City of my dreams no more!

Growing up in a small rural town gives every kid the impression that living in the city is "the ultimate dream". My longing for big cities honestly had become my drive for some time. The idea of having the ability to afford a small apartment in the middle of a hustling and bustling place pushed my ambitious self to try and study harder.

It did not take me too long to reach the "dream" that the younger me used to be crazy about when my parents sent me to a university in Cebu. I know that Cebu City is not that big of a deal for some, but for a probinsyana like me, the thought of living there seemed surreal. I could still vividly remember how excited I was on my way to my then dream place! I remember not being able to sleep thinking about the fun, thrill, people, and the crazy stuff waiting for me. I was thinking that that was it until the stress of apartment-hunting hit me. I was not aware that looking for somewhere that's cheap and comfy to live in was that hard in the city. I didn't know that traffic jam was that energy-draining and that universities were not as cool as they seemed in the movies. Don't get me wrong. I don't hate Cebu. I love it! Some of my best years were spent there and I couldn't just throw that part of me away just because of some realizations. It's just that, life there turned out to be different from what I had imagined as a young girl.

Now, if there's one thing that I am sure of, it would be the fact that I was looking at the wrong picture. The "ultimate dream place" is my home - the province. Indeed, the more mature we get the more appreciative we become of the things we have overlooked in the past. At the end of the day, all of us are just exhausted people trying to look for peace amidst our messy, hectic schedules. And that peace could mean the slow flow of things, the breath-taking color of the sunset at 5 or 6 PM, the rustling of mango tree leaves as the wind blows, the calming sound of waves crashing the shore, and the chirping of crickets at night. Who would pick traffic noise over these?

I would leave some pictures which convinced me that the countryside is where it's best to settle in.

I guess I would end it here, dear friends. Wherever you are right now, I hope you get to find the peace that you deserve - may it be in the city or the countryside. Thank you for reading! Toodle loo!