A Summer Overseas

Part One: Southeast Asia

Dear Friends,

I love having children who are old enough to be able to handle long and difficult travel without it being overly taxing on them (and me). It means the world becomes much more accessible to us. I also love having world traveller friends who opened my husband and me up to stepping beyond the international boundaries we had already ventured.

This combination is how we found ourselves in Southeast Asia this past June/July.

We spent the first half of this trip on the Pamalican Island in the Cuyo Archipelago of northern Palawan in the Philippines. Regarding the destination, I will let the pictures speak for themselves, only to say that the beach at Amanpulo, is to date, the most breathtaking beach I have ever experienced. Dense, green jungle meets soft, fine white sand which meets warm, crystal-clear, turquoise water for as far as the eye can see.

Being in a place like this, it’s a stunning realization of the omnipotence of nature over our senses, wellbeing, groundedness, and perspective. This was a special place to celebrate my 50th birthday.

Getting here was a trek but worth it. Along the journey, at different stops, we enjoyed beautiful colors as seen in modern art as well as a bird’s eye view of the rooftops of Manilla. The structures on stilts over the water, in the picture further below, are seaweed farms. It was fascinating making the connection between the farming process and the seaweed snacks we eat and that wraps our beloved sushi.

We visited the local island of Barangay Manamoc and one of the things that struck me the most was the sense of innocence of the children, including the teenagers, the joy on all of their faces, the immense warmth they showered upon us and the pride they have for their hometown.

I long for simpler times for my own children. Summer days unstructured, outside, with neighborhood friends, bored until left to their own ingenuity they devise a novel idea or give way to a frequent pastime. Alas it seems hard, if not impossible to achieve, living in a large metropolis as we do. Our values are simple and straightforward yet we see and experience so much, too much at times, in a city of 4 million people. There are tradeoffs of course. We have so much opportunity here. Much more than on Manamoc. However, the race is unending here if we are not clear on our values and goals, aligning our choices and setting healthy boundaries accordingly. Lest we are constantly spinning our wheels to what end or no end.

Another huge highlight of this special trip was that my daughter learned how to ride a bicycle! Look at her go!

Until next time, xoxo,

WRW