It's finally happening - we are finally going to the Philippines! Although I (Mico) was born in the Philippines, it will be Nicole's first time visiting the country I was born in and spent the first 6 years of my life. Bringing my wife to the Philippines for the first time is really exciting, but also a little nerve-wracking! This is also the first time I will be going back to the Philippines in 15 years, so lots of questions have been coming up for me about what it means to be Filipino and how that coexists with my dual-identity as a Canadian.
Although there are lots of question as I bring my wife to the Philippines for the first time, we are also both SO excited!! We will be spending 2 amazing months exploring this beautiful country all while I learn more about what it means to be Filipino and hopefully connecting with my roots a bit. I am so proud to be Filipino, and Nicole is so proud to be married to a Filipino, and hopefully our time in the Philippines will give us the chance to connect with my Filipino heritage in a new way.
Today's video is a travel day vlog. We started the travel day in Sri Lanka and make one stop in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, before hopping our second flight to Manila, Philippines. The travel day is all overnight, so it was a bit of a rough one. Thankfully, flying the Sri Lanka and Malaysia to Philippines isn't too far a distance, so the journey went off without a hitch.
Being a Filipino-Canadian couple is a pretty awesome experience for the most part. Now that we are in the Philippines, we're pretty sure being able to have two countries to call home could be the biggest perk of our inter-racial relationship! I am really hoping to make my wife's first time in the Philippines a really special one so that we can revisit the country I was born in many times in the future. As full-time travelers, we are always excited about finding countries we feel comfortable settling in for a while, and we think Philippines will be one of these countries for us.
Aside from the incredible beaches and destinations we will be visiting in the Philippines, I am most excited for my Canadian wife to try Filipino food and experience more of the culture, but also to meet my Filipino family! And then there is also the chance to see her first impression of the Philippines! I cannot wait to see what she thinks of the country I was born in.
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== Connect with us! ==
♥ Instagram: @nicoleandmico_
♥ Website: www.nicoleandmico.com
♥ Email: info@nicoleandmico.com
Our FULL Packing List: https://nicoleandmico.com/our-packing-list/
== OUR FAVOURITE TRAVEL GEAR ==
+ Matador soap bar case: https://amzn.to/3S9JheW
+ HeroClip Carabiner: https://amzn.to/3itXX5Z
+ Toiletry kit: https://amzn.to/41T51z8
+ Travel Adapter (Universal): https://amzn.to/3HEwqL3
+ Makeup Remover Cloth (Erase-Your-Face): https://amzn.to/47lUP3a
+ Ex-Officio Underwear: https://amzn.to/47rT7NF
+ Nicole's long white shirt (this isn't the exact one, but it's the one I'd buy today): https://amzn.to/3HtO0SB
+ Vessi Shoes: https://crrnt.app/VESSI/pgldkja7
+ Sleep Mask: https://mantasleep.com/?rfsn=7760145.ac18013&nb_platform=partner-lp&nb_ppid=youtube&nb_cpid=manta_sleep_486&nb_ytu=Nicole_and_Mico
+ Passport Wallet: hhttps://amzn.to/427d4Iq
+ Laundry Clothesline: https://amzn.to/3n7BrCi
+ Eagle Creek packing cube: https://amzn.to/356xrN3
+ Mico's main backpack: https://amzn.to/41RUW5a
+ Nicole's main backpack:https://amzn.to/3TmHy6N
*Some of the links above are affiliate links and we may get a small commission at no cost to you if you choose to use a link to purchase a product!
== Chapters ==
0:00 Leaving Sri Lanka
0:53 A bit of Mico's Filipino story
3:27 Why we're a bit nervous to visit the Philippines
5:55 Nailing this Tagalog
6:57 We're in the Philippines!
9:06 Our first meal in the Philippines
11:17 First impressions of Manila
12:04 Manila Airbnb room tour
13:42 Our plans for the Philippines
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Hey there! We are Nicole and Mico and in March 2021, we quit our jobs, sold our belongings, and began traveling the world! We never thought we'd be making travel vlogs on YouTube, but after realizing that we had a unique opportunity to share our adventure and make the world feel more familiar and inviting to anyone watching, we took the leap and picked up the camera! We hope our videos show how wonderful, delicious, and friendly the world can be.