i hear you call my name and it feels like home.

Don't let life discourage you; everyone who got where he is had to begin where he was. - Richard L. Evans

I stumbled across that quote today, and it couldn't be more fitting. I've been back from Manila for a few weeks now and have attempted resettling back in Vancouver. My trip was a good break. I was able to see many people that I hadn't seen in four... some as many as eight years. I must admit that it was lovely to be back. I was able to reminisce and be nostalgic over high school and even elementary school days.

Oh, how so much has changed since then.

The entire trip seemed so surreal. It was as though my life - my real life - outside of Manila was paused, and I was enjoying this weird happy free time where responsibility and real life didn't really exist.

But now I'm back, and I must admit, I feel like I'm stuck in a rut. After feeling quite ill for the first few days back, I've now mainly been stuck at home. I've been doing laundry, cleaning the house after it being uninhabited for a month, and I've been helping care for my nephew, Little Swarley. I feel like I've been wasting my days away, though.

I commence my studies of baking and pastry arts in September, but until then, I need to find something to do - something that would ideally have income - before I go stir crazy.

Plus, I'd really like to be able to travel to Florida with my best friend in September, just before school begins.

I hate feeling purposeless, I really do. But after a really good pep talk from Karrie this morning, plus the quotation I shared with you appearing, they both reminded me to be more patient. Everything will fall into place. I am confident in that.

Until it does, however, I'm free to say that this really sucks.

Hinahanap-hanap kita Manila, ang ingay mong kay sarap sa tenga.

And so, after four years, I'm back in Manila. I arrived at 4am. Things are so different, and yet much is still the same.

I traveled with my brother, his wife, and little Swarles Barkley, their 3-month old baby boy. It was a fourteen+ hour flight, but praise the Lord, we were in business class, where seats are comfy and food is delicious. I had salmon for dinner, steak + scrambled eggs for breakfast, and a corned beef + swiss sandwich in-between. Giddy. What. Up. The baby was, for the most part, super-cooperative. Good times.

So here I am. In Manila. Where the average temperature is around 30 degrees Celsius. Do not want. But oh well. I'm hoping to get some good photographs with Rabbit and Apollo. I loaded up on the film and I can't wait to play around. There is so much history here, and amazing architecture, and lots of photo-worthy things to check out.

I'm also looking forward to seeing friends from elementary and high school. It'll be nice to see them all again. For now, however, I must depart. Venturing outside to one of the nine (yeah, nine) posh malls that are immediately across the street. Giddy. What. Up.

Manila Cathedral

(Photo from manila.tumblr.com)

I hope to take photos like that while I'm here. :)

It's my life - it's now or never.

And just like that, my trip to Toronto comes to a close. I'm finished packing now, and I'm leaving the hotel at 5:30 tomorrow to head to the airport. The trip went both slow and fast, but more importantly, I had the absolute time of my life.

Early on in my trip I went ice skating with Michael at Nathan Phillips Square here downtown, and after maybe 15 or 20 minutes of being absolutely terrified and barely moving, Michael actually got me to skate. On my own. In a "Look ma, no hands!" way. I am quite pleased with myself. Quite.

Friday the 19th was a museum day. I spent a total of 8.5 hours in three different museums (the Art Gallery of Ontario, the Royal Ontario Museum, and the Gardiner Museum). I would have stayed longer if I could have. Friday was the day that reminded me why I had originally been so devoted to becoming a history professor. I got quite nostalgic.

I spent most of my time on this trip the way I had intended to - with Karrie. And let me just say... it was absolutely amazing. We did everything and nothing together, and that is the best kind of friendship. We could be doing 32480239 things, or we could just be lazily sitting in her room, rewatching Glee, and we're both perfectly contented in one another's company either way. There is such comfort and peacefulness and wordless understanding in our friendship. Anyone who knows me knows that quality time means everything to me, so to just be able to spend that with one of my absolute best friends is just a blessing to me. I still find it so unreal that it all happened. But it did. It actually did. We have photographic evidence.

I cannot wait to move back to Ontario. It would make spending time with some of the people I love the most in this world so much easier. And it would involve a lot less actual spending, you know?

Thank you, God. You made this week more than I could ever wish for.