This is part of a ongoing series as I countdown the last few days until I depart this dream of a place, Manila. I’m talking about my experiences both good and bad.
The weekends are like heaven. They are the lagoon in the parched desert. They offer a small window to shuffle off the sand and mud of the work week and breath the fresh (yet heavily polluted) air of those Manila Nights. It is in those two days I find myself at peace.
It is also those times I find myself pressed to enjoy the small break I have been afforded. It’s hard to take vacations over the two days because you find yourself getting off work at 6am on a Saturday. You then have to find your way back to work by Monday night fully rested. And with the time it takes to get off the main island and the city it can be a little stress inducing itself.
Mind you if vacation is your only reason to visit this place you’re set. The scenery and the places will bring huge relief to your world weary body. It’s just the problem of being a ex-pat that works the long hours. You sometimes lose the focus of yourself and get wrapped up into the job itself.
It is here where the weekends help but do not solve the problem. Which is one of the many reasons I find myself leaving the Philippines. I’ve talked about the some of the other reasons in my first post here. I think my trouble is that I want to live that American Dream of having my week days free of terrible sleep and half awake wanderings in malls. I want to avoid the half zombie behavior I tend to exhibit in the middle of the day.
I want to look out and see my Rocky Mountains. I’m Montana Born. Oregon and Colorado Raised. I miss the sights, sounds and touch of America. I miss the snow. I miss the temperatures that would make anyone curse Old Man Winter in the most color-filled language.
And so as I begin to countdown the weekends until I will leave this place my heart is getting anxious. I miss the Mile High City. And I’m coming back.
Tally yo! 19 more days to go!
