We Go To Ginatilan Mountain In Cebu To Find Land

Welcome back! I’ve got to tell you, it feels absolutely incredible to be saying this from the Ginatilan mountains once again. We are back. As much as we enjoy visiting the city or traveling to different parts of the Philippines, for living, there is just no contest—the "bukid" wins every single time. The city is full of pollution and constant noise, but up here? It’s just peace, fresh air, and that "down-to-earth" rhythm that Jessa and I crave.

We’re currently staying in the small cabin that some of you might recognize from our earlier videos. It was the very start of our mountain life, and coming back to it feels like returning to our roots. It’s a bit of a squeeze right now, though! Jessa’s family is living here because their main house is unfortunately falling apart. That means we have a big family in a very small space, which leads to a lot of beautiful, messy chaos. You can see Jessa’s mom in the kitchen area, busy preparing a mountain of food for Jessa—she’s got quite the appetite these days!

One of the best parts of being back is seeing our four-legged family again. The dogs were all so happy to see us. I’m happy to report that they were all taken very good care of while we were away. They aren't the best at listening to commands, but they are the kindest souls you’ll ever meet. Watching them lounge around the new coconut drying area—which is a great source of extra income for the family—is a reminder of the simple, resourceful life people lead up here.

I also spent some time sitting in "my spot"—a simple white chair and table. It’s funny to think that from this small cabin in the middle of a Cebuano mountain, we’ve launched web shops and websites that are now reaching people internationally. The Norwegian web shop is doing great with decent sales, and while the international side is a work in progress, I’m taking it one step at a time. This chair is where the vision for our future really started taking shape.

And speaking of the future, we have some massive news. We aren't just here to visit; we are here to stay. We’ve officially decided to build our own mountain home right here in Ginatilan. I want to be clear—it’s not going to be a fancy, Western-style villa. That’s not what we’re about. It’s going to be simple, modest, and much closer in spirit to this bamboo cabin than to a luxury condo. It will be a real home, built with our own hands and the help of this community. We’re planning to start the build around January or February, and I can’t wait to take you all along for that journey.

Coming back to the mountains has been a total reset for us. The "free aircon" breeze is blowing, the sun is shining, and the stress of the city is a distant memory. We’re staying here through the Christmas season to celebrate Liam’s baptism and spend time with family. It’s going to be a busy, loud, and wonderful end to the year.

I think I’m going to sit down and have one more cup of coffee while I look out at this view now. Stay real, stay grounded, and I’ll see you in the next one!