It was 10 years ago when we talked about staying in Leyte and I jokingly said if there will be 7-11 convenience store. As a city girl through and through, I needed some assurance of the ‘needs’ that should be available even during the midnight. And tadah, after a decade, there’s a 7-11 in my husband’s hometown.
It was years of talking and discussing about our income. We were both working in Manila during those times so we were really figuring out how we could survive financially when we move.
It was our Charlotte Mason (CM) education experience that changed my mind to settle in the province; the pandemic was another thing. The CM education has an emphasis on outdoor play or outdoor time and give the kids enough time for nature walks so the kids can learn outside their ‘school’ time. It was hard in Manila to do that, especially during the pandemic. We had to go to open areas without people just so we can observe the nature. That’s why when the local government in the province of my husband opened its doors to outsiders in March 2021, we grabbed the opportunity, packed our bags and books and went to Leyte using Twinkle, our most trusted companion in road travels.
The kids really enjoyed their stay that time because they can finally go out. They were not confined inside the walls of our condo unit. The area’s big because they can enjoy the yard and plants and insects and animals that surrounded them. Their classroom suddenly got big. They were able to play with other kids again. They were happy.
We stayed in the province for 3 months and another 2 months during Christmas that year. Then we were finalizing our plans on how we can settle in Leyte. We estimated to settle in 5 years since we need to build a business for our income. We talked to our kids about it and it became the family’s goal and dream. We prayed so hard to God to guide us where we should be.
And you know what, God gave us the answer. It was 1 year. There was an unexpected job opening for my husband my mother-in-law’s previous company. He got the job and our relocation and tickets were paid for.
For 1 month we were packing our things (books first), settling my parents, and preparing my things that I needed to bring home from work. I settled my work arrangement. Everything went smoothly as if the pieces were taking their own place in our puzzle at the right time.
We were so busy weeks before the move because we also needed to ensure that my parents will be well-taken care of when we are away. Several times did my husband ask me if it’s really ok for me to move and my answer was always yes. We prayed for this, we entrusted our path to God so I believe that when everything went as smoothly as what happened, I whole-heartedly accepted where God will put us.
And now we are here. We made it! We are really here. From the concrete jungle to the green forests. The kids are sun-kissed and “browner” but with full of joy on whatever they experience here. They are not limited when moving because they can go outside anytime and play with the animals around them. They will usually yell “Mommy! There’s a grasshopper!” or “Mommy! There’s a worm!” or in the case of my son “There’s a beehive” (it’s actually a jackfruit). We can see that they are “innocent” to the natural world and they are slowly being exposed to the works of nature. And we like what they are becoming: observant, critical thinkers, exposed.
Unpacking took us a week or so but I just transferred them to plastic boxes (from the carton boxes). Until now (almost 2 months), I am still not done arranging our things. Well, this is the hardest part, I think? 🙂 But at least all the homeschool books and office essentials were set up during the first 2 weeks. It was helpful that I labeled the boxes so I know what to open first. We had 26 boxes all in all plus all other things :)) The last boxes were not labeled anymore, we just put things inside the boxes due to time limitation.
My son still asks so much questions that I usually tell him to ask his dad (his dad has much much more information than me, I admit). My youngest, she’s still a joker and people love her here (the neighbors know her already and calls her during the daily rosary in October). And my first born, she’s undergoing a lot of physical and hormonal changes and parents, you know what I mean here. Haha.
And they just love playing outside and experience the rural life in Isabel, Leyte. But I know they miss their grandparents in Manila.
Mommyhood Journey 