I love to travel and I get high every time I hear my husband says: “Babe, we’re moving to another country (again)!” But while it’s exciting to know that we’ll drag the entire fam bam for another round of adventure in yet another place to call “home”, moving to another country can be a series of frustrating incidents resulting to yet another series of frustrating and heartbreaking realities.

1. Dreadful visa processing

I can come up with “The Chronicles of a Filipina Nomad and Her Frustrating Stories of Moving Places” from this first point alone. Being a Philippine passport holder does not allow you to travel and enter to as many countries in the world compared to say those who are Malaysian or (ugh!) Americans (which I know very well because my husband and children carry the blue passport while I sport a maroon). I moved to two countries since I got married and started a family and that required painstaking preps and prints of every single document that the Embassy or Consulate may asked for to prove that your legit. Check this link if you want to travel to China from Cebu (Philippines) and this one for the United States of America (although I preferred processing my US visa at the Guangzhou Consulate). Or… if you want to go to Europe entering Paris or will be spending more time in France and you’re applying in Manila, use this site. It helped me in my European journey last year.

 

2. Packing for four!

I don’t hate packing but when you have to pack for yourself, your husband, and children, uh, that can be a loooot of work. It’s even more frustrating and mind blowing when you travel with infants. The twins were 18 months old when they first visited the US in the fall of 2014 and I had to drag an entire suitcase full of diapers, bottles, milk, and change of clothes as carry on luggage in a 14-hour flight from Guangzhou to LA and then domestic flights from LA to Salt Lake to Kalispell. Pack a lot of patience and determination too because you’ll need large doses of those.

 

3. Food cravings unsatisfied

I have been in the US for five months now and I’ve been weeping about how much I missed food from my hometown Cebu. Yes, there’s the Mabuhay Oriental Market ran by a Filipino couple but there’s no way you can get out of your house, ride a jeepney, and stop somewhere for a daily fill of street food (spell tempura, kwek-kwek, fishball in that oh-so-wonderful sauce). I hit my most desperate state when I searched for “Cebu Lechon” on Amazon and what popped was a picture of Mang Tomas All-Around Sarsa, an accidental discovery that made my heart skipped a beat!

 

4. Cabin fever and the blues

I had my on-and-off battles with this dreaded illness and it’s not something I’m proud of. However, I’m not ashamed to share that I’ve been through it, resolved it, been through it again, resolved it… I think it’s just natural for anyone who misses home and the familiarity that comes with being in your native country to experience this. It helps to get out of the house, get some sunshine, and whenever possible, cook the food that you used to have at home. I’m very thankful that Mabuhay Oriental Market is in Kalispell. I would have descended to the lowest of low in my depression without Mama Sita’s adobo and caldereta mixes.

 

5. Massage? No way!

Massage in Asia is dirt cheap if you compare it to prices in the US and Europe. When I was living in the Philippines, I get a massage twice a week. In China, it was once a week. Here in the US, I trained my husband to be a masseuse because goodness gracious, I cannot justify to myself why I would spend 70 dollars for an hour massage. I miss the days after work when I would just hop on a cab and tell the driver I’m going to Spa Y. Upon arrival, I will be greeted with a friendly receptionist who know exactly what I need. The best part? I only pay $5 to $8 excluding tip.

 

6. Jeepney, where are you?

I don’t know how to drive. I freak out when I’m behind the wheel. Weird thoughts enter my head such as me bumping on a huge delivery truck and then I see myself laying on the pavement lifeless. That’s why I love being in Asia because public transportation is just everywhere even if the traffic is horrible and the modes of transportation is comparable to being squished in a box with six other sweaty people.

Americans love their cars and I understand that. There’s no other way but to learn how to drive here. I have to accept the fact that in a month or two, I would have to go to a driving school to try my luck on learning how to drive (again). This time, I’ll think of positive thoughts.

So help me God.

 

7. Mom, SOS!

We, Filipinos, love our communities and we live our lives comfortable and secured that these people are just around us. By people, I mean your parents, siblings, extended family members, relatives, friends, neighbors…the list goes on.  It’s not like that when you move to another country. Need someone to watch your children when you go buy groceries? Call the babysitter! You are itching to go on a date night but the babysitter is not available? Then, stay home and watch movies from Netflix. When I was pregnant with the twins, I was surrounded by family members who frantically will scramble at my feet at my slightest whimper of discomfort.

Here?

Well, let’s just say I self-trained myself to manage pain.

 

8. No more frequent dirt cheap airfares

I miss AirAsia and Cebu Pacific!!! Customer service is certainly  not top of the line but the rates? They’re almost free; it’s a steal! I miss shuttling back and forth China and the Philippines within two to three months because a roundtrip ticket can go as low as $100.

 

 

9. Events now limited

I’m a very social person. I wouldn’t have started this blog if I wasn’t. I love to interact with people. I’m obsessed with literary and cultural events. I attended most, if not all, when I was in the Philippines. The first week I arrived here, I scoured the Internet for book clubs, Moms’ groups, and continuing education classes at the local community college just so I can keep my brain moving.

I enrolled in childbirth education classes and dragged my husband to attend them. I don’t get to participate in these events much often though because: (1) I can’t just tell my husband to drop everything and drive me to the writers’ meeting; and (2) who will take care of the twins while we’re away? I sure don’t want to lock them in the house. I don’t get to initiate events the way I did with the Basadours or with this blog (when I used to organize Book Share sessions and Poetry Cafe meet ups). I miss that…being in the forefront of an advocacy and coordinating people to make an event successful.

But… it’s a change of pace. These days, I’m a participant, not the organizer. It can be refreshing to look at the world from the other side of the fence…

Anyone out there who also experienced moving from one place to the other? What made you really frustrated about the move?

***

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”