It just hit me – I’m really going to miss it here. This morning I was headed to work. It was the familiar routine I had for the first three months here. And since things have gotten busy and I've been on travel, I really have missed the routine of my morning commute. Before I had left for work I had cleaned out my closet a bit and thrown out old boxes and such. It is feeling more and more real that I am leaving. After that I took the jeepney to the neighborhood my office is in. Most days the jeepney makes me get all hot and I breathe in tons of exhaust, but this day I remembered how much I love riding the jeep. Its like riding the public bus in the U.S., you just feel so much more a part of the place you live in when you take communal transportation instead of segregating yourself off from everyone else by driving a car. Riding a jeep also indicates to me how much I have gotten familiar with Davao. I know the system, I know who to pass my money to, and I know how to say “stop just at this place, here” in the local language. Even though David has been to the Philippines several times he has never ridden a jeep. When I took him on the jeep for the first time he was impressed at how comfortable I was with it and how well I knew how to use the jeep. Riding the jeepney in the Philippines has truly been a source of pride for me and I will seriously miss it, breathing in exhaust and all.
After I got off the jeepney, I hopped on a tricycle to make my way to the office. The tricycle guys were joking about how my driver got to take the American. Almost weekly they have a new nickname for me, “Hi American!,” “Hi Tall!” I’ve been able to have short conversations with several of the tricycle drivers and have gotten to know a couple of them. They are always friendly and playful and I will truly miss the moments they make me smile every morning.
As I walked up the hill to the office from where the tricycle driver dropped me off I counted – I only have 11 days left here. Unlike other days, I walked up the hill slowly, taking in the birds hopping about, the tall trees and colorful flowers, the pets lined up along the houses on the hill. The office is in a truly beautiful neighborhood and I will dearly miss the scenic walk up that long, steep hill.
Many days here it was easy to be tired of the heat or the pollution or the many other challenges put in my way. But now, with 11 days left, I know that I’ve dealt with the challenges presented to me and didn’t let them hold me back or bring me down. While there were times I needed to spend some quiet time inside with the A/C on for a while, I never hated being in the Philippines and wanted to leave. I am completely happy and proud of the experience I have had. I have lots to do in the last week and a half, finishing work, shopping for Christmas gifts and thank yous, and attending a traditional indigenous wedding. Today, I realized, however, that even though I may be busy, I have to take each day slowly and appreciate each step through Davao, because I really am going to miss what has become home for me these last six months.
And a Christmas tree made of parols getting set up at Notre Dame, Cotabato:
It still feels a little weird to be getting pumped up for Christmas when its still 90 degrees outside, but I'm sure it will hit me that Christmas has arrived when the 10 degree weather in Minnesota does!
