In preparation for an upcoming trip to Manila, I've been dusting off notes and photos from previous homecomings. There's a bit of pressure on this trip (all self-inflicted) because I've convinced three well-travelled friends to visit the Philippines, with I as their guide. This came about from a resolution to see more of my own country. I've been to a significant bit of Luzon, but can count my Visayas experiences on one hand (Boracay, Cebu, Guimaras, Iloilo, Ormoc) and have none to speak of in Mindanao. My mediocre Lakbayan grade (lakbayan means to travel in Tagalog) attests to this. Really, as I have a month off in July, I could go anywhere, but I've turned down opportunities to go to Tuscany (I know, I know), Tokyo on dirt-cheap airfares, and Eastern Malaysia. I'm not sure what's come over me, but I just have this need to stay close to home. This urge may very well pass, so I might as well take advantage of it now.