Most guys on YouTube will tell you why you should retire in the Philippines. I’m going to tell you how I actually got here—mistakes, bad bets on love, busted expectations and all—and why that long, messy road eventually pointed me to Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro. This isn’t theory. It’s twelve-plus years of boots-on-the-ground experience from … Read more
Neighbors, not contractors—fair pay, clear scope, sharp tools, and mutual respect. On the edge of the jungle where I live, things grow while you blink. One day it’s tidy, the next day the vines have an attitude. When it’s time to push the green back, my Filipina landlady calls the people who know the terrain … Read more
This piece contains blunt descriptions of offensive speech. If that’s a trigger, skip it. If it’s a mirror, adjust accordingly. A quick hello at an open-front bar turned into a slow-motion wreck: leering, crude “jokes,” shots at people collecting aid, a slur debate, and one line that nearly had me wanting to plant a vertical … Read more