Capt Jim Ed — Mid-Year 2026 Newsletter

The Adventure Continues

Hello, friends—

It has been a while since our January update, and the first half of 2026 has given Adela and Jim plenty of time to explore, learn, adjust, and keep moving toward the bigger vision.

Our largest accomplishment is that Jim's 13-a Spousal Visa has been approved. Jim is now a Alien Resident officially.

As many of you know, Jim came to the Philippines with an idea that goes beyond simply building a place to stay. The dream is to create something meaningful in Northern Luzon—a destination where nature, hospitality, personal growth, and community come together.

That vision continues to guide the journey.

Turning a Vision into a Real Plan

Since January, much of the work has been about transforming a broad dream into something practical and sustainable.

The Capt Jim Ed vision is now centered around four connected journeys:

• Coaching and mentorship for entrepreneurs, dreamers, and people navigating a new chapter in life

• Helping develop distinctive and sustainable glamping resorts

• Creating our own glamping experience here in the Philippines, where guests can enjoy comfort, adventure, and a deeper connection with nature

• Santa Jim and Helpers reaching and blessing local Children in Children Homes

These are not separate projects. Each one supports the others and contributes to the same goal: creating experiences that help people step away from the noise, reconnect with what matters, and move forward with renewed purpose.

Building in Northern Luzon

Northern Luzon continues to be the setting for this next chapter.

Its mountains, coastlines, communities, and natural beauty make it an extraordinary place to explore the possibilities of thoughtful tourism. The goal is not to overpower the landscape, but to work with it—creating accommodations and experiences that feel comfortable, memorable, and genuinely connected to their surroundings.

One of the biggest challenges has been determining the current legal ownership of potential properties. This has meant working with various local and national government offices while trying to reconcile land titles, tax declarations, surveys, property boundaries, inheritance records, and other documents that do not always tell the same story.

Anyone who has dealt with land in the Philippines knows how complicated this process can become. Records may be held by different offices, ownership may have passed through several generations, and resolving a seemingly simple question can require considerable research, patience, and repeated follow-up.

Although the process has taken longer than anticipated, confirming clear ownership is essential before making any commitment. It is better to ask difficult questions now than encounter even greater problems after construction begins.

Progress does not always arrive with a ribbon cutting. Sometimes it looks like research, conversations, site visits, revised plans, new relationships, and lessons learned along the way. Those quieter steps are an important part of creating something that can last.

Coaching, Mentorship, and Purpose

The coaching side of Capt Jim Ed also continues to take shape.

Jim's own journey has included entrepreneurship, travel, reinvention, unexpected challenges, and more than a few course corrections. Those experiences have reinforced something he has long believed: people often do not need someone to hand them all the answers. They need someone who will listen, ask the right questions, share honest experience, and help them turn an idea into action.

Whether someone is starting a business, considering a major change, or trying to rediscover their direction, the purpose of this work remains the same—to help people navigate their next adventure with greater clarity and confidence.

Learning to Build Differently

One of the strongest lessons of this journey is that building in the Philippines requires patience, adaptability, and respect for local knowledge.

Ideas that appear simple on paper can become very different once terrain, weather, access, utilities, materials, regulations, and long-term maintenance are considered. Every challenge provides useful information, and every conversation helps refine the plan.

The aim is not merely to build quickly. It is to build thoughtfully.

That means continuing to explore approaches that balance guest comfort with environmental responsibility, local character, practical operations, and a sense of adventure.

Santa Jim: Sharing the Blessing

We are also building on the Santa Jim activities we began in 2025.

This year, we hope to expand those efforts by bringing extra joy to children living in local homes, as well as youngsters in another nearby barangay who deserve a special blessing.

The heart of Santa Jim is simple: bring people together, share what we can, and help children feel remembered and celebrated. Whether through gifts, supplies, financial support, or volunteering, every Santa Helper can make a difference.

If you would like to join theSanta Helpers and help make this year’s activities even more meaningful, please visit the Santa Jim website (Santa.CaptJimEd.com ) and contact Santa Jim directly.

Together, we can create wonderful memories—and remind these children that their community cares about them.

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What Comes Next

During the next stage of the journey, We will continue developing the Capt Jim Ed platform and sharing more about:

• The evolution of our Northern Luzon glamping vision

• Lessons from developing hospitality projects in the Philippines

• Coaching and mentorship opportunities

• Tropical living and the realities of beginning again in a new country

• The people, places, and experiences encountered along the way

• Santa Jim and opportunities to help deserving children in our local communities

There is still plenty of work ahead, but the direction is becoming clearer—and that is worth celebrating.

Thank You for Staying Aboard

To everyone who has followed the journey, offered encouragement, shared advice, or simply checked in to ask how things are going: thank you.

This adventure is still being written. Some chapters will involve exciting breakthroughs; others will bring delays, changes, and lessons we did not expect. We intend to share both sides honestly.

After all, the most meaningful adventures are rarely straight lines.

Stay curious, keep exploring, and watch for the next update.

Fair winds,

Capt Jim and Adela

Adventure meets purpose.

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