DRIVING AND SLEEPING....NOT AT THE SAME TIME!

My title to this post might be a little obvious, but anyone who knows me know that sleeping and driving AT THE SAME TIME have been an issue for me in the past, haha

So, what do I mean? Well, let's just say that yesterday/today (all sorts of confusing when I am in a totally different day than most of you reading this and also confusing when I am working in the middle of the night and can't keep my days straight) was my first time really driving and really sleeping since we have been here.

Traffic and the way people drive here in the Philippines is DRASTICALLY different than at home. There are rules and people have to take a test when they get their license, but I am pretty sure that all goes out the window as soon as you get behind the wheel. I was actually just told by one of my co-workers that his wife BOUGHT her license and doesnt actually know how to drive, haha, ya! There aren't really any traffic lights and even when there are, they aren't really paid attention to. People pass each other in the same lane and then into on coming traffic. There are dogs EVERYWHERE on the road and on the sides of the roads. There are even goats and cows on the sides of the roads or in the middle of the road sometimes. People cross in the middle of oncoming traffic. Little children play on the sides of the road (no sidewalk, just inches away from passing vehicles). It is just different. Therefore, I didn't want to drive. I really had no desire to get behind the wheel of a car and try to figure out how to NOT hit another car, or more importantly not hit a dog or a CHILD. Yikes! So, Ben has been driving everywhere and I have been at the mercy of his schedule, etc. So yesterday when I realized that unless I drove him to work, I was going to be stuck at the house with no way to get anywhere I decided I just had to bite the bullet and get behind the wheel. So, I did! Let me tell you....I forgot the freedom that driving provides. I dropped Ben off and realized I could go wherever I wanted. I am starting to know my way around and I could get anywhere I needed to go now. What a crazy feeling! Also more than feeling freedom, driving made me feel like I actually live here, this is home. It was a GREAT feeling. I may sound like such a dork, but it just made everything better.

Ben's first time driving (the first day here, he's a little braver than me). I tried to post a video, but it didn't work. I am not that skilled.

The other part of this post is the other thing that is making me happy today. I actually got some sleep. I am working nights, about 11pm-8am every day. Since we are support for the US office, we work during US work hours. It has been a hard adjustment. The biggest part of the issue has been not having a home to go to during the day and sleep. There is literally karaoke going all hours of the day and night. Also, we have had workers in our house all day almost every day. We have just gotten sleep here and there when we can. Two days ago, when I last blogged, I was going on about 5 hours of sleep in 48 hours and I was dying. My team was nice enough to allow me to leave work at 2am last night to go home and sleep. I slept from 6am-8am which was nice. Then, yesterday evening after dropping Ben off for work, I went home and slept from 5pm-11pm and there was VERY LITTLE karaoke! I woke up feeling rested and ready for the day. What a difference sleep makes!

So, I feel good. I hope it lasts! We are still looking for another place to live, but if we can get some hours of uninterrupted sleep each day we might even be able to stay in our house. It is big and has that gorgeous view so it might be worth it. We will see!