places in the Philippines.
Trivia: I laugh and cry when I sleep. My husband and very few friends
know this.
How long have you been hiking?
My first hike was in Mt. Pulag. I have been hiking for a year
now and I have hiked probably 7-10 mountains. When I went to Prayer Mountain,
all of a sudden I thought of wanting to do hiking before I would be married and
have kids. When I went home that day, my friend RR (Enriquez) and Gail
(Nicolas) were talking about Mt. Pulag. We went to buy stuff that we would need.
We scheduled the climb and went as soon as we can. We were with other men (JJ,
Dylan and Mark) that time. We saw rainbow and God was amazing every moment we
were there. After that, we wanted more but the men did not want to go hiking
again. Haha!
How many mountains have you conquered?
Ten mountains I think. Mt. Pulag was the most challenging
for me so far because I have to sleep there and it was really cold. I was not
able to sleep and I panicked. But praise God I survived and felt calm after I
prayed.
My hike to Pico was probably my favorite because that is
where my husband proposed to me.
Do you travel to climb mountains or do you climb mountains to
travel?
I travel to climb (I
suppose). We have gone to provinces just to climb. We really enjoy the view and
the feeling of experiencing God and His creation.
How do you plan and prepare on your climbs?
We just look for a mountain and decide to go. Haha!
Important lesson you picked up from hiking which you can
apply in your daily life?
I learn a lot every time and one of which is that, there is
no way but up and forward when you climb. In life it’s the same. There is no
way you would want to go down and give up after you have started climbing. You
just have to keep moving forward.
Who/what is your hiking inspiration?
My hiking inspiration is Jesus. He always climbs mountains to
pray.
What are your hiking goals?
I haven’t thought about it. Just climb whenever I can. Even I
am old.
What can you do to help (even in your own lil ways) in
preserving/ protecting our mother nature?
I really get stressed seeing candy wrappers and trash at the
trails. I’m praying that mountaineers would consider those who would still
climb someday. I make sure I don’t leave any trash behind.
Would you recommend hiking to someone? Why?
Definitely, it is a great way to witness how great God is and
how amazing and magnificent His majestic and beautiful creation. And a good way
to exercise.
