Calmer Waters.

I can’t believe that time went by so fast that I am now celebrating my first month anniversary living by the beach. I really wouldn’t notice until I saw it in my expense tracker that I needed to pay rent.

Time is indeed fast when you are having fun.

And boy, I’m having loads of it.

The past 30 days were a transition phase. Google was a great tool in helping me find the best position to place the bed, the Buddha that was gifted to me by a dear friend, my L-shaped table that I had to reassemble without a manual, where to place this and that, and all the things that I was able to fit inside an H100 vehicle.

I left most of my plants in Antipolo, which breaks my heart even today. I know deep in my heart that everything I lost will return to me tenfold.

During the first days, I had to get myself acclimated to the Zambales weather. I came from the foot of a mountain, so the weather back there was cool, but here, it’s different. I now take two showers a day—three, if you will include the ice water splash I try to religiously do when I wake up. I take better care of my skin now because I am more out in the sun. My apartment has a south-facing yard, and I already bought seeds so I can start growing my food. I’m also planning to get a chicken so I can harvest eggs. I told myself I wouldn’t be focusing on gardening while in his beach girl era, but this girl just can’t stop nurturing.

With Jackie (my Cannondale Road bike) as my main mode of transportation, I get to bike more because the nearest ATM center is 12 kilometers away. Biking in the province is enjoyable because there are fewer cars and people—two of my least favorite things. It now makes perfect sense that I had to gather the courage to bike alone when I was not getting invited by people I used to bike with. The painful rejection led me to this wonderful redirection. It made me realize how powerful I am and that I can do things alone. Finding where the best deals are has been an adventure too, although I’ve been ordering more on online shopping apps because some deals are better there. The cheapest dog food I found here so far is 100 pesos per kilo, whereas in Shopee, I found one at 76 pesos per kilo. I got myself 5 kilos with an additional shipping fee of 50 pesos, making the cost only 86 pesos. It also gets delivered straight to my apartment. I feed my dogs chicken feet, and I get those at 150 pesos per kilo in Antipolo, but here, it’s only 100 pesos per kilo, although the one I buy here still has the nails that I need to remove. Chicken blood is more expensive here as it is sold at 50–60 pesos per kilo, whereas in Antipolo, you buy it by the block for 50 pesos.

I also found the online Facebook pages in the area, and I am glad to have a kimchi supplier.

One of my struggles so far is drinking water. My landlady has a store, and I buy it from her (she sources it from the next town where the ATMs are), but she won’t bring it to my apartment. We need to either wait for her husband or look for someone to bring the water in. I also tried buying it from the water station nearby, but they didn’t bring it to my apartment, and I refused to carry it myself. I also miss having a Jollibee and McDonald’s nearby. When a dear friend of mine visited, I asked her to please buy me some Chicken Joy.

I’m still deciding if I want to go ahead and get myself prepaid wifi from Converge after a really bad experience with having my line disconnected in Antipolo. Right now, I am using a Smart Bro Pocket Wi-Fi, and since there’s a huge tree at the back of my apartment, it interferes with the signal, so I had to find a place where I can place the pocket Wi-Fi outside. I didn’t sign up for Unlimited Data, which costs 999 pesos for 30 days, yet I’m able to consume 72GB for 599 pesos in 21 days. Being mindful of my internet usage allows me to be disconnected from the outside world and be more connected and grounded where I truly am now.

I can say now that I am truly living the life of my dreams. I first had this dream almost two decades ago, and the universe heard my prayers. When I first dreamed of it, it seemed impossible. Looking back at all the redirections that happened in my life, it was like a mountain that the universe had to move just so I could breathe the salt air that I am breathing right now. I can truly say that there wasn’t any mistake. Even the most painful heartbreaks I had to endure were intricate details that paved the way for where I am today. All those bridges I had to burn truly lit up the way of this wonderful journey called life.