The Big Decision: Why I Said Yes!

One summer night when Kayla came home from work she asked me to come sit down with her and talk. This was somewhat out of the blue, as we don’t normally announce that we’re going to sit down and talk. I didn’t think too much about it and I didn’t think it would be anything serious…until she said that she had a meeting at work and surprised me with a huge question. She said there is a chance we could move back to the Philippines for a long stay and asked, “Would you want to go? We need to decide now.” I told her, “Kayla, out of anywhere in the world you could ask me to go and live, the Philippines is where I always hoped you would ask me to live.” I said, “Say yes!”

We had been to a few other countries by this time in our lives and I was slowly realizing that my favorite place (so far) is still the Philippines. I may be a little biased because I have been here two times before, but to be fair, after my first time I was already in love with the Philippines. I can’t get enough of all the smiling faces and hospitality you receive from anyone and everyone you encounter. Filipinos make you feel at home wherever you go.

This made the decision to leave home a little easier. When Kayla told me it could be two to three years, I got a little nervous about leaving for so long. Leaving my family for that long was the biggest thing that bothered me. Even though I don’t see them all that much, the times I do, I treasure. Going to the Philippines meant that those times are reduced to almost 0 times a year. As we grow older I know our opportunities to travel will dwindle and I know when I come back my family will still be there, they will just be three years older than when I left.

Despite the challenges, I am confident in our decision to move here and I am extremely happy we made it. Seeing the world with Kayla is something that brings joy to my heart. Seeing her light up when she talks about traveling is fun to watch. She gets so excited. We have made friends with people all around the world, especially here in Tacloban. We have also seen family we may have never met if we didn’t travel. I’m excited for our long stay here in Tacloban and am excited to share our experiences living abroad with our friends and family through Wanderlust Squared.

Just remember…it’s more fun in the Philippines! 🙂