Wow, that was 20 years ago, and how do those years pass. Going to the Philippines for me seemed like an unreal dream! Carol was almost mad at me when I wouldn't go to the Philippines with her in 2006, but I have always been over the top for loyalty to the people I worked for, and they were quitting business and needed me to help finish things out for them. Because they quit business they laid all of us off as well, so we were moving out of our house also. So I had two things going on, and we were moving to another place temporarily in the valley, so I had my hands full, and I couldn't just walk off and go with Carol, which is what she wanted, but I couldn't feel right about it. It turned out the new business owners hired us to work for them, so we put in an additional 2 years. The politics were so shaky that the new business owners didn't know if they would have their contract renewed after those 2 year, and things were ify for them, so we packed what little we had left in the valley and move to where we are now. We loved it there, and miss it greatly, but it is over with for us. Carol is no longer physically able to work, and she would need to for us to remain. The only way to get to that place is with an airplane or a boat, and so it is like a place like no other.
When I went to the Philippines this year Carol was afraid to fly as she was scared to death the entire trip in 2006, so there was no way that she was going to return, but she encouraged me to go, and we thought I would get to see her brother, but he was too busy installing his solar electric system. It was really strange, but it was hard to believe that I actually did get to go to the Philippines, and it was a wonderful experience. It didn't seem like I was so far away, but just like I was a mile or so from home. I had to tell myself, "you are really in the Philippines!" It could have been in one of our cities just a short distance away. I had such a wonderful time and enjoyed it so much I will dream of the time I can return. I can't return for a while as I have college classes to take for the next 3 months, and then I have some projects that need attention, but after that, look out Philippines, here I come!
It also seemed strange to leave at a time when the air temperature here was hovering around 30 F. or a little below zero C., and land in Manila where it was pretty warm and humid, and then to fly to Dumaguete City, get out of the airplane, and have it feel like July or August back home! I am dreaming of the Philippines!