I'm going home...

[Gratefuled]

It was just a SWAG. In other words, " a Scientific Wild A_s Guess"  

[Mike J]

It was about five or six years ago that I made my last temporary visit to the Philippines. I came in May because I wanted to know how my body would tolerate the worst of the hot dry season. I had been awake almost 30 hours by the time we arrived at the Mactan airport and cleared customs at about 1:00 AM. We finally get outside and the promised hotel shuttle in nowhere to be found. It is hot, humid, and the air stinks from the smell of exhaust and garbage. I am exhausted, I stink, my back hurts, my feet ache, I feel a migraine coming on. My wife tells me to keep a death grip on our luggage or someone will steal it. We are surrounded by bedlam, noise, and a bunch of people intent on making a few peso from the new arrivals. As I stood there wondering if things could get any worse a thought came out of nowhere; "Damn it's hot, but it is nice to be home." It was that trip that convinced me that the Philippines would be my home and my final resting place.

[Gratefuled]

6 minutes ago, Mike J said:

It was that trip that convinced me that the Philippines would be my home and my final resting place.

Tough Love, high tolerance or both?  I can relate. 

[OnMyWay]

On 8/29/2016 at 6:46 AM, Gratefuled said:

I left my heart in California.

I think there are two types of home that we can think about:  Childhood home and adult home.

I'm a Southern California boy and always will be.  I lived there for the first 38 years of my life.  I have not lived there since 1994 nor visited since 2012.  Whenever I go home, it is always nice to get that feeling of home, and still knowing the streets like the back of my hand.  My parents owned their house for more than 50 years.  I think almost all people who grew up in one place, in one house, with a happy and stable childhood, will always think of that place as "childhood home".  When in town, I always take a drive by my parent's former house and neighborhood, to see what has changed.  If you live in the right place, it is still one of the best climates, and I miss that.

Housing costs, healthcare costs and high taxes have effectively closed the door on me moving back to the U.S.  Maybe if I won the lottery or one of my investments were to go through the roof.

I knew the above was true when I made the decision to retire at 56 and move to the Philippines.  The Philippines is my home now and I am very happy here with my family.  I chose an area that is "American-like" as much as you can get here in the Philippines.  That has made the adjustment to my new "adult retired home" easier and unless something drastic happens, this will be my home for the rest of my life.  When my kids are older, I will support them if they would like to move to the U.S. or to New Zealand.  They have kin in both places.

A side note about California housing.  Now, I could never afford to live in an area I like.  If you don't get your foot in the door at the right time, the housing just runs away.  We sold my parent's house in the early 2000's for a bit over $600,000 and I just looked it up on Zillow.  It sold in 2014, after recovering from the 2007 crash, for $778,000.  The Z-estimate is now $950,000.

I know this is all relative but fun to think about.  My parents bought that North Redondo Beach house brand new in 1945 for $5000.  It was a 2 br 1 ba no garage, probably 700-800 sq ft.  They could not afford to buy a similar new house they liked in prestigious Manhattan Beach, for $10,000.  You can't find a tear down in Manhattan for less than 1 million now.

In the late 50's, when I was a little tike, my dad added a 3rd bedroom, a 2nd bath, a family room and a 1 car garage.  My dad was quite a woodworker and the family room interior was all natural wood paneling with open beamed wood ceilings.  I believe the owners have kept that room as is, and it still was beautiful the last time I saw it.  Apparently one of the last owners has added a 4th bedroom and the sq ft is now listed as 1586 sq ft.

So, I will never be moving back to my "childhood home".  I was just looking at the neighborhood on Google Earth view.  I don't even have to go there to catch up on the changes!

"Nostalgia isn't what it used to be."  Peter De Vries
 

[Gratefuled]

6 minutes ago, OnMyWay said:

So, I will never be moving back to my "childhood home".  I was just looking at the neighborhood on Google Earth view.  I don't even have to go there to catch up on the changes!

My home in Redlands California is paid for. I can afford to live there whenever I return.

I'm not on a fixed income.

I have life long childhood friends back home. Then, there's my relatives, my sons and my grandchildren. 

So, there are many reasons for me to want to return. 

By the way, I love how my neighborhood and city has changed. 

[OnMyWay]

1 minute ago, Gratefuled said:

My home in Redlands California is paid for. I can afford to live there whenever I return.

I'm not on a fixed income.

I have life long childhood friends back home. Then, there's my relatives, my sons and my grandchildren. 

So, there are many reasons for me to want to return. 

By the way, I love how my neighborhood and city has changed. 

That is good that you have the option.

I still have a house in Florida that I rent and now I have a lease with option to buy agreement with the tenant.  In 2 years, if he has the cash needed, it will be his.  However, 90% of lease options never pan out for the buyer.

I never thought of Florida like a permanent home and really did not enjoy living there much, so it never felt like home.

[i am bob]

I may go back to Canada kicking and screaming someday...  If I ever get married again and it's too my wife's desire and advantage to move there...  Niagara or Nova Scotia would be the hard decision...

In the meantime, I am firm in my decision to stay in the Philippines...  Funny thing though...  I had never explored the Island Garden City of Samal though it's a long long 10 minute ferry ride from Davao...   Yesterday I found out about a house for rent there...  Saw the view of the water and Davao...  The huge yard waiting for more gardens...  Beach a short walk away...  More resorts to experience a little fine dining at...  Maybe...  Just maybe...  The scenic beauty of Mati with the luxury of Davao 15 minutes away...

[Gratefuled]

2 hours ago, OnMyWay said:

I never thought of Florida like a permanent home and really did not enjoy living there much, so it never felt like hom

It's where my parents moved when dad sold his business. Orlando, Florida

[DC_Moe]

I moved to California at 30 years old and missed my other hometown (Washington DC) like crazy. I'm here because the economy here allows me to have a great income. But even though I've been in CA as long as I'd lived in DC, the Philippines and DC are "home". I'm sure sometime down the road, I'll miss DC and that's what Facebook and plane tickets are for. Once I get there, though--I'll never leave for good. My hometown, San Fernando, Pampanga, is not the same but it's still home