What's one place you miss and will go back to?

There’s a cliché that says it’s not the destination that counts, but the journey. But sometimes, it really is about the place. It could be the city where you found love, or the country you’ve always called home. Or it could where you had that one grand vacation with the whole family that you keep going back to in your mind. Wherever it is, a special place is one that makes us smile even when we’re thousands of miles away.

Billy Crawford, international recording artist

I love France! There’s just so much to learn from the people, the culture, not to mention their rich historical legacy. And did I mention the food?! Aah, simply the best! Theirs is an atmosphere that’s conducive to music and the arts.

Michelle Barretto

 Patagonia. It is the farthest place I’ve ever been to and was quite a stretch for me. Staring at the glaciers and watching the ice crack, I couldn’t help but think what a fantastic designer God is!

Denise Laurel, actress

I never get tired of going to Boracay, but I prefer to go during the non-peak seasons. The sun, the white sand and the cool, clear waters can get me relaxed and recharged after a grueling taping schedule.

Nivat Chantarochoti, general manager, Thai Airways International

Although I feel very much at home here in the Philippines, being an expatriate in Manila I still miss my family back home in Thailand. I always find time to go home and visit my parents and relatives every now and then. I consider the Philippines my second home because I studied and grew up here. I pretty much enjoy it here. I love the food, the culture, and the Filipino people. But nevertheless, there’s no place like home.

Chito Vijandre, owner, Firma

One of the places I truly miss is Kathmandu. Unspoiled by time, there are many sacred and mystical places there where we found peaceful and inspiring moments. Ironically, there was also a lot of civil unrest going on and we were even almost stranded. We were really lucky to be able to leave right before everything was scheduled to shut down, leaving us with only beautiful memories of Nepal.

Marco Alcaraz, actor

I was lucky enough to visit Sagada during the early ‘90s, before it became pretty well known. Back then, it was such a great place to relax and unwind. There’s something mystical about the place, too. I still want to go there when I want to find myself.

Jay-R, singer

Definitely, it’s my hometown in Panorama City, San Fernando Valley, California. That’s the place where I grew up and where most of my relatives are still staying up to now. I make it a point to visit them during the holidays. I also make it a point to visit my alma mater, St. Genevieve High, because that’s where I started my formative years in music.

Stella Sutton, housewife

One place I miss and will definitely go back to? London, England. Having made it my home for almost 12 years, it has been the one place I feel I could call home. As a child, we moved around quite a bit — Manila for the first five years, then Dumaguete for the next four. Cebu followed for three years, and then it was back to Manila for another eight years. Work and marriage in Hong Kong for seven years, and then Singapore for the next three. I never got attached to any one particular place, as I knew it was always temporary. So, when my English husband decided to move back to his home country (which personally I thought was a gray, depressing, wet, cold and dreary place), I knew I was in it for the long run. The bizarre thing is that the people that helped make me think of it as home were a group of Filipinos who I met there when we moved. In 12 years we’ve been there for each other through boyfriends, marriages, house moves, childbirth, separations, temporary relocations, milestone birthdays, pilgrimages, deaths in the family, etc. The one thing that remained true was our friendship, and our weekly lunches.

So yes, I miss London, and I want to go back there, and I will go back there — despite the grey, depressing, wet, cold and dreary place it can be, sometimes! It is difficult for me to think of it in those terms now, as when I daydream about it, I can only recall blue skies, laughter, happy times, great weather, and the smiles and faces of the people who make it home for me — my friends!