
Manila, Manila… I keep coming back to Manila ❤
The holidays are over and it’s soon back to reality. Bali v 2.0 is in full swing. And after having spent these last 3 weeks with family and close friends, I’ve definitely had a chance to really think about a few things, a few VERY IMPORTANT things.
Valuing people/relationships (family, parents, siblings, friends)
Moving to a new country is never easy. Moving to a tourist hotspot like the island of Bali? Well, let’s just say it makes things a little more challenging; especially when it comes to making friends. In a place where people come and go so often, it’s not always easy to make friends and form long-lasting friendships/bonds that you’ll see through the years. It wasn’t upon arriving back in Manila last month did I realize just how much I missed my true friends and family. Seeing familiar faces, talking about anything and everything under the sun for hours on end, chit chatting as if time had never passed; as if it was just yesterday that you last saw each other – THAT, is what I miss.
And as for FAMILY… well, nothing can ever replace that special bond.
How much you’ve taken for granted comfort, luxury, security and stability
For me, it was all about 1) being mobile (having the luxury of having my own car again, zooming off to anywhere I wanted while feeling confident about it because let me tell ya, those scooters can be pretty scary crazy at times, and just the overall feeling of being independent — not having to rely on others to take you around) and 2) having someone cater to my needs. I guess it’s true, you never really realize how good you have it until you… well, don’t have it anymore. Simple things (for me) like this, definitely makes life so much easier.
The ease that familiarity of your environment brings
Manila will always be my turf. No matter how crazy traffic gets, how congested and overpopulated it becomes, this boisterous city will always have a special place in my heart. Sure I whine about the never-ending sea of red lights on the road due to poor urban planning but at the end of the day, amidst the chaos, there’s a certain calm to knowing deep down inside that Manila is home.
HOME
…the TRUE essence of it… definitely where the heart and comfy bed are. 😉
How about you? What have you realized while living abroad?