I Could Tell You in Five Seconds
Parked Trike, Tarlac Philippines.
I have been preparing to move overseas my entire life.
My father moved us for work, though I think he was also chasing his own father's approval, a man who'd abandoned him at 12.
By the time I turned 18, I had moved 13 times within 8 cities and four states. I attended three elementary schools and two high schools. I was always the new kid, the one who wasn't from there, and while it made me feel lonely, it also made me feel self-sufficient, a world unto myself. I could enjoy the local stuff that I enjoyed, and see the dumb shit as dumb shit, because I wasn't attached to the place. Loyal locals have a hard time with that. Ask them what's wrong with their community, and they'd have to think about it. I could tell you in five seconds.
I'll be going back to the Philippines after Christmas, and stay for two or three weeks, which is my usual thing. I always feel comfortable there. Everyone is friendly and most people are in t-shirts and flip-flops. There are dress-up areas, but I don't go there much. I'll start in Manila for a day or two, then go to "the provinces," which means "not Manila." We would call it "the boondocks," which is actually the Tagalog word for "mountain" (bundok) that American soldiers picked up during WWII.
At first, the provinces are just hot. It takes a bit to get used to it. Once you do, it's comfortable. I got used to not being air conditioned all the time when I went to college in LA; adapting to the Philippines feels similar. Then, your body gets used to eating vegetables most of the time, with a little meat, instead of the other way around. That feels like punishment, till it doesn't. Then you feel lighter, and the heat isn't so bad, and you aren't so tired all the time. The breeze from a 50 Peso ride in a trike feels like enough.
I need that. I need to not feel so tired all the time. I need to live in a place where I don't need to numb myself with food because my daily life feels like a trap.