179. New Year New Country

I spent most of 2023 in Southeast Asia before returning home to California for the holidays. Being home honestly felt amazing. The more time I spent away, the more time I relished being back. It was lovely spending time with friends and family who have known me my whole life. Something about it gives me a true sense of belonging like there is no question I belong here because I came from here. I no longer had people following me around, asking for pictures, or feeling like a foreigner in a foreign place. I spoke the language and understood the currency. I especially loved the cold mornings and how magical it is to see your breath on a frosty day and the feeling of standing next to a wood-burning stove. Unfortunately, my feet were not ready to wear shoes again and I spent the first weeks developing blisters as they got used to being contained again. I tried my best to stay in the moment and appreciate all the little things I took for granted growing up here.
 
I planned to be home for December and January but didn’t really have any idea of what to do or where to go next. I just tried to trust that the right opportunity would present itself. After my Path of Least Resistance trip, I decided to treat the new year like an experiment. Can I fully surrender and let the Universe guide me where I need to go? I could return to Malaysia or Indonesia and pick up where I left off but I didn’t get the feeling that I should, at least not yet. One day, I got a message out of the blue, from Kevin on SV Kismet. He decided to spend the year in SE Asia and asked if I wanted to come on board for a few months in the Philippines. As soon as I read it, I inherently knew that was my next step.
 
If you read my blog post from sailing on SV Kismet in Indonesia, you’d probably thought I’d given up on cruising for good. Honestly, I thought I did too. But the temptation of exploring an island nation in the coral triangle on a sailboat, knowing the opportunity wouldn’t last, was just too good to pass up. That’s the problem with Type 2 fun, even though you hate it in the moment, it’s addictive, especially knowing I might not have this opportunity again.
 
After looking at dates I booked flights to arrive in Puerto Princessa, Philippines on January 31 and spent the next few weeks soaking up my time at home while simultaneously packing, wondering why I had so much stuff, trying to purge, then repack. Somehow I still ended up with about 50kg (110 lbs) of stuff, “only the essentials” I tried to reassure myself. I carefully weighed my checked bags to make sure they were within the weight limits and added some last items. Finally, the morning was here and I went out to breakfast with family then my dad dropped me off at the airport.
 
Once at LAX, I went to check my bags and was pleased to see they made the weight limits but my heart sank when she asked me to weigh my backpack. For some reason, the airline had a 7kg (15lbs) limit on carry-on items, mine was about twice that, and said I would need to check my backpack for an additional $200. Of course, my anxiety levels skyrocketed but I thought back to the Path of Least Resistance, took a deep breath, and told myself “You know what? It’s all going to work out”.
 
“I can’t check my backpack because it had lithium batteries in it.”
“What do you have that uses lithium batteries?” she asked
“Camera… drone… electronics…” I responded
“Drones are not allowed in Taiwan.” she said
“I’m not going to Taiwan, I’m going to the Philippines.” I said
“Yes, but your layover is in Taiwan, please step aside while we discuss whether or now you will be permitted to take the drone.”
 
So not only am I going to have to pay an extra $200 for my bag, but it seems like my $1,000 drone is about to be confiscated. I quickly make a list of all my friends who might be available to come pick up the drone. I quickly contemplated if I could order an Uber and just send the drone to someone’s house. Then, I’m called back to the podium.
 
The check-in lady said I must put the drone in my checked bag but keep the batteries in my carry-on and motioned for me to take my checked bag back to make the transfer. In the meantime, she continues helping the next guest as I quickly unpack my backpack, move the drone, and then quickly move a few other heavy items from my backpack to the checked bag. I hand her the checked bag back and since it’s already been weighed and tagged, she doesn’t think to reweigh it again. Then I hand her my backpack and weigh in at 7kg on the dot! She hands me back my passport and boarding cards and I make my way through security. It all worked out!
 
My flight to Taiwan was textbook, followed by a flight to Manila. Going through Filipino customs and immigration was probably the easiest of any country I’d entered. No need to show proof of departing flight and no bag inspections. Next, I need to get from the international terminal to the domestic one which seems quite far away. I make my way to the shuttle service and they indicate the next shuttle is coming in 45 minutes which might not give me enough time to make my next flight. Once again anxiety set in as I debated trying to grab a taxi instead but I told myself again “Everything is going to work out”.
 
I take a seat with everyone else waiting and strike up a conversation with another white girl about my age. We talked about our plans for the Philippines and how we both love diving, She mentioned doing her dive master in Bira, next to Tevana House Reef, and knows a lot of the same people I met last year there! She had also seen my social media posts and knew I looked familiar small world.
 
The shuttle came in about 30 min and we loaded in. I’d never seen so many bags be loaded into a bus but they tried to use every available space possible. It took about 45 min to get to the domestic terminal. Why the airport shuttle travels outside in the trafficked streets and not behind the terminal gates within the airport complex is beyond me, but this is not the first time I have seen thin. We arrived at the domestic terminal and I found that my flight was delayed anyway so there was no need to worry about the timing to begin with!
 
Finally, I board my last flight to Puerto Princessa and land, meeting Kevin standing amongst everyone yelling if I need a taxi. Kevin decided to initiate my arrival into the Philippines by having me take a trike, basically a modified dirt bike/motorcycle with a kind of sidecar attached. It hardly had enough room for me and my two bags but we managed to fit.
 
The unmuffled engine rattled my brain as we made our way from the airport through the busy streets, into the village near the Abanico Yacht Club. And by yacht club I mean, roughly constructed bamboo structure/restaurant filled with old salty cruisers and their young Filipina wives. Kevin and I managed to get my stuff into the dinghy and onto the boat without breaking our backs. Welcome to the Philippines!