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It was four months ago that we decided to become a location independent couple and now the long wait is over!
We’re on the road baby! Image may be NSFW.
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We left the house we were renting in Davao City for more than two years, sold all of our stuff, packed everything into suitcases, and have finally said goodbye to the city we’ve called home for nearly 5 years.
It’s hard to explain our feelings about leaving. On our last night in the house we sat around the dining room table, listening to music and reminiscing all of the memories we’ve shared. Funny moments where Justin would goof off and grab me for a little impromptu dancing around the kitchen. Enjoying some of our “movie marathons” together, cuddled up in the living room. Even the not-so-happy times where fighting (and pouting) was involved.
It was a little surprising to see how much the house has meant to us. We’ve celebrated lots of holidays, held gatherings for co-workers, family, and friends, etc. We began to wonder whether we were really making the right decision in moving away.
Ultimately we figured, “Screw it – we can always come back if we want to or if we don’t like traveling as much as we thought we would.”
Taking The Plunge
Our first stop didn’t take us very far – the guest room at Joe Magnotti’s house! He was kind enough to host us for a week before we head on to Manila for a week to get our Thai visas sorted.Image may be NSFW.
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We ended up selling most of our stuff to our previous landlord and I left the rest of the stuff we wanted to keep long-term with my Mom. (Paintings, photos, mementos, etc.) Some if it we’ll probably never use again, but it’s nice to know it’s still there if we want it. It’s sad to let all of the stuff we picked for the house go, but we have to let go if we want to move forward.
Many of our friends that live the location independent lifestyle are happy to fit all of their stuff in a backpack, but that was unthinkable for us getting started. There are three of us (Justin, Arlene, and I) and we’re traveling with around 60kgs worth of stuff total! Our guess is that we’ll cut down the things we’ve brought over time, once we’ve had a chance to see we don’t really use them as much as we thought we would.
Our First New City – Manila!
We flew into Manila on September 8th with a plan to only stay a week. Leaving Davao was exciting, but Manila’s not as much of a change since it’s the same country. We still needed to spend some time here, though, as we needed to process our Thai visa.
Since the coup started it’s been a struggle for most foreign nationals entering Thailand regarding visa requirements. We don’t want to have a problem getting through immigration or with the airlines – that’s why we are going to make sure that everything is ready before we get there. (By the way, here’s an excellent write-up if you find your self in Manila and needing to visit the Thai embassy for a visa)
We were able to catch up with our friends John (who’s currently an EF customer and just sold a site with us) and his girlfriend Sheila. They both stay in the Fort and so we had a few chances to catch up with them.
By the way, if you’re ever visiting Manila I’d recommend staying in the Fort – it’s a REALLY nice place! Here’s the place we ended up renting on AirBnB. It’s a great, clean one-bedroom located right around the corner from Burgos Circle – an excellent location!
What’s Next?
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After Manila and getting the visa sorted, we flew through BKK and landed in Chiang Mai. We’re still in our first week and getting settled here, but I’m sure I’ll have more to say in the next week or two about our new (temporary) home.
For those of you who have already “left home” for the first time, maybe you can share your experiences with us on how you deal with the stress, pressures and disappointments that you encounter on the road.
I’m sure everything will be just fine as long as we have friends around that we know we can rely on whenever we need them. It’s easier to deal with the pressures on the road when you know you have true friends that won’t leave you hanging.
The post We’re On The Road! Our Journey Begins… appeared first on Expat Romance.