A Fresh Start Built on Tile Floors, Jazz Guitar, and Radio Waves
Three and a half years in Portugal can feel long. At some point you notice you’re losing more energy than you gain. For us, it became obvious that something had to change. Not someday—now. Moving to Davao City wasn’t a romantic dream. It was a practical decision. And looking back, it was the right one.
A New House, a Room of My Own
Our house here in Davao is a new build—clean walls, freshly laid tile floors, everything in a condition that doesn’t feel temporary or worn out. And the best part: we’re renting an entire house with a garden, parking space, and all utilities included for about half the price of a cramped shared-room in Lisbon. That comparison speaks for itself.
Inside this house, there was one room that immediately felt like a workspace. I set it up intentionally: a large desk, a comfortable office chair, and an air cooler that becomes essential once the midday heat kicks in. I don’t just hang out here—I earn my living in this room as an external Education Support professional for a training provider. For that, you need a space that works.
Finding My Way Back to Music
Once the work setup was done, something else returned—something I hadn’t realized I’d been missing that much: music.
I bought myself an ES‑335 and a Fender amp. Not as trophies, but as tools to start playing again. To hear a tone that comes from your own hands. To reconnect with something that isn’t just functional, but meaningful.
There was no dramatic comeback moment. It was more like easing back into an old habit. A few chords, a few lines, some jazz noodling in the afternoon. And suddenly, something was back that I had completely lost in Portugal.
Vintage Groove FM: A Project That Simply Makes Sense
Out of this mix—quiet, structure, and music—Vintage Groove FM was born. No business plan, no “I’m launching a startup,” just an honest vintage internet radio station based in Davao City. Blues, jazz, swing—music that breathes. Music that isn’t polished to death. Music you actually listen to.
I curate the playlists myself. Not because I think it makes me important, but because it’s fun. Because it feels good to work with music again instead of letting it run in the background.
A Daily Rhythm That Finally Works
My day is straightforward: 4.5 hours of work for the training provider—focused, calm, without chaos. After that, the part of the day that belongs to me begins. And for that, Davao is ideal.
Out here, far from Manila’s noise and pressure, life runs at a pace you can actually live with. A pace that leaves room. Room for music. Room for projects. Room for a kind of normalcy I had been missing for a long time.
A Fresh Start Without the Drama
I wouldn’t say Davao changed me. But it gave me the space to find myself again. A new floor, a new desk, a new routine—and suddenly things start to feel right.
Vintage Groove FM is part of that. The ES‑335 too. And this small studio room, which is really just a room, but somehow became much more.
A place where something new is happening again.
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