There's a saying that home isn't a place, it's a feeling. For me, that feeling has a name: Cebu, Philippines. No matter how globally connected my work becomes, the Philippines is the heartbeat that keeps me grounded.
The Taste of Home (Sometimes Eaten in Darkness)
Let me tell you about balut. If you're not Filipino, you might wrinkle your nose at the thought of eating a fertilized duck egg. I get it. Even as a proud Filipino, I have to eat it in complete darkness sometimes! There's something slightly unsettling about seeing what you're about to consume. But here's the truth – I couldn't imagine living without it.
It's those quirky, sometimes challenging aspects of your home that often create the strongest bonds. The foods that visitors approach with caution but locals crave when they're away. The cultural experiences that might seem unusual to outsiders but feel like essential pieces of your identity.
Globally Connected, Locally Rooted
My professional life connects me to the world in ways my ancestors could never have imagined. As a VA working with international clients, I've managed a team of 2,500 people handling imports and exports across continents. I've collaborated closely with Japanese companies and built relationships with businesses around the globe.
My mind travels the world each day through my work, but my heart remains firmly planted in Philippine soil. There's something powerful about being able to participate in the global economy while still waking up to the sights, sounds, and smells that have always meant home to me.
This duality has given me a unique perspective – I can appreciate what makes other cultures beautiful while still cherishing what makes my own special.
The Filipino Spirit
When visitors come to the Philippines, they often comment on how happy and positive Filipinos seem, even when facing challenges. This isn't accidental – it's a cultural value that runs deep in our collective identity.
We Filipinos have a remarkable capacity for finding joy in simple moments and maintaining optimism in difficult circumstances. There's a bias toward generosity here – toward family, toward neighbors, toward those in need. Even when we have little, sharing comes naturally.
This spirit of "bayanihan" – communal unity and cooperation – isn't something I've found replicated exactly anywhere else. It's the invisible thread that connects Filipinos to each other and creates that sense of belonging that defines home.
Finding Your Own Home
Not everyone is fortunate enough to be born in a place that feels like home. Some spend years searching for it. Others create it wherever they happen to be.
If you were lucky enough to be born in your heart's home, as I was, cherish it. Don't take for granted the cultural touchstones and community connections that give you roots. They're precious beyond measure.
If you're still searching for home, don't give up. It exists. Sometimes you discover it in an unexpected country across the ocean. Sometimes you create it by gathering like-minded souls around you who share your values and vision.
The most important thing isn't where your home is located, but that you recognize it when you find it – that place where you can be fully yourself, with all your contradictions and complexities.
For me, that place will always be the Philippines. I may be a citizen of the world in many ways, but my heart holds a Philippine passport, and no amount of global connection will ever change that.
Home isn't perfect – it has flaws and challenges, just like the balut I eat in darkness. But it's mine. And recognizing your home, embracing it fully, is one of life's greatest gifts.
What's your home? Have you found it yet?
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