The plane descended, and as the clouds parted, I caught my first glimpse of Puerto Princesa, Palawan—an island I had heard about in passing, yet never visited. I had traveled far and wide, from bustling cities in Europe, Australia, and North America, to tranquil temples in Japan and Korea, yet somehow, I had never set foot in this part of my homeland. The irony wasn’t lost on me as the plane landed; this was my first time in Palawan, despite having been to places half a world away.
