When I need to breathe, relax, and slow down, I visit my sister Connie and niece Sandra in Makati. So when I found a good airfare deal last February, I booked a one-way flight for myself.  One-way because I wasn’t sure yet when I wanted to come home.

My sister lives near the Greenbelt area so every time I visit her, I walk around a lot. Sometimes, I’d cross over to Greenbelt and walk around before it opened. Other times, I’d walk from Greenbelt 1 all the way to SM Makati. It became a form of exercise for me – and a good way of releasing negative energy. I also found time to reflect on some things happening in my life at that time.

There are many reasons why I love staying in Makati. While others try their best to avoid the area, I love every minute that I spend there.

I love the fact that I can just walk to wherever I need to go.

I love the fact that there are convenience stores on practically every corner.

I love Makati because it allows me to be myself. Nobody tells me that I shouldn’t wear this or that. I can go out of the building wearing the same shorts and t-shirt that I slept in and nobody will bother me.

I love Makati because it is busy, but it’s never chaotic.

There are pedestrian underpasses that are completely safe even late at night. I love the bridges that connect Greenbelt to Landmark, to Glorietta, and to SM Makati.

I love Landmark Makati for its awesome cheap finds. I bought a lot of notebooks and journals there last month!

There are restaurants that are open until midnight, so my niece and I can decide to eat out at 9pm and just walk around to one of these dining places.

When I’m hungry and there’s nothing in the condo that I can eat, I just go down and walk to the mall. I love my me-times at the Glorietta food court.

I love Makati because meeting friends is convenient. I just have to walk to Greenbelt, or Landmark, or Glorietta.

I love being in Makati because there are moviehouses everywhere. I can choose where I want to watch. And our dear senior citizens can watch movies for free anytime and any day of the week!

 

And then, of course, there’s the Legazpi Sunday Market. My favorite. Even if I don’t buy anything, I go there because I love the sight and the smell of everything. I love browsing through the variety of stuff being sold. I love discovering new products. I love adventuring with food and drinks I don’t get to try out every day. And I love all the dogs that roam around the market!

 

Here’s a video clip of the Legazpi Sunday Market. This was taken last March 12, 2017. (Sorry if it’s a bit shaky, was walking around to make sure I won’t miss anything.)

I love the fact that endless greens and skyscrapers coexist in Makati. There are trees and parks everywhere. Even Greenbelt is rich in greens.

I love staying in Makati because it’s where the Ayala Museum is.

I love Makati because it’s where my favorite sanctuary is – the Greenbelt Church.

I love Makati because there are dogs everywhere. As in, everywhere!

 

Most of all, I love Makati because it is where my sister and niece are. They make Makati more beautiful than it already is.