Finding Monotony

I’ve been in Manila for almost a week now, and I have to say I have surprised even myself. I like it, and that’s not even the surprising part of it all. I didn’t really think much of Manila before I came, and the honest truth is that I actually haven’t even stepped foot into Manila proper. I am, in fact, next door to Manila in a city called Makati. What’s more, I actually have not gone out and seen anything. That’s right, I’ve done zero sight-seeing. So what exactly do I like? This is where the surprise comes in. You see, I don’t like Manila for how fun or interesting it is (as you can tell, I don’t really know.) I like Manila because in Manila I get to take a break from traveling.

Anyone who has gone out on a long trip knows that it’s tiring. The constant struggle with just the newness of everything is difficult enough, but when you’re backpacking, you’re also dealing with the difficulty of arranging everything yourself and taking care not to get cheated. Beyond just the physical exhaustion of walking everywhere, running from sight to sight, or carrying your luggage, there is the more difficult and debilitating mental exhaustion that comes from memorizing roads to not get lost and always being on guard against thieves and your own traveler’s stupidity. I touched upon it earlier when talking about Danang – there are times when you really need a vacation from your vacation.

Yet, this feeling I have goes beyond just getting to take a break from constantly being “on” that traveling requires. I think it speaks to something deeper, much deeper, about not only the aspect of being in foreign places that I enjoy most, but also about the changing profile of what I am looking for in life. I don’t think I would be going too far in saying that these past few days in Makati have probably been my most contented in months. A great surprise to even myself, I am happy walking around the city here and could even see myself living here for a while. Without a doubt, the fact that so many people in the Philippines speak English as almost a second native tongue is a huge plus. Not only am I saved from speaking to only myself every day (how boring!) but I can actually get a pretty deep picture into the thoughts and lives of ordinary Filipinos. Their love of laughter and easy smiles are equally positive. My class status, by whit of my accommodations and salary solidly in the upper-middle class here also does not hurt. Likewise, the wide choice of fine dining and western comforts in this ex-pat enclave of Makati makes the transition that much easier. As you can tell, my life here is nothing to complain about.

It is though, more than just that. There is something both refreshing and comforting about getting up for work each morning, being in the office and around other people, and being able to come home to my own cozy apartment. As odd as it sounds for a self-professed world nomad, I am enjoying the stability. I am reminded of something that Kas said while we were chatting – that he loved traveling because it gave him a chance to see the world when he got bored with his routine in the Netherlands. Something about that statement didn’t ring true for me at the time, but I understand what it is now. While others may travel to get away from monotony, I am actually traveling because I’m intrigued with how monotony looks in different places – and even more, I think I am looking for a place and situation where I can be monotonous, long-term.

It’s true though. Long term for me might just be a few months out of each year. I’m not sure. I obviously haven’t thought this through well enough yet.