Bela Padilla is saying goodbye to her life in London, UK after four years of living there as she announced on her Instagram post that she will be returning to the Philippines to work full-time once again.
In a short slideshow video, Bela shared plenty of pictures and clips taken during her stay in London, from all the places she’s seen, the food she’s eaten, and the experiences she’s had.
“A few seconds of my life in London since 2021. I am temporarily closing this chapter as I prepare to work full time again. And yes, I should have taken more pictures. I should have kissed and hugged my loved ones as much as I needed,” she began in the caption of her post.
“Even if London will forever be the city that made me question everything I know in life, and forced me to square my shoulders, walk faster and be more vigilant…it will also always be the city that allowed me to smell flowers in spring and summer. And boy did I stop and smell the flowers constantly. They were the highlights of my day. On days when I forgot what I sounded like because I wasn’t talking to anybody, I had the flowers to remind me that God wanted me happy by giving me the most beautiful flowers just around my neighbourhood.”
Bela continued to share her reflections on living in London and how it has changed her for the better, despite the challenges and hardships she encountered.
“London made me embrace the sad colours of autumn so hard that it would crush my soul every time I swept my garden before winter. Always weeping for the big tree I have, dying temporarily… as did I, with every sad day, quiet room entered and moment of complete confusion,” she said. “Because of London, my instincts are now sharper. I stayed as healthy as I could while navigating my autoimmune disorder. I very quickly learned to walk, ride my bike, and eventually drive cars on the left side. The education I got from in and out of the classrooms, [is] imbedded in me now.”
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“London also gave me the best friends that one could develop in adulthood, abroad. Our shared love for food, pints of Guinness or ciders, homesickness, overpriced takeaway and [complaints] about the bitter cold of winter glued me to them in ways that sometimes saved my sanity. I had to figure out grief alone in my high ceiling bedroom when I got the call that my dad had passed away…so my first house in London will always be the one I hold dearest to me. The sadness ate me whole so I took a train to Scotland where, shockingly, the sun made me feel like I was in the Philippines for a few days. I will still have my house in London and maybe one day, I will call it home again.”
Ending her post, she said: “London is polite but shouts when you’re wrong. Beautiful but rough around the edges. Kind but has a darkness that could scare the tough…my friend, London.”
Bela currently hosts “It’s Showtime” and will be starring in the upcoming drama thriller television series “What Lies Beneath” and “100 Awit Para Kay Stella,” a sequel to her hit film with JC Santos.
(ALSO READ: Bela Padilla Goes Back to School in London to Pursue Passion for Filmmaking)
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