three weeks.

That's how much time I have left in Asia. WHEN DID THAT HAPPEN?! Gahhh... Time has gone by so quickly. I'll admit that a couple weeks ago, even a few days ago, I was excitedly counting down to my departure for the States. But now, with the date fast approaching, that excitement is more often replaced with sadness &, increasingly, terror. I think I put it best in an email that I wrote to a friend: I'm about to reenter the real world and I feel like I'm graduating from college all over again. It's terrifying. I've been living an existence in zero gravity while traveling. I'm floating from place to place, and there's such a sense of short-term, temporariness with everything that I do. Decision making isn't difficult because they're all simple for the most part, like, what temple should I go to, or should I eat dinner now or in a hour? In contrast, the zero gravity that awaits me in the real world is much scarier- what job will I have, where will I live, what will my relationships be like when I get back, how will I deal with those changes? There are so many big decisions that I have to make and so much uncertainty buzzing around in my mind. I've been trying my best not to worry about it all, especially as I can't really do much about any of those things right now. But I know that they'll be waiting for me when I get home. I'll hope for the best, though!

But okay, let's write about Dumaguete! So, Dumaguete is the costal capital of Negros Island, also known as "The City of Gentle People." That might have to do with the general laid back feel of the place, which is largely a combination of college & beach town, both of which are pretty relaxed & mellow on their own. So Dumaguete is DOUBLE the relaxed & mellow. I found it to be exactly what I needed at this point in my trip. I'm admittedly getting pretty exhausted, and while hopping from city to city & getting lost in urban sprawl is exciting & fun, I'm kind of over it and they're all blending together. Call me lame, but I'd rather kick back in countrysides & smaller towns, which Dumaguete, although not physically, thankfully is in vibe & energy.

I stayed at a lively hostel, where I booked the cheapest accommodations possible- an AC-less dorm room. I've never had too much of a problem with that in the past, but I also had never stayed in Dumaguete, which got super hot & humid at night. Needless to say, going to sleep was a losing battle. Several, if not all, of my nights were spent tossing & turning while thinking about things like Keanu Reeves' acting in attempts to dull & numb my mind to sleep. But while the nights sucked, the days were lovely! I spent them relaxing at the beach, frequenting cafes, reading, writing, hiking, trekking, & staring in open-mouthed awe at mother nature at her finest.

With a fellow traveler, Sam from Atlanta (who was awesome!), I went to the famous Twin Lakes. We rode a jeepney to the nearby town Sibulan, and from there took a habal habal motorcycle ride into the southern mountains. I was initially alarmed when our driver said he would take both of us up on his motorcycle, but his bike was actually built to hold a maximum of 5 people (specifically "5 Filipinos, but only 3 Americans, hah hah haaaah!" as our driver explained)! Crazy! So with me wedged in the middle, we sped off into the mountains. As we climbed higher & higher, the temperature fell to deliciously cooler levels & humidity was nonexistent. I took deep breaths & I could feel my lungs rejoice at the sweet, fresh air. We drove through groves of mango & banana trees, & sugar cane; I could always smell them before I saw them. In contrast to the vibrant green, the sky was a brilliant blue and I forgot for a moment what storms & rain were like. We passed small villages, isolated, quiet & quaint. Children happily called out to us, waving their arms & grinning widely. Oh, it was amazing! There were some rocky portions of the ride, where the road wasn't paved, but I managed (& my butt escaped bruise-free!). It kind of gave me a feel for off-road biking, and while the experience wasn't unpleasant & actually pretty exhilarating, I would never do it again without a helmet. Or in shorts & sandals.

Half an hour later at the top, we trekked to the first lake, Balinsasayao. The water was crystal clear & sparkling, with reflections of the beautiful sky & the surrounding greenery shining on its surface. After being in cities for so long, my eyes had to readjust to the colors & brilliance of the scene, having forgotten that such colors & light exist in nature, that the world is not only composed of duller man-made hues. After relaxing there for a bit, we hiked to its twin, Danao. We followed an irregular, rocky trail along the perimeter of the first lake. It was marked with large stones pressed into the earth but in such a way that it didn't challenge the natural terrain but flowed with it. After about half an hour, we got to Danao, which was smaller but just as beautiful- clear, blue & stunning. We found a place to relax. & while Sam swam, I sat at the water's edge with my feet dipped in, writing.

Aaaand I'm getting sleepy. To be continued!