The province of Siargao has housed superstar Nadine Lustre for quite some time now. From leisurely enjoying the beach to getting her daily grub whilst barefaced, we can tell the actress is definitely living her best life on the island—so much so that she’s now actually considering making it her permanent address.

In a recent vlog on Dr. Aivee Teo‘s YouTube channel, Nadine shared how she ended up spending a bulk of her time in Siargao, and how she went through a “180 [degree] life change” while she was there.

“I’ve always wanted to live near the beach or mountains, and there you have both,” she shares with Dr. Aivee. “It was just wishful thinking, like in two years or one year, I [want to] be living by the beach.” Nadine’s wishes manifested sooner than she thought, as she found herself getting her own place after only two months of being on the island.

When friends back home would ask her about her stay, the 28-year-old star testified to how more at peace she is there as compared to when she was in Manila. She states that, “[I feel] like there [was] like a lot of weight that’s been lifted. Life in Siargao is so simple.” Around the province, Nadine felt more comfortable dining at carinderias, going around the city proper, and even working from her new home. The locals would be polite and greet her, yet she says they would always keep their distance and just let her be.

 

While Nadine assures everyone that she’s still going to be dedicated to her craft (she’s been releasing some new music, FYI), she now sees Manila as more of her workplace, and Siargao as her homebase. “When I started living there, that’s when like a lot of things changed within me, and like my perspective on life as well,” she says. The actress loves the version of herself she discovered during her time on the island, and it’s something she hopes to cling onto more.

“One of my biggest realizations was that in Manila, for some reason, I was making my life so complicated and so difficult,” she expresses. As a self-professed “nature girl,” Nadine earnestly declares she feels “more grounded [and] connected” as a person, given how fuss-free her lifestyle has become when she’s in Siargao. “The simplicity of life gave [her] a sense of freedom,” Dr. Aivee adds.