All through the ages, Man has the urgency to new discoveries. Well, not all men but at least Adventurist Man! Hey, that’s me! I am a lifetime member of that Club. Amazingly, a number of my high school classmate still live in the same area of rural Alabama where they were born, raised and studied. It has been a long time since Graduation and last year, I connected with a few of my old classmate friends and most of them are happy. For them, familiar ground is comfortable ground! My, oh, my. I think about all the adventurous times I would have missed out on during the past 42 years if I had remained in the very same area of rural Alabama! What a boring life for me and I would probably have been committed to a treatment center years ago if I led that kind of life. However, to each their own and Life is not one size fits all!
Wanderlust Is Eternal
For me, wanderlust has been in my blood since I was a young child. Growing up a Navy brat until my dad retired from the service when I was a teenager, I always loved the open road! Travel by car was a very important part of my life in both childhood and into adulthood. To this day, one of my favorite songs is, “The Road Goes On Forever!” Living in the southern USA during my adulthood, I wanted to discover all the famous cities in Dixieland. On many revisited trips, Chattanooga, Tennessee and Charleston, South Carolina were 2 of my favorite travel destinations. I could hop in the Buick and take off at the drop of a hat!
By 1986, I was ready to check out the rest of the world! The Philippines was my first stop. Needless to say, it was love at first sight. It was almost as if I were born here and it felt like home, which was a totally new feeling for me. I never wanted to leave the Philippines! However, job and career called, so it was back to The Grind until my next annual vacation and time for another visit to the Pearl of the Orient!
Are You Happy Where You Are?
Unlike some of my high school classmates, a number of my friends in the States are preparing to make the move abroad. A number have accelerated the move by several years. They are sick and tired of being sick and tired of the poor US economy, the constant political bickering, the ever-changing loss of American values and the general direction that the country is spiraling down! They had enough! Time to go. If you think it gets better from where, well, I personally think it will only get worse in the near future! I am not psychic or a prophet but the handwriting is clearly on the wall. A few of my friends from the States have already moved to the Philippines and have already settled in nicely!
While others are basically sitting around, waiting around to either die or for the times to get better, others are taking the bull by the horns and doing something about their lives. Life is short, even if we live to be 110! I was a mental health counselor in the States for more than 20 years and even in 2014, I am always touched in my heart to see and hear people being unhappy. Especially when they have the means and the ability to make some positive life changing moves!
Everyday Unfolds A New Adventure!
I enjoy being around people with positive attitudes and those who are optimistic about life. I know a number of such expats who have made the Philippines their home during the last 10 years or so. For the first time in their lives, they are happy! They now live a stress-free life, they can make their own daily schedule and they can basically do what they want, when they want, within reason, of course. It sounds great, doesn’t it? For me, it is a fabulous lifestyle. Once I wake up, my early decisions include whether I want strawberry jam or orange marmalade on my toast or do I want San Miguel Honeycino Coffee or Maskape White and Creamy Coffee. It may be breakfast or it may be brunch but most importantly, it is my choice and not the choice created by someone else!
My wife, son and I live in the Philippines because we want to, not because we have to. We love it here and there is no other place we had rather be. My wife, son and I enjoy travelling and we have not even scratched the surface of all the wonderful places to see in the Philippines. We are here for the long haul and, yes, we are staying!