May 29, 2015

You can breathe

A thirty-minute drive from San Carlos City would take you to the small town of Calatrava in Negros Occidental. Two years ago, this place served as my residence as I studied for my college entrance tests. Seeing how much has happened between then and now, it felt soothing to return to the same environment. It was calming to know that some things remain constant despite having gone severe changes. I took a break from the spontaneity brought by life in the city and returned to my roots. As they say, “looking back is a requisite of moving forward.”

Having slept for only a few hours, I don't know what prompted me to start the day so early. It was only a few minutes past five yet the sun seemed just as eager to begin with the day. I thought I'd woken up straight into a photo as saturated tones of orange peeked through my glass windows. I could hear the roosters greeting me with a good morning, something I didn't get to hear so often. Life here was just slow, and it made me realize how much of a breather it was to have such pacing outside the hustle and bustle of the metro. Impulse here was thinking I could bike around as soon as the I pedaled my way on what I jokingly call "the road to sexy" as I try to get back in shape, having already eaten so much during my stay. The road here was no competition. I shared the road with a few early risers, some goats (yes, goats), and avoided every dog as my fear of getting chased resurfaced with every stray in sight. 

My biking led me to the shore not far from the house. From the dock's mouth, I proceeded to walk until the end as I feared falling off again. (Years ago, I slipped and fell off the same dock and thought it was going to be the end of me.) As I walked, I encountered a local who greeted me with a smile.  For a few minutes, all I could hear was the crashing of waves into the rocky dock, with barely any murmurs in the background. I stayed alone with my thoughts and left before it got too sentimental. Plus, my cycling shorts were too short and I simply had to change before going for another round.

I don't know what fueled me to write since I've only begun to appreciate how people combine these words coherently. I suddenly woke up at dawn and thought, "right now, I want to write." And all the words just came pouring. Maybe it's the pressure that came with my blog's new look, wanting to accompany it with better content? 
© hello to you too!Maira Gall