Living in what's considered a third world country has taught me a lot about gratitude. 

A little boy stands outside the bar looking in on us eating big plates of greasy food.

An old woman from the mountains carries a huge pack of trash on her back and picks through the leftovers on the street.

I hear a conversation about families who send their children to school, but end up taking them out to sell the uniforms for food. Some children go to school with empty stomachs, expecting only one meal for the entire day. 

People brush their teeth with sand.

And what happened to the people in the mountains when the typhoon hit? Some survived, but most probably didn't.

And that's all a lot of people all over the world do every day - just survive.

We could give them books on prosperity and tell them to repeat affirmations and teach them the law of attraction, but would any of that make any sense? Would it make a difference? Seems kind of silly in that situation.

What am I learning more than anything by being here? Gratitude. And not just that, but that it's not optional and that it's not just a way to attract more of what I want. Gratitude is as simple as saying thank you, from the bottom of my heart and genuinely feeling it. Not because it will get me what I want, but because I already have it. I already have more than most people in the world ever will.

I have hot water and a bed and a roof, toilet paper, blankets and pillows, several pairs of shoes, a toothbrush and toothpaste. I don't worry about whether I get to eat tomorrow or if my sandals will break - I can buy a new pair. 

And that's why, dearest reader, I must say that if you're reading this right now, you already have a beautiful life. You are enough, you have enough, and there's every reason to be grateful.

It's not always going to be perfect.

You won't always have the perfect desk, the right chair by the window, the nice paper, the updated laptop.

The internet won't work. The lights will go out. The children will fight. The toilet will overflow.

You won't always be happy and things won't always go according to plan...

...but you'll keep on doing what you love.

You'll keep writing even though you don't have a room of your own. You'll keep dancing and painting and leading and inspiring. You'll keep doing what you do because there are no excuses. 

If you want it bad enough, you'll do it. You'll do it when life is up or down. You'll do it because it's what keeps you moving, breathing, living.

Living even when life isn't perfect.

Because it rarely is.

Keep going, darling. Keep going.

Sitting outside on the balcony, overlooking the mountains, listening to dozens of roosters crowing and palm leaves clapping (what are they applauding?).

Before falling asleep a few nights ago I got out my iPod and listened to a beach mix I put together before I got to the Philippines. I thought about all the things I used to dream about... 

...my 16-year-old self wearing pukka shells, plastering her walls with surfing pictures, dreaming of the day she'd live by the ocean.

...my 25-year-old self sitting behind a desk, watching snow fall outside her office window and dreaming of the day she'd play in the ocean and fill her days with writing and reading.

...and now, my 31-year-old self sitting in my "office" by the ocean doing exactly what I please. 

Sometimes I forget the scope of this dream - it all becomes daily life filled with laundry and house cleaning and everyday challenges. But then, like a few nights ago, I sit in its presence and realize how lucky I am. 

I don't wake up with an alarm. I don't count down the hours. I don't deal with traffic. Sure, I had to let go of some things: frequent shopping trips, fast food, Starbucks, bookstores within driving distance (I have to take a boat, then a bus, then a cab). And I complain about these things sometimes, but then I think, would I trade in my life now for some materialistic stuff? Would I trade in lounging on the beach, a schedule I get to make, a simple life not complicated by lots of bills and responsibility for a jaunt to the mall? I think you know the answer.

Even these past few days without reliable internet have been quite nice. I've been reading up a storm, working out, writing. It's nice not to have my head filled with endless amounts of business/life advice, Facebook news feeds, and entertainment dribble.

Some books I'm reading/re-reading:

If You Want to Write by Brenda Ueland
The Poet's Guide to Life by Rainer Maria Rilke
Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury
Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

And I've also been paying attention to my dreams, looking up symbols, figuring out what my brain's trying to work through. I've had lots about my favorite author, Francesca Lia Block, and libraries and books and getting lost in huge malls. 

And to end this post, I'm sharing some favorite wisdom from the books I'm reading:

Happy days :)

I've lived in the Philippines for 7 months now and I'm still transitioning. My Western mindset always comes up against new ways of thinking and doing things. I have to be honest and tell you that sometimes I get frustrated, like when the power goes out or the internet's not working.

But I'm learning a lot of things, especially about what's really important. It's not what you wear, what you buy, what your career is, how much money you make, whether you eat organic or not. It's about love, health, food and water, a roof over your head. Plain and simple, basic needs.

There are thousands upon thousands of people in this country without those needs right now. Here in Puerto Galera we were lucky enough not to have had much damage brought on from super typhoon Haiyan, but I'm sure you've heard and seen the news about those places that were drastically affected.

That's why this December I'd like to give back to the country I'm now a part of and learning so much from. The Living Poetry e-course starts again on December 1 and if you sign up, half the cost ($10) will go to the Philippine Red Cross to support victims of Haiyan. So you're not only gifting yourself a little something, you're also helping those in dire need of the things we take so much for granted.

I truly appreciate everyone who checked up on me and all your thoughts, prayers, love and light that no doubt reached me during a scary time.

Big love and gratitude to you all.

I'm in the middle of a transitional period and having to take life day by day.

You see, we moved from our little apartment on the ocean to a big house in the mountains and the internet situation is trying my patience. We're thisclose to having the wifi set up, but there's still something missing, something not allowing us to connect, so we're having to make do with limited internet through usb and blah blah.

In fact, right now I'm sitting on the balcony (the only place I get a signal) and hoping it doesn't rain. The coconut trees are swaying and the sky is gray. 

Basically, things might be a bit quieter around here until this gets resolved, which although frustrating, is also good because it's forcing me to take an internet break.  I've been wanting to for awhile now so I can clear my head and now the universe is telling me, "If you're not going to do it, I'll do it for you."

Aside from that, the house and location is beautiful! Just look at the view we have.

And I love the vintage touches the house has. This light fixture and chair is in the master bedroom. 

The sun's peeking out a little, but there's word a typhoon is headed straight over us. Within the next couple of days we might be boarded up inside, but hopefully the worst of it will pass us and we'll only get some rain. 

Ciao for now, loves. Hope when I write to you again all will be settled. And if not...we keep walking, keep taking it day by day.

I'm in the middle of moving house, so I'll make this short and sweet. Yep, we're moving from the ocean to the mountains - I'll have pics for you soon! Just wait til you see the view.

In the meantime, a roundup of lovely links for your reading pleasure:

6 soul-boosting exercises for your biz.

12 simple suggestions for living an extraordinary life.

Do you know what your priorities are? Are they actually priorities? Prove it!

How to take a break from blogging without losing readers.

Why you shouldn’t care about blog comments.

Young people in Japan have given up on sex. Huh?!

Write like a teenager.

Who doesn’t love a glitter makeup look? Get the smokey, glittery eye.