02D99: Celebrating Non-Traveling

Monday - Mushroom Pasta

I have a work trip next week, which is a more formal way of saying I'll be going to Singapore. All Singapore trips are work trips but all work trips are family visits at the same time. There is a clear work purpose for my travel, but there's always time with the nephews to look forward to as well. This is why I often joke that Singapore has become my "province" - something we never really experienced growing up as Manila kids. It takes about the same amount of time to get there and I always bunk with family instead of staying elsewhere when I'm in town.

While going through the travel updates of friends as posted on their respective social feeds, I found myself thinking about how Tobie and I aren't the biggest travelers. We enjoy travel when it happens but most of our free time is contentedly spent at home. Most of our hobbies don't even require that we leave the Sietch save perhaps for our O Bar nights, and even then we mostly keep to ourselves. We build our schedules around our indoor activities and that doesn't leave a lot of room for travel...and we don't mind.

To be fair, my family is cut from the same cloth. At best, we are professional staycationers who might travel to other places then immediately hole up at wherever we're calling home during the stay. We might possibly consider doing something touristy, but for the most part, we will eat well and stay at the hotel or whatever. 

It's a lucky thing that Tobie and I genuinely enjoy staying home a lot and being in each other's company. We've pretty much started living together almost immediately and I'm always thankful that we didn't run into too many disagreements or misunderstandings upon starting to share a space together. And I think we just double-down during the pandemic lockdown years. As much as I missed going out during that time, it's not like I had any issues being with Tobie 24/7. And I'm totally good with that.

It would be easy to say that we have learned to live together after doing so for some 15 years now, but that's not the case. I feel like we've always enjoyed being together and every moment shared is as treasure. Of course, we'll generally have a good time for as long as we're together, but I think we're especially happy just staying home. And that's a gift in itself - being able to appreciate each other's company while at home and not be in need of going to far-off places to keep things interesting. 

Every day with Tobie is interesting even when things seem to be routine. Every moment can feel like a potential celebration of some other aspect of our relationship and the many passions we share with each other. Even the silences are full of...contentment. Or fulfillment? It's just all so good.

I wouldn't have it any other way. 

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