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It was really crazy to go back and see where I grew up after 19 years… THE FARM vs. LOS ANGELES. I burst into tears when I finally got to visit my “home” and revalidate old memories of my childhood—my sisters and I running around in our stone house, boiling water on the stove for a warm bath, waking up to roosters crowing in our yard, climbing trees, playing with sticks and stones.. or insects…, wandering the dirt roads of our town, and playing with the other farm animals in our lot.  Recently, I cried to my parents and felt a completely transformed kind of love towards them—which I didn’t think could happen considering how much of a brat and a rebel I’ve been my whole life.  This trip brought me to a closer understanding with them, and even with myself.  I’ve realized the hardship of my parent’s youth, their lives, and what they’ve had to endure to bring my entire family from the Philippines to America.  My sisters and I were in the Philippines away from our parents for a year while they established their careers and tried to save money to finally bring us here.  Any parent would’ve wanted to slap me for showing ungratefulness and for the way I talked back to my parents everyday of my teenage years, but I’m happy to have grown out of that phase and that their love was revealed to me this way.  After being in the streets of Philippines, it’s like I finally knew after all the years what my parents were trying to teach me about appreciating my abundant life and opportunities in the U.S.—relatively abundant, even when I NEVER thought so.. and learning to appreciate what I have when I live in a society that always wants MORE and feel like it’s never enough. I’ve also realized why sometimes I think the way I do and see life in a certain way.  This is because I’ve finally realized how strong my Fiilipino roots are.  I’ve never felt more proud of my identity and who I am, after rediscovering the true place I came from.   Thankful for my parents.  Thankful for my family.  Thankful for my Filipinos.  Thankful for my country. That’s all :) click picture for more photos

It was really crazy to go back and see where I grew up after 19 years… THE FARM vs. LOS ANGELES. I burst into tears when I finally got to visit my “home” and revalidate old memories of my childhood—my sisters and I running around in our stone house, boiling water on the stove for a warm bath, waking up to roosters crowing in our yard, climbing trees, playing with sticks and stones.. or insects…, wandering the dirt roads of our town, and playing with the other farm animals in our lot. 

Recently, I cried to my parents and felt a completely transformed kind of love towards them—which I didn’t think could happen considering how much of a brat and a rebel I’ve been my whole life.  This trip brought me to a closer understanding with them, and even with myself.  I’ve realized the hardship of my parent’s youth, their lives, and what they’ve had to endure to bring my entire family from the Philippines to America.  My sisters and I were in the Philippines away from our parents for a year while they established their careers and tried to save money to finally bring us here.  Any parent would’ve wanted to slap me for showing ungratefulness and for the way I talked back to my parents everyday of my teenage years, but I’m happy to have grown out of that phase and that their love was revealed to me this way. 

After being in the streets of Philippines, it’s like I finally knew after all the years what my parents were trying to teach me about appreciating my abundant life and opportunities in the U.S.—relatively abundant, even when I NEVER thought so.. and learning to appreciate what I have when I live in a society that always wants MORE and feel like it’s never enough.

I’ve also realized why sometimes I think the way I do and see life in a certain way.  This is because I’ve finally realized how strong my Fiilipino roots are.  I’ve never felt more proud of my identity and who I am, after rediscovering the true place I came from.  

Thankful for my parents.  Thankful for my family.  Thankful for my Filipinos.  Thankful for my country.

That’s all :)

click picture for more photos

#home  #photos  #travel  #ramblings  
∞  December 15, 2011
12 notes
  1. aprilrodriguez posted this