We tried looking for long-term homes online and we stayed at one unit we potentially liked to test the internet, how Chewy can adjust etc. And we didn't like it--the place felt cramped, it was not a bechfront location and it just didn't feel right. At that moment we thought, well it was worth a try. We met with a friend who lives in Elyu, had some drinks and all of a sudden he mentions this place that he thinks would be perfect. It doesn't have a lot of online presence so we had to visit the place in person but we were already there so that wasn't a problem. The place had spacious parking, it was surrounded by greens and although it wasn't a beachfront location (the owner's house was on the beach front), we can see the sunrise and the beach from our window and it's literally a minute walk to the beach. It was perfect--it was a small studio unit, it had a corner 'living room' where we can work, a decent twin-sized bed that can fit the three of us, and a tiny kitchen right in front of our bed with a tv mounted just on top of the kitchen appliances. It was weird setup as I'd never lived in a studio unit before, but somehow it felt perfect for our little family. 

It was a family-ran business and we were talking directly to the owner. We paid the deposit, set expectations on when we're coming over, settled for a month initially and that was it--we were moving to La Union for a month. I was so excited and kept conting the days 'til our 'move'. I packed just enough clothes and swimsuit to last us a month, Chewy's bag, some kitchen items they didn't have, my work things and of course my cameras--I wanted to document every bit of this journey, I told myself that. Then came they day, we drove happily, met with our friend once we arrived, had some coffee and light lunch and then we're off to fix our tiny studio unit. And for some reason somehow, that was 6 months ago. 

I know I told myself I'll document the heck out of this little adventure, but I found myself reaching for my phone and my camera less. I spent more time with my husband, played with Chewy more often and cooked countless of meals in our tiny kitchen. I thought I would take videos and photos of everyday, but I didn't--I would wake up giddy at the thought of being blessed with a morning walk by the beach and a vivid sunset everyday to end my day. When I was stressed at work I'd put on my swimsuit and go for a swim, or simply ask my husband and Chewy for a walk and everything else will be okay. I went to the Sunday market more often than I can imagine, buying local fresh produce to grace my meals with. We visited lesser known local restaurants to diversify our palate of local Ilocano food, and we enjoyed everyday rarely remembering to document.