BalikbayanExpat

4th of July 2026 Celebration!
Happy 250th Birthday America! 🇺🇸🎂🎇 🧨 🎆
📍Ritz-Carlton, Fort Lauderdale Beach, FL. USA 🇺🇸

Watching the concert, drone & fireworks show on the beach from the Ritz-Carlton Hotel’s rooftop pool. 😍

Happy 250th Birthday, America! 🇺🇸🎂

Thank you for the opportunities, freedom, and countless blessings you’ve given me over the past 41 years. I’m truly grateful to call this country home.

Happy 4th of July!!!
Wishing everyone a safe, joyful, and memorable Independence Day. ❤️🤍💙



*Photos From:
📍Las Vegas(Mandalay Beach)
📍Miami Beach(Lifeguard & Boating)
📍Forth Lauderdale Beach(Ritz-Carlton)

𝙁𝙄𝙁𝘼 𝙒𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙 𝘾𝙪𝙥 2026 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙐𝙎𝘼 🇺🇸⚽🌎

If you know us, you know we’re not really sports fans. We don’t follow football (soccer) or any other sport religiously. But since moving to Miami, we’ve had the chance to experience several professional sporting events live—from NFL, NBA, and MLB games to celebrating back-to-back NHL championship parades in Fort Lauderdale.

But this FIFA World Cup has been different.

I think I’ve learned more about football this past month than I have my entire life.

What has touched me the most isn’t just the incredible talent on the field—it’s the people.

Watching fans from every corner of the world come together, proudly wearing their country’s colors, waving their flags, singing, cheering, laughing, and embracing one another has been an unforgettable experience. No matter what language they speak or where they come from, everyone seems united by one thing: their love of the game.

As an American, it’s also been heartwarming to see so many visitors enjoying our country and expressing gratitude for the hospitality they’ve received. It’s a reminder of how welcoming people can be when we focus on what brings us together instead of what divides us.

I catch myself celebrating when a team wins and feeling genuinely sad when another team’s World Cup journey comes to an end. I never expected to become so emotionally invested, but somehow you can’t help it.

Sports really do have the power to unite people in a way few things can. For a little while, the world feels a little smaller, friendships are formed, cultures are shared, and complete strangers celebrate side by side.

Living in Miami has allowed us to witness this incredible global event firsthand, and for that, I’m truly grateful.

Thank you, FIFA World Cup 2026, for reminding me that the beautiful game isn’t just played on the field—it’s found in the joy, respect, unity, and unforgettable memories shared by people from all over the world. ❤️🌎⚽

Miami Life. Thankful Grateful Blessed. ☀️👙🌴
📍 St. Regis, Bal Harbour (Miami), FL. USA 🇺🇸
As always, I’m drinking my non-alcoholic Piña Colada drink.🍹🍍🥥

𝙎𝙡𝙤𝙬 𝙏𝙧𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙡 𝙞𝙣 𝙋𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙚 🇵🇭

One of the biggest reasons foreigners move to the 𝙋𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙥𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨 is affordability. With the cost of living often around 60% lower than in many Western countries (USA, Canada, UK, and Australia), it gives you the freedom to spend a few months—or even a year—living on different islands until you discover the one that truly feels like home.

For us, life has always been about the 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝. That’s why we’ve made a list of islands we want to slow travel, taking the time to experience each one beyond the tourist spots. We want to enjoy the local community, the food, the culture, and most importantly, connect with the wonderful people who call these islands home.

Our home base will be Mactan Island, which checks all the boxes for us—beautiful beaches, modern conveniences, an international airport, great restaurants, and easy access to everything we need. We also enjoy being close to tourist areas rather than far away, so Mactan gives us the perfect balance of comfort, convenience, and island living.

From there, we’ll set off on new adventures, exploring different islands every few months before returning to our home base.

The beauty of slow travel is that there’s no rush. You can wake up to the sound of the waves, watch breathtaking sunrises and sunsets, explore at your own pace, or simply spend the day doing absolutely nothing.

🏝️ 𝙈𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙖𝙣 𝙄𝙨𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙙 – Our home base and home to many of Cebu’s beachfront luxury resorts.

🏝️ 𝘽𝙤𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙖𝙮 𝙄𝙨𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙙 – Famous for having one of Southeast Asia’s best beaches. We previously lived on Cagban Beach, and this time we plan to stay in Bulabog Beach and learn kitesurfing.

