"This is going to be much more difficult than I ever imagined" Dated:June 2nd, 2013

So many things happening in the Laurence household of late. Life is about to get insane. Pardon me for the radio silence the last few days: Tucker's baseball team played in a tournament in San Diego for a week and I went with. I left the journal at home just to spend some time with Tucker.

The first line of the post that I am sharing today is fitting for how life is going to get in the next year. I accepted a position teaching English in China for next year. This means I leave. I leave for a long ass time. I'll take off in June, go back to the field in the Philippines this July, and start work in Beijing on August first.

All the things. All the feels. Everything. So many things happening in my mind as of late.

Since as long as I could remember I have wanted to live abroad for an extended amount of time. How long that time may be? Who knows, but I knew I always wanted to do it. That I needed to do it. Living abroad is important to me; thrusting headlong into another culture for an extended amount of time is a life lesson that I think everyone should learn. There is a certain unknown about it that makes my heart beat just a little faster. My mind wander a little bit deeper into recesses unknown. I could hate it, but at this point I am willing to take that risk because it is a risk I need to take. And it means so many things to me.

Sunshine,
This is going to be much more difficult than I ever imagined! Thank you for letting me do this! 42 days baby! 

Today was really low key. Sara and I sat in the restaurant and drank beer and got charged far less than we were supposed to. Oops. Oh well. Men have been yelling, "you're beautiful!" at us from cars.  It's hysterical. I miss you so much! We're Ifugao bound in 45 minutes. I don't know what to expect.

Early morning (like 5 am) June 2nd (most of this was done in the semi-darkness):
We made it to Kiangan and I've already had the "FUCK, WHAT HAVE I DONE?!" moment. 

To start- our bus ride was exactly like the buses in South America with a little worse of a bus. We got off at our hostel around 3 am. And then it began:
THERE ARE FUCKING GIANT ASS ROACHES ERRYWHERE. One I spotted was, oh, you know, 12FT ABOVE MY FUCKING HEAD ON THE FUCKING ROOF JUST CHILLING WITH A GECKO. NEXT, we got to our room and the girl's dorm had two bunks- luckily one of the other girls from the U.S. (Maddie) bought Sara and I mosquito nets. Since there were only two bunks, Sara and I moved to the boy's dorm so we could make mosquito net forts. I actually feel really safe; ain't no cockroaches cuddling with me. Ain't nobody got time for that. 

This is the mosquito net fort that I lived in.

So- my other two cockroach moments: When we first get to the girl's dorm I set my shit down for 2 second and a roach fucking magically appeared. Luckily a boy smashed it fast.

The sun is rising right and our door blew open in the night. So beyond the gorgeous greens I can see hues of pink and blue. They are so soft. I didn't know colors like that existed. I'm the only one awake. Can't sleep, sweaty, smelly, going through photos of you on my phone. 

Not exactly a sunrise from Kiangan, but you get the point. Philippines sunrises are gorgeous.

The ladies here are so nice- they made us these delicious rolls and served the with easy cheese. So unhealthy and delicious. I'm really excited for what the next month has in store (I forgot to tell you the first thing I saw was a HUGE Praying Mantis), especially because this place reminds me of San Pedro!

I've heard some animal noises I hope to never hear again. EVER!

<3 Always,
Cooper


I have no idea where life is supposed to take me, but this adventure is about to be one of the greatest.