Summer vacation has always been a drag for me. There’s no one to hangout with and it’s always too hot. It’s hard to contact friends when I’m always too lazy to call or go outside. Like always, my thoughts for the summer of 2009 were: boring, hot weather, and lazy. But my parents mentioned something about a trip to the Philippines, which immediately caught my attention.
It was a long journey from California to the Philippines. We had to take two planes to get there. It was the longest eighteen hours of my life and I spent most of it sleeping and watching movies. My legs felt numb the moment the plane landed to our destination. The landing was by far the scariest experience I’ve ever had. The plane was moving so fast, I could’ve sworn the plane crashed on the mountains.
All my fears quickly faded the moment I stepped out of the plane. It was a great feeling to see the country I love the most. Although, the climate is far more warmer and hotter than I’m used to. All of that didn’t matter, because waiting for us at the entrance, was both my mother and father’s side of the family. They all had excited expressions on their face and I couldn’t help crying. There were others as well, who cried with joy. It was a very emotional reunion.
As soon as we got to our home in the Philippines, all the fun started. I didn’t immediately recognize my cousins, but either way, we got along really well. The first thing we did was check if they understood what we were saying, because not everyone understood English there. I laughed when I saw all of their confused faces, so I spoke in Filipino from then on.
We danced whenever we heard music playing. We walked on the streets and reunited with old friends and neighbors. We laughed about the smallest things, and one of the best things we did was play cards. I learned to play new card games and I even won on my very first try! We went to the mall and shopped mostly for food. I tried many of the food I haven’t eaten in a very long time. Everything we did was always fun and the best part was being able to spend it with everyone I loved. There wasn’t a moment of boredom. Even chores and cleaning was fun! We would always listen to music while cleaning and my aunt would suddenly dance and we would all laugh. We also went swimming and it was so amazing being able to have fun with my family and friends.
The summer of 2009 was the best summer I’ve had so far. It’s a very unforgettable memory and hopefully I will be able to experience these memories soon. Even as I recall those memories, I can’t help the smile tugging at my lips. With these experiences, I realized how much fun summer can be. It’s not just in the Philippines, but anywhere as long as I’m with the people I love the most.
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