I have lived in the Philippines since the day my mother and father got the urge to conceive me. And I have never been to any other country except while watching the National Geographic and CSI or reading The Da Vinci Code. Most of my college friends have left the country years ago to seek the American Dream. Not for lack of trying, but they failed miserably in convincing me to follow their pursuit. They couldn’t understand, but I couldn’t explain well either. Even when I was young, it had never been an aspiration to live elsewhere.

Of course, there can be a number of reasons for my hesitation. I may be the type of person who fear abrupt changes in her environment or a psychologist may diagnose it as low self-esteem and a feeling of inferiority to reside in progressive countries. Really? I speak perfect English and I have always been able to talk to foreigners at work without any problems. It was something I pondered on for sometime. While it may be true that I sometimes fear leaving my comfort zone, I had been able to introduce changes in my life whenever necessary. But what was it that keeps me rooted in this country that very few foreigners understand?
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