AFTER 15 months, I’m still “in transit” on my way to the Philippines.
In transit in quotation marks because “in transit on the way” is rather tautological.
But I wanted the words “on my way to the Philippines” and that FedEx or UPS catchphrase “in transit” together just to say I’m like a package that has been mailed, but not yet delivered as it progresses on its way to the Philippines, but not necessarily on a plane or a delivery van at the moment.
The last time I was in the Philippines was in February 2020 for a cousin’s wedding.
I made a short trip to Iloilo, and promised to be back soon after “for good”. But after I have sold my house in Baltimore.
For good in quotation marks because unlike most Filipinos to whom ‘for good’ means staying for the rest of their lives, ‘for good’ to me only means making Iloilo my headquarters.
I still wanted to live some parts of the year outside the country.
***
I fixed my house up starting July 2020 to prepare it for the market.
The progress was slowed by the pandemic, and I didn’t really want to sell it ASAP when there was so much uncertainty around the world.
Did I really want to be homeless in the midst of the Covid-19 confusion?
July, August, September, October, November, December.
By the end of January, my house was ready for sale.
I sold it easily with no problem in February 2021.
The whole buyer’s funding process took about a month, and I got my money in March.
***
By then, the vaccine was available in limited numbers.
I had to get mine in a schedule, six weeks apart.
Two shots—March and April.
Then, I decided to have a minor surgery.
Because I didn’t want to have a surgery which I had to pay in the Philippines.
Get it in America while you can get it for free!
So that was in early June.
And then, I recuperated in Puerto Rico.
***
I did my goodbyes in California in July, because Los Angeles was home for eight years.
It also occasioned trips to Utah, and such Californian cities as Sacramento, San Diego, and Orange.
I got plenty of invites from friends to visit. Haha.
***
Then, I was in Canada in August.
With road trips to Victoria, Vancouver Island; and that long drive through the Canadian Rockies that stopped at Kelowna, Banff, and even went up to Calgary in Alberta.
From friends in Vancouver, I made friends who moved to Montana, and even asked me to give away the bride in October.
***
But also, I had an earlier commitment to visit a goddaughter’s birthday in Alaska in September.
So, Alaska in September, Montana in October, back in California in early November, a quick trip back to Maryland in mid-November, and by December, I was in the UK.
***
I had a tour of England, visiting most southern cities including London, Gloucester, Cheltenham, Bath, Southampton, even as I stayed mostly in Preston and Liverpool area.
I also visited Newcastle upon Tyne in the north of England, nearer to Scotland.
But Covid restrictions were crazy, so I didn’t push to see Scotland again.
I had beautiful memories of Edinburg and the Loch Ness from 2017.
***
In January 2022, I flew to Sweden.
And until the end of February, I was train-riding my way in mostly the Eastern European bloc.
From Sweden to the Czech Republic.
Czechia to Poland.
Poland to Hungary.
Hungary to Romania.
Romania to Bulgaria.
Then, back to Czechia.
***
From Czechia to Germany.
And from Germany, back to the UK.
From the UK, back to the US.
***
It’s Baltimore again.
Then Baltimore to Los Angeles.
Los Angeles to a few days in Cancun in Mexico.
From California to New Jersey.
From New Jersey to Reykjavik, Iceland.
Then back to New Jersey where I write this before I drive to Maryland.
***
From Maryland, I really do not have a clear idea what to do.
I mean, I got plenty of ideas.
Manchu Picchu in Peru for $2,500.
Or do a multi-country South American tour (Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Ecuador including Galapagos Island) for $5,500.
There’s also Istanbul, Turkey calling.
Or do I just buy the expensive air tickets and go home to the Philippines?
***
I have a few businesses to deal with in the Philippines, that’s for sure.
But are they worth the rush?
Oh, the world is big.
And my wonderful life is always in transit./PN
