RIGHT BACK AT YOU, MANILA!

Okay, so, I actually arrived last Friday. And yes, it was a one-way ticket. Greeted by traffic from the airport and Manila's apparent desensitization to filth, a sarcastic voice slashed through my thoughts: "You came back for this?!" An internal dialogue then ensued, with doubt taking center stage. I started wondering if I should've just sucked it up in Singapore and continued working in an industry I didn't particularly enjoy, in a country I didn't see myself settling down in. I started worrying about the days to come, and how many hours will be spent in traffic, and whether or not I'd still be able to enjoy the independence - financial and otherwise - that I had basked myself in the last 4 years.

It didn't take me long to calm my fears, though. Sometimes you need to step back in order to move forward. There's no point in stubbornly holding on to Singapore when it had already ran its course.  It's time to recalibrate and go for what I really want. And besides, I need only to direct my gaze at the people around me to confirm that - yep, I came back for this.♥︎ Being with family has returned this lightness in me. Being surrounded by Filipinos and their undeniable warmth has been good for my soul. God, I love Filipinos, seriously. I love that I could be my normal happy (and sometimes ditzy) self without people telling me to tone down my cheer because cheerfulness is the norm in the Philippines, even if our country's situation isn't that cheery. I love that we love life. Remember what I said about why Bourne Legacy chose to film in Manila instead of other South East Asian countries? We are a nation of smiles and it feels SO GOOD to be back in a place that smiles back and with you. 

So here's to good vibes and being optimistic in whatever's in store for me. I'm smiling right back at you, Manila! 

{Cotton On tank and shorts, Onitsuka Tiger sneakers}