Of coming and leaving

Unlike any other cities, Bacolod offers a binary of places—a highly urbanized area, placed in the countryside. Bacolod city is three times named as the "most livable city in the Philippines" (2008, 2012, 2017). I, myself, who cannot stand staying in a big city, would live there.

Perfectly seated in the lands of sugarcane (Negros Occidental) with a tolerable traffic jam, this city is yet the sweetest of all the places I've been to. People are friendly, beautiful places are accessible, and cost of living is very cheap, if these reasons aren't enough, I don't know what would be.

It's hard to leave a place that brought you nothing but smiles. I can safely say that people would prefer to live in this city than in any other cities in the country, and I'm not just the only one saying it.

Here's something spontaneous: I didn't have a map, I didn't have any plans, I wasn't familiar with the place, but I went anyway. And I regret nothing! I loved everything about the place and I couldn't have wandered any better.

I always leave. (We all do) But why do I leave? I leave to see beauty. Beauty of other places, beauty of the world, beauty of people's heart, beauty that most people fail to see—the worth of home. For it is only when we leave that we realize how beautiful where we came from is.

First, we came. We come to the world, we come to know things, we come to serve our purpose. Then we left. We leave to discover what is beyond, we leave to find something, we leave to pursue something. And in leaving, we will be coming again. The cycle repeats until time comes that we will leave the world. But you know what really matters? It's what is between coming and leaving: being. Being there in the moment. Being the way you're supposed to be. Being able to learn and witness things. Being alive. There's nothing more valuable than being.

For what it's worth, every trip changes our perception of the world, and of ourselves. And every new places give us a never before seen beauty. These are the things I live for.

Here are tidbits of my Bacolod trip, mainly to fetch my minor cousins, and ultimately to take a break.

Bacolod City is located in the mid-west part of Visayas so it gets a better hue of sunset than other parts of Ph. This one's taken at Talisay, 6:23PM, no filter.

The most famous spot in Bacolod: The Ruins. The remains of the ancestral home mansion of the family of Don Mariano Ledesma Lacson and Maria Braga Lacson. The most ideal time to visit is during sunset, but I failed to do so.

A very beautiful island that is an hour away from the city, Lakawon. The arising of this beauty is pretty sure the next big thing in the Ph (this is not that big, but i'd give a big love). I'd give anything to go back to this island. (Unless that means giving up a trip to Samar :D)

Located in the highlands of Negros Occidental province, Campuestuhan is the newest trend for getaways. Though not very nature-ish, everyone's going to have fun for there  are various activities suited for every age. Another thing, the view is just spectacular.

Aaaand, it's a wrap!
Thank you for reading! xx gayle