60 Dream Holidays Around the World: Christine Dayrit shares her ‘map of memories’ through her travel book
It was winter of 2008. My BFF Christine Dayrit and I were at Istanbul airport waiting for our flight to Cappadocia. It was November, and the trip was her birthday gift to me.
Since we checked in very early at the airport, Christine had time to write her travel column for The Philippine STAR. She brought out her laptop, placed it on a vacant seat, plopped herself on the floor, and typed away our glorious staycation at Four Seasons Sultanahmet and Four Seasons Bosphorus. Just when she finished writing her conclusion, the public address announced our names. The plane’s gate was about to close and it was the last call. She was engrossed with her writing; I was sleeping on my chair. We sprinted to our gate, each with a carry-on bag, and in 10 minutes, we made it to our seats. Our hearts were leaping out of our chests. We were happy.
That experience and more made it to 60 Dream Holidays Around the World, a compendium of the delicious travel articles Christine has written for her column since 2000. I say “delicious” because the books opens to the continent of Africa and the first photo is the mesmerizing migration of wildebeests in Tanzania. The book celebrates her 25 years with The Philippine STAR. She has never missed her deadline—not once.
“It’s the most impressive coffee table book I’ve ever seen in my life. With 60 Dream Holidays Around the World, Christine, no doubt, will be the envy of all the travel writers in the country,” said STAR president and CEO Miguel G. Belmonte.
“It has truly been a pleasure for me to have Christine as The Philippine STAR’s premier travel columnist during my presidency of our beloved paper,” Miguel added.
And the impressive book—464 pages all and weighing over a kilo—had its taste-test launch (for it will have its launch in Manila on Dec. 9) last week in Capiz, the hometown of her mother Mila Salgado Dayrit.
“I chose to launch 60 Dream Holidays Around the World first in my mother’s home province, the place where her stories began and her dreams first took root. My mother always told me, ‘Choose a job you love, and you will never work a day in your life.’ She also reminded me of the Bible verse: ‘Honor your father and your mother, and you will be blessed abundantly.’ I feel that blessing today—not just in the warmth of everyone gathered here, but in the love of my siblings (Jaqui, Michelle, Mark and Yvonne) who allowed me to travel across six continents (I’m going to Antarctica early next year to complete the seven continents), and in the joy of a family that continues to inspire me,” Christine told her guests who came in their tropical-vibe wear at the famous Bitoy’s restaurant along Baybay beach in Roxas City. Part of the proceeds of the book launch will go to Capiz Development Foundation.
She added: “I’ve wandered far and wide—from Patagonia’s towering peaks to Iguazu Falls’ roaring waters, from Ushuaia, the painter’s corner of Argentina, to the edge of Antarctica, which I almost explored. I’ve marveled at the luxury and serenity of Banyan Tree Mayakoba, stood in awe beneath Iceland’s northern lights, and returned home to Capiz, where my heart has always belonged. Each journey has been guided by a simple motto: do things, even small ones, because they still matter. Every step, every adventure, adds meaning and color to life.
Christine admits that her language of love has been, is, and will always be travel. So all the time she tags along her family and closest of friends to a destination that always elicits this question from them: “Where is that?” She’s a free spirit who joyfully books a flight to Reunion Island or Easter Island and throws this question to her loved ones on Viber: “Who wants to join?”
“Through travel, I share my heart, my curiosity, and my joy with the world—and with those I love,” she said at the launch.
“I am especially grateful to my mother—for coming from Capiz, for bringing us together, for showing me how to fall in love and to be loved by all of you. Returning here to launch this book, I feel that I have come full circle.”
Every page of 60 Dream Holidays Around the World captures laughter, awe, and wonder—from kids (Christine’s grand nieces and nephews) chasing zebras in Africa to golden sunsets in Sapa, and the quiet luxury of Istanbul’s baths.
It is her hope that her book inspires the readers to wander, to wonder, and to create their own perfect moments.
“As I turn the first page here in Capiz, I realize this is more than a book of travel. It is a map of memories, a legacy of love, and an invitation to live fully, wherever life may lead,” she concluded as the sun set on Baybay beach.
(To order a copy of 60 Dream Holidays Around the World, please call Shar at 0922-8986749.)
