I was traveling around Asia when I got a message from my friend Johan. He had been working tirelessly for years and finally had some time off. “I desperately need a holiday,” he told me. “I want to relax and decompress, somewhere away from all the tourists. I need a quiet, peaceful place.”

The light bulb in my head flashed. I immediately thought of Siargao Island, a remote island in the Philippines. Continue reading »

I was having dinner with some friends in a middle-eastern type restaurant in Shanghai. It was my last night there and I was heading to the airport straight after dinner. My next destination was replete with sun, beaches, and excellent surfing conditions. I was going to the Philippines. The meal was delicious and the atmosphere was captivating. Between the tasty kebabs, the sexy belly dancers, and my vivacious friends, the evening was sublime. Nothing could ruin it. Or so I thought. Continue reading »

I met up with my buddy at Manila airport. We share one passion: deep sea diving. Our final destination was Sabang, a little dive resort in the municipality of Puerto Galera. To get there from Manila, we first had to take a 3 hour taxi to Batangas, a village located at the southern point of the island of Luzon. From Batangas it would be another 2 hours on a Banca (typical Philippines boat) to Sabang. Continue reading »

When I was 12 years old, my parents hosted an exchange student from Norway named Lena. My mother was always fond of Lena, considering her to be the daughter she never had. So when my mom discovered that Lena had moved to El Salvador, the planning for a visit began.

I rendezvoused with my mom in Houston, Texas. We enjoyed a drink in the United lounge while waiting for our flight. My mother was bursting with excitement… partially because she hadn’t seen me in some time Continue reading »

It had only been two weeks since my arrival, but I still knew. My mother always told me not to be hasty, but when it hits you, it hits you. As I stepped onto the warm, soft sand for the first time and stared across the turquoise water charged with rolling waves, the proverbial question rang out in my head: if you had to spend the rest of your life in one place, where would it be? Right here. Continue reading »