Mother land

Last time I went to Manila to visit my family I did not do much but just spend time at home. Usually I would go out of town, head to the beach or the mountains for a few days. This time around the longest time I spent out of the house was only 4 hours - and that was when my mom was doing some therapy. My mom is quite unwell and so I immediately went overseas to see her as soon as I found out. I am quite glad that her condition improved while we were there (this did not stop me from researching about things to keep her comfortable such as acorn stairlifts queens new york and wheelchairs). It's not surprising how emotional I felt about the whole trip home. Having lived overseas for more than a decade I can say my family is my weakness. I have my immediate family now but of course my parents and siblings would always be important to me. I am quite close to my parents now, and being a parent myself has made me appreciate them even more so. Some days I wish I didn't have to migrate and live away from home, that way I could have spent more time with my parents and siblings. It's pointless to wallow in my regrets, so moving forward I hope that hubby finds a way to live back home even temporarily. They say it is easier to do this while the kids are still young. Lots of things to consider though! But hubby knows I have this hang up about moving back and I've been wanting to live there for quite some time now! (I have also written about this here a million times!!)

If we do push through with the plan, there are a few things I have to research on. Let me try and enumerate them now.

1. Health insurance - This obviously is one big security to have. We have managed to live without this in Australia, but surely we will need it for the Philippines.

2. Dual citizenship - I guess there are pros and cons to weigh about this topic. It is a complex thing to consider - from kids' schooling, taxes, overall alien status if we decide not to take Philippine citizenship in the beginning.

3.  Livelihood - This is the most important consideration among everything as without it we will not thrive back home! So it is a matter of finding and establishing the right business so we have some sort of income while there!

4. School - Our eldest is already in school so we will need to enrol her into a local school for the duration of our stay.

5. Living conditions - I am sure we are able to live somewhere. This would mean though that we won't have a lot of 'say' in the area we will live in. It would mean though less expense - which is important particularly in the beginning of the move when we try and put our roots down again. And I am not even thinking about our means of transport while there!

6. Tax - I am not entirely sure how this would affect the situation. I guess a visit to a tax agent is paramount.

7. Too many other things - I am actually getting a bit overwhelmed just jotting these all down! (For now)