The Philippines
Two months of an unforgettable journey through the Philippine islands
The Philippines turned out to be this fascinating puzzle of moments and feelings I never really planned for. Noisy Manila with its skyscrapers, peaceful Coron that taught me the real challenge of being actually on vacation, El Nido with its endless shades of blue and giant sea turtles, Moalboal with whale sharks and waterfalls, and Cebu, where I suddenly realized what I really wanted.
I’ve put together little stories from each city I visited in this amazing island country - tiny glimpses into a way of life so different from my own, and one that taught me a lot about myself.
By City
Manila
Manila revealed itself as a city of contrasts that kept surprising me. One moment I was on the 41st floor, looking down at the city from above, and the next I was down in the streets, surrounded by the smell of fried food and the noise of tricycles.
I started with simple tasks - laundry, nails, getting my bearings - and every little thing turned into a lesson in cultural differences. I wandered through the old city and Rizal Park, but the moments that stayed with me were when I tasted something that reminded me of home.
Everything here feels mixed - East and West, poverty and wealth, history and future - and every day left me a little more confused, but in the most fascinating way.
Coron
The journey to Coron was a story in itself. I woke up at 4 AM to catch the ferry, but really, the journey began before that - in that weird space right before you move from one place to another, when your brain won’t stop thinking about all the tiny things you need to sort out.
Along the way, I ran into "sky police" and drivers who seemed to believe there was no tomorrow. In Coron itself, I met a tricycle, a tiny dog, and was left with "unfinished business" - that feeling of trying to be on vacation when your mind is still stuck at work.
I also spent part of my time there trying to organize the hundreds of short stories I’d written over the past two and a half years - and realized the easy part was putting them in order, but everything else was the hard part. Coron was a short but meaningful stop along the way.
El Nido
El Nido greeted me with shades of blue I didn’t even know existed. I threw myself into the water with a snorkel and discovered a mesmerizing underwater world, including a random encounter with a huge sea turtle that decided to swim right next to me.
Renting a scooter and wandering along side roads, I found secluded beaches most tourists never see - but at the same time, the fantasy of being a digital nomad shattered a bit when I realized that beach cafés are not exactly ideal offices.
On my last day, sitting on the tiny plane as the pilot casually stepped out of the cockpit mid-flight, I realized that with every suitcase I packed and every item I let go of, I had been practicing a small meditation on letting go.
Moalboal
Getting to Moalboal meant three hours on a dark road, followed by endless days of rain, where I found myself stuck in an internal dialogue - the frugal part of me fighting with the adventurous part, constantly debating my spending and my next move.
I jumped into the deep waters of Kawasan Falls, a place where I felt transparent, terrified, and brave all at once. I woke up at 3 AM for the whale shark tour, and there I learned just how far I had drifted from my old life.
On my last night in Moalboal, I woke up with a 30-year-old hangover (which is not the same as a 20-year-old hangover) after meeting two pilots at a bar who taught me how to properly park a Boeing.
I said goodbye to the place at White Beach, swimming among fish in a bay that felt like a natural aquarium filled with non-human friends and magical moments.
Cebu
In Cebu, at a tiny hotel, I suddenly realized that my place in the world might be somewhere I hadn’t planned for - a little corner of the internet where, for once, I actually felt like I belonged.
I stumbled across an ad that sparked something inside me - a digital nomad cruise in Europe. I felt butterflies in my stomach, that rush of something new and exciting calling me, but I also struggled with the constant battle between chasing dreams and making responsible choices.
On the day of my flight to Vietnam, a taxi driver made me think about the strange paradox of being a tourist: why do we travel across the world but never visit the places close to home?
By Category
The Professional Journey in the Philippines
Growing professionally while constantly on the move is a challenge I wasn’t fully prepared for. I discovered my creative rhythm, learned to value my own words, and kept searching for that place where I’d feel like I truly belonged professionally. Part of this journey was realizing that cafés may look like the perfect office on Instagram but the reality is way more complicated.
The Experiential Journey in the Philippines
There were moments so much larger than life that I had no choice but to fully surrender to them. The wild dessert museum in Manila, the endless shades of blue around El Nido, and the first time I jumped into the water and saw a whale shark. These are the kinds of experiences I traveled so far from home for — moments where I felt truly alive, breathing, and connected to something bigger than myself.
The Culinary Journey in the Philippines
In the Philippines, food is more than just a way to quiet a hungry stomach — it’s a story, a history, a conversation between cultures. From the rice paper rolls I tried (and failed) to make, to navigating between tempting street stalls and comforting familiar chains, food was a way to feel closer to home even when I was incredibly far away, and to understand a culture through taste.
The Human Journey in the Philippines
In the end, what stays with you the most after any trip is the people you meet along the way. From an unexpected chat with pilots at the most crowded bar on the island, to a taxi driver who showed me things most travelers completely miss. These short encounters — sometimes just an hour or two — can shift your entire perspective and turn the whole journey into something entirely different.
The Practical Journey in the Philippines
All those unglamorous things no one talks about — how to work remotely when the Wi-Fi keeps dropping, how to build a budget that won’t fall apart, and how to integrate tech into the journey. From my surprising partnership with AI to the boundaries I set for myself when it comes to work, this is the not-so-shiny side of nomad life, but also the one that keeps everything together.
The Inner Journey in the Philippines
A quiet revolution happened somewhere between the 41st floor in Manila and quiet Coron. Encounters with the me of today, yesterday, and the future — and the constant question: Am I moving in the right direction, or just because everyone else is? These were the moments when the outside landscape started to reflect something internal, and that inner voice got a little too loud to ignore.
After two months of island-hopping across the Philippines, I’m leaving with a surprising realization - it wasn’t the stunning beaches or the massive sharks that mattered most, but the internal struggle of who I am and who I become when I’m constantly moving.
Each city was a stop along the geographic journey - and a step in my journey to figure out what matters to me. And as I say goodbye to the Philippines, I’m not just leaving with photos - I’m carrying a few new decisions about the direction I want to move toward next.
Your support helps me keep experiencing new worlds and sharing them with you through my words. Sometimes, a single cup of coffee can make a difference.
Thank you for being part of this journey.
This is very interesting and well written, I feel as if you took me there 👌🏽