We went on an almost 20-kilometer drive from Cainta to Binangonan, Rizal to check on this house my brother found on Ebay. It was early Saturday morning and my eyes were still droopy from lack of sleep.

It never crossed my mind that you could actually sell, and buy, houses on Ebay. My brother saw the all-must-go ad last week and inquired over the phone. Both of my brothers set out immediately to meet with the owners braving the weekday traffic from Pasig to the remote part of Rizal. It turned out that the owners, an old couple, would soon migrate to New Zealand where their children are waiting for them. I have cousins in Maryland who did the same thing, too. (By the way, if you’re planning to relocate somewhere in the East Coast, prepare Boston resumes and land on a job you love the most.)

My brothers were excited about the new find that we all went to see the place and decide whether we all agree on owning it or not. It’s a two-storey house with garage, four rooms and a basement. Plus a four-year-old car. And the best thing about it is we’re inside a village that sits on a quiet hill dotted by trees overlooking Laguna Bay.

I have never felt so relaxed; breathing fresh air and enjoying the sight of rugged green mountains. It so inspires creativity I think I could start writing a book there. I hope this is already it.