You know that feeling where you feel a little tickle on your arm and you’re just sure there’s something on you? Usually you look and there’s nothing there. Well, in the Philippines, that’s not the case. If you feel like there’s something on you, there always is.

I’m a girly girl. I don’t like dirt, or sweat, and I definitely don’t like bugs. The girly girl in me has had a very hard time surviving in the Philippines. There are spiders, lizards, and ants everywhere you look! I firmly believe that 25% of the world’s ants live in this country. I’ve been known to leave food out at times, but not here. I learned quickly that ants don’t waste anytime, and because of that, neither do I.

Since “Girly-Girl Lizzy” really doesn’t fit in well here, I’ve had to switch gears a little. Meet “Hardcore Lizzy”. She sweats a lot. She takes showers out of a bucket and sleeps on the floor. She’s been known to wear the same shirt several days in a row. She is woken up several times during the night to the feeling of things crawling on her… she flicks whatever it may be off and goes back to sleep. She tries new food and wakes up early. It’s funny, but I think I like her better.