When I left my hometown and moved to Manila 17 years ago, I have changed addresses seven times. I always rented an apartment closer to the university or workplace. Today, we’re moving again. But it feels different.

I moved in to my current home over 5 years ago. Since then, a lot of good things have happened to us: blessing after blessing after blessing. I’m not superstitious and I refuse to believe luck has anything to do with it. But I still give this house some credit.

This place, after all, has been our home AND office. No matter how close it is to looking like a disaster zone at times, it’s an environment that has inspired us to be productive and, in the words of Marie Kondo, has sparked joy in our lives. I’ve gotten used to the safety and comfort within these four walls, which have witnessed every obstacle we conquered, every project completed, and every milestone reached. Ironically, our next milestone is saying goodbye to it.

Today, we’re moving in to a new place, one that we can truly call ours. A place we own. A place we worked so hard for. Difficult it may be to leave, it is also exciting to move out, move in, and move on. I’m nervous, but a fresh start is always encouraging.

For now, I need a moment to thank this house. Profusely. Sincerely. And probably Marie Kondo-style.