🏝️ 𝙋𝙖𝙡𝙖𝙬𝙖𝙣 – Home to El Nido, often ranked among the world’s most beautiful islands. We hope to explore as much of Palawan as possible.

🏝️ 𝙎𝙞𝙖𝙧𝙜𝙖𝙤 – A surfer’s paradise. I want to learn to surf and fully embrace island life.

🏙️ 𝘽𝙂𝘾 – A modern city with a blend of NYC and Miami vibes, while still being close to beautiful beaches. Spending a month here sounds perfect.

Living in the Philippines is a privilege, and we believe it’s important to appreciate it, stay grateful, and give back to the community that welcomes us along the way. 🇵🇭❤️

𝘽𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙇𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙄𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘽𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙇𝙞𝙛𝙚: 𝙁𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙈𝙞𝙖𝙢𝙞 𝘽𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙋𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙥𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙄𝙨𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙨 🇺🇸➡️🇵🇭

We moved to Miami for two simple reasons: 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙪𝙣𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝. There’s nothing like enjoying warm weather year-round, and if you didn’t already know, Miami is one of the sunniest major cities in the U.S. We wear flip-flops and shorts almost every day, and yes—we even swim in the ocean during winter! With sea temperatures rarely dropping below 77°F (25°C), beach days never really end.

That’s why choosing where to retire abroad has been surprisingly simple for us. Our first question is always: Does it have a beautiful white-sand beach? If the answer is yes, we’ll gladly give it a try.

Our dream is to spend our days in swimsuits, walking hand in hand along some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, enjoying the simple things that make us happiest.

For us, beach life truly is the best life. 🌊☀️💙

𝑶𝒖𝒓 𝑹𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝑴𝒖𝒔𝒕-𝑯𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒔 🌴

✔️ Modern amenities
✔️ White sand beach
✔️ Convenience
✔️ Gym, supermarket & shopping mall
✔️ Quality hospital nearby
✔️ Easy access to an international airport

When it comes to retirement, choosing the right location is one of the most important decisions 𝙮𝙤𝙪'𝙡𝙡 ever make. It has to fit 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 lifestyle—not just look beautiful in photos.

Having lived in Boracay before, we learned firsthand what works for us and what doesn’t. While it’s one of the world’s most beautiful islands, we realized that some of the conveniences we took for granted became much more important once we were living there full-time. Fast forward 11 years, and we’re sure many things have improved, but those experiences taught us exactly what we need in a retirement destination.

For anyone thinking about retiring or relocating to the Philippines, we believe it’s best to make a soft landing first. Cities like BGC or Cebu City offer modern conveniences while giving you time to learn the country, adjust to the lifestyle, and discover what matters most to 𝙮𝙤𝙪 before settling down permanently.

To us, retirement isn’t just about lower cost of living. It's about having the freedom to relax, enjoy life at your own pace, and never run out of things to do. With hundreds of beautiful islands to explore and affordable flights to neighboring countries, every new adventure is within reach.

The goal isn’t just to retire… it’s to create a better quality of life while giving back to the local community.

𝘼𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙖'𝙨 𝙈𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙖𝙣 𝙃𝙤𝙪𝙨𝙚𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙄𝙣𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙗𝙮 𝙀𝙩𝙝𝙣𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙩𝙮 🇺🇸 (Approx.)

1. Asian Americans
~$110K–$120K+
(𝑰𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒂𝒏, 𝑻𝒂𝒊𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒆, 𝑭𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒐 𝑨𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒐𝒑 3)
2. White (Non-Hispanic)
~$85K–$90K
3. Hispanic/Latino Americans
~$65K–$70K
4. Black/African Americans
~$60K–$65K

👉 Overall, Asian Americans currently rank highest in median household income in the U.S.

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🇺🇸 𝙐.𝙎 .𝘾𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙇𝙖𝙧𝙜𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙁𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙤 𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙨

• Los Angeles (Greater LA / SoCal)
• San Francisco / Bay Area (incl. Daly City, often called the “Pinoy capital”)
• New York City (Queens + NJ suburbs)
• Honolulu
• San Diego
• Las Vegas
• Chicago
• Seattle / Tacoma

Filipinos are one of the fastest-growing and most established immigrant communities in the U.S., especially in healthcare, military, and hospitality.

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📍Mercure Kooddoo Maldives!
From Celebrating my 50th birthday & hubby’s birthday in the . An all-inclusive, adults-only, water villa with private infinity pool.