It’s a cloudy morning with a light drizzle as we drive up to Estancia de Lorenzo in the rolling hills of Rizal Province. The lush greenery and calm surroundings make the events venue feel far removed from the urban sprawl just beyond its borders.
Inside Lorenzo’s Restaurant, where the wedding reception is being held, the atmosphere is abuzz with conversations and laughters. Guests from both sides of the family exchange pleasantries, while a smaller group of us—friends from the groom’s teenage years—catch up.
The faces remain unchanged except for a few signs of the passage of time, refined by stress, financial obligations, and family responsibilities. We joke about how life has been kind to some and a little less generous to others.
Something about attending a wedding in your 40s just hits different. It’s not quite like those in our 20s, when everyone’s just starting out, bright-eyed and hopeful. In those days, weddings were boisterous reunions filled with laughter, catching up, and perhaps a little too much alcohol. In our 30s, the celebrations became more refined, and the guest lists grew smaller—just close friends, family, and colleagues. But now, in our 40s, a wedding tends to be much more intimate. Furthermore, it carries a different weight, especially when you and some of your friends remain unmarried.
But soon, there is the inevitable conversation that always seems to come up when you’re still single at this stage in life.
“So, still enjoying the bachelor life?” someone teases.
Another classmate, unmarried but with a partner and a toddler, chimes in, “You’re still traveling a lot, right? Living the dream while I’m busy with my daughter and rent.”
I smile, giving the usual response about freedom, adventure, and having no regrets. And to an extent, it’s true. Traveling has given me experiences I wouldn’t trade for anything. Walking through ancient sites or getting lost in places where I didn’t speak the language have shaped me just as much as any relationship or dating experiences could have.
Then the groom leans in with a smirk. “Hey, whatever happened with R? You two seemed to hit it off,” he says, referring to a woman he introduced a few weeks earlier.
I chuckle, shaking my head. “Yeah, well… She stopped replying.”
The groom looks genuinely surprised. “Really? She seemed interested.”
“Guess we read it wrong,” I shrug. “Or maybe she just changed her mind.”
The thought lingers a bit. Of course, moments like these, where love and companionship take center stage, make me take a step back and think. The freedom of singlehood is great, true, but every now and then, there is a pang of something else. Not regret, exactly, but curiosity about how things might have been different.
Like, what if that thing with R worked out?
Anyway. Let ghosts be ghosts.
As the night goes on, the conversations flow, and so do the wine. We see the two boys of the groom, now in their late teens, and this has us reminiscing about our younger selves, about the time we thought we had all the answers. Some of us had settled down early, building families and careers, while others, like me, had taken a different path. It wasn’t better or worse—just different.
At one point, I step outside and sit by the pool by myself to take in the warm night air. From the patio, with the lights of houses perched on the hills of San Mateo, I wonder if I would have done things differently, taken fewer detours, or said yes to the right person at the right time. But then again, who’s to say what’s right?
A friend, the unmarried partner and father, joins me. “You know, sometimes I think about what life would have been like if I hadn’t met my partner,” he muses. “I remember that I like my space. I liked being able to pick up and go.”
I nod. “Yeah. There’s something to be said about not having to ask for permission to just go on a spontaneous trip.”
“But I wouldn’t say my daughter is a mistake,” he says. “She’s the best thing that happened to my crappy life.”
We both let out a resigned sigh.
Being single at this age is a paradox. On the one hand, you have the freedom to shape your life entirely on your own terms. On the other hand, there are moments, such as this wedding, that make you question your life choices. Society tends to measure milestones by marriage and family, and when you don’t fit into that framework, it can feel like you’re walking an unmarked trail while everyone else is following a well-paved road.
But then, I think of the places I’ve seen, the experiences that have shaped me, the ability to make spontaneous choices without compromise. That, too, is a life well-lived. Maybe the traditional milestones aren’t the only ones that matter. Maybe happiness isn’t about ticking off boxes but about living fully in whatever path you choose.
As the night winds down, I am reminded of the many paths life can take, and that no particular one defines success or happiness. Some roads lead to marriage and family, others to adventure and solitude. And maybe, just maybe, some of us are meant to take the scenic route, one with unexpected detours, breathtaking views, and stories that unfold in their own time.
“Let’s go,” I finally say. “I’m getting sleepy.”
“It’s not even 10 yet,” he reminds me.
“Well, 10 p.m. is late for titos like us,” I tell my friend as I stand up and walk away from the pool.
Estancia de Lorenzo, San Mateo Travel Basics
Access
- Estancia de Lorenzo, San Mateo is about an hour’s drive from Metro Manila, depending on traffic. Use Google Maps or Waze as the route going there involves a lot of turns and one-way roads.
- To get to Estancia de Lorenzo by public transport, take a UV Express van in Farmer’s Market in Cubao bound for San Mateo or Montalban. Tell the driver to drop you off at SM City San Mateo. From SM, take a tricycle to the venue.
Admission
- Day tours start at PHP 450 per person (PHP 350 for senior citizens, PHP 225 for children below 4 feet). This gives you access to the public pools and umbrella-shaded tables from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Night tours start at PHP 550 per person (PHP 440 for senior citizens, PHP 275 for children below 4 feet). This gives you access to the public pools and umbrella-shaded tables from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Accommodation
- Couple villas start at PHP 5,200 (PHP 5,800 on weekends) per night.
- Family villas start at PHP 17,300 (PHP 20,200 on weekends) per night.
- Corporate group villas start at PHP 20,700 (PHP 24,200 on weekends) per night.
Food
- Lorenzo’s, an in-house restaurant, serves Filipino and international dishes. A breakfast buffet is included when booked overnight.
- Bistro Manuel offers a slightly more elegant experience if you want an intimate lunch or dinner. A meal for two costs about PHP 700 to 1,000.
Activities
- Estancia de Lorenzo has a couple of activities to keep you busy if you somehow get tired of dipping in the pool or lying down in one of their nice villas. One is the ATV experience (PHP 799 per person for 30 minutes), where you get to ride an all-terrain vehicle along the rugged trails surrounding the estate. It’s a fun way to add a bit of adventure to your stay, whether you’re a beginner or an experienced rider.
- Another option is a guided farm tour, where you can explore Estancia de Lorenzo’s agricultural side. Guests can see how the farm produces fresh ingredients used in the restaurant, interact with some of the animals, and learn about sustainable farming practices. It’s a relaxing yet educational experience, especially for families or anyone who enjoys the farm-to-table concept.
For more information on prices and packages, visit the Estancia de Lorenzo San Mateo, Rizal official website.
The Tourist Gaze 