Manila Archives • Choosing Figs

September 21, 2012

in Asia, Bohol, Boracay, Cebu, El Nido, food, Malapascua Island, Manila, Palawan, Philippines, Puerto Princesa, Round the World, travel

Food in the Philippines: What I ate in The Philippines.

I ate so much food in the Philippines in my month traveling around the country it's a wonder I still fit in my pants when I got to back to Thailand. With Chinese, Mexican, Spanish, and American influences, Filipino cuisine is richer and meatier than...

September 19, 2012

in Asia, Manila, Philippines, Round the World, travel

Christmas in Manila.

When I first arrived in Manila it was raining. Horrible rain that didn't stop for four days. I could hardly leave the apartment. Before leaving the Philippines for good (or at least for the time being), I came back for a few more days to...

Eating balut - fertilized duck embryo - in Manila, Philippines.

September 18, 2012

in Asia, food, Manila, Philippines, Round the World, travel

And then i went to Manila, got drunk, and ate balut…

Balut is a fertilized duck embryo that is boiled and eaten from the shell. It's a popular street food in Manila and The Philippines. And it's...

August 13, 2012

in Asia, Manila, Philippines, Round the World, travel

Four days of rain.

It rained in Manila. For four days straight. For the entire time I was there. Most people had told me I could just skip the city altogether, it wasn't worth it. But I had actually been looking forward to it....

Hi, I’m Val. I spent most of my 20s in a standstill, unable to pick which path in life I wanted to take. I wanted the nomadic life of a traveler but also wanted the husband, the condo, and the teal couch. Unable to decide which life I wanted more, I did nothing. I lived my life in limbo. When I turned 30 I’d had enough of putting my life on hold and decided to start “choosing my figs.” So, I quit my job and bought a one-way ticket to Europe. After 3 years on the road I’m back in Chicago, exploring the city, learning guitar, decorating my apartment in too much teal, cuddling my cats, and planning my next adventures.

